1 John 4:7-10; The Passion History – Part I: The Lord’s Supper
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” This is an exhortation to Christian discernment. There are many spirits in this world, but only one is good and is from God, the Holy Spirit. But how is a Christian to know? St. John provides you the answer: “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” Not every spirit or teacher speaks faithfully. The world speaks with a different message than the church of God. It may use the same words, especially the word love, but with different meanings. The world and every spirit opposed to God will never love hearing God’s Word nor our Words from God and will oppose them. But those who are of God listen to His Words, and those who know Him will be glad to hear our echo of these Words.
On the evening of our Lord’s Last Supper, a spirit entered Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ friends and disciples. That spirit was not of God. That spirit was Satan. That Satanic spirit found a welcoming ear in the chief priests and captains who offered Judas thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus. I am convinced that they actually did believe that Jesus was from God, that He was the Son of God and the promised Messiah. That was not their sin. Yes, they believed this about Jesus, but they did not believe in Jesus, and they were eager to destroy Him. Thus, when Judas offered to betray Jesus, “they were glad to hear Him.” Long ago they had set themselves against Jesus. But Judas was different. Satan had been working on him for a while, slowly, almost imperceptibly. Judas had experienced the love of Jesus personally. He had witnessed Jesus’ great signs. He had seen for himself that Jesus was fulfilling Messianic prophecy. And so, Judas was conflicted. He knew what God’s Word said and that Jesus echoed God’s Word. But he also heard another word, from another spirit, even from Satan Himself, and he began to doubt: “He can’t be the Messiah. The Messiah is supposed to be strong like David and make Israel great again! This man is essentially homeless, and, let’s be honest, He doesn’t seem all too interested in being a king like David anyway.” “And, if He’s the Messiah, why doesn’t He get on with it already and start the revolution? What are we waiting for? We’ve left everything to follow Him and what do we have to show for it? Maybe there’s another way to set things in motion?”
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” The test is simple enough: Which spirit is from God? The Spirit of Jesus or the spirit whispering in Judas’ ear? Only one spirit speaks what God’s Word speaks. The other speaks the opposite. Only one spirit speaks in love. The other may use the word love, but with a different meaning. For example, there is little doubt that Judas believed he was doing the right thing at the time in betraying Jesus, His Master and friend. Perhaps he believed that he was actually helping Jesus accomplish His mission? Jesus would have wanted him to do it. In ways such as this the Satanic spirit twists God’s Word and the meaning of love, lies, and deceives so that the believer comes to call evil good and good evil and is fully convinced he is doing the loving thing.
But that is not love – not the love of God and the love of Jesus. Satan’s love, Judas’ love, the world’s love is a love curved in on itself, a selfish and self-centered love, a love that is only concerned with what “I” want and with what “I” need, regardless of what others want or need, and regardless of what is good, right, and true. That kind of love is exposed in the clear light of Jesus’ love in accord with God’s Word. While Judas was pondering how he might betray Jesus, Jesus became the servant of His disciples, including Judas, and in selfless humility and self-sacrificial love began to wash His disciples’ feet. Then He taught them, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you. For this I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Such selfless, humble, and self-sacrificial love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You will know this spirit, for it confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” Spirits must be discerned by hearing the teaching of the teachers. The Holy Spirit is at work in the Holy Scriptures. The teaching and Word that proclaims Christ (that Jesus is God come in the flesh) is the Holy Spirit. Any word that speaks otherwise is a different spirit. The Holy Spirit keeps the Church in the one true faith by driving Her to confess what the Scriptures teach. When the pastor speaks Christ, that is the Holy Spirit’s working. When the church confesses Christ in the creeds, the Spirit is there. The Church’s liturgy and hymnody, catechism and creeds, preaching, teaching, word, and deeds are all the outward confession of what Her members believe about Jesus – that He is God come in the flesh, just as the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, teach. By knowing God’s Word and by the regular hearing of God’s Word and the receiving of His Sacraments, believers are kept in the one true faith and are well-equipped to discern which spirits are from God and which are not. “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.
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