1 John 4: Test the Spirits—Love vs. Antichrist --- 2019/08/06
Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio
English - August 06, 2019 21:01 - 51.5 MB - ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsChristianity Religion & Spirituality thy stong word kfuo bible study lutheran Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Rev. Dr. Martin Noland, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in San Mateo, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 John 4.
Many people have quoted from 1 John 4: “God is love” and “Test the spirits” among others. But what do these verses mean in context? John is talking about how to tell the difference between the Spirit of God and the spirit of antichrist. He’s still talking about this split that has occurred in the Christian community.
Although lots of people talk about “love” or “God” or even “Jesus,” we must test the spirits; we must examine the whole worldview behind the words to know if they’re really from God. Do they actually confess Jesus Christ come in the flesh? We can’t look at how many people attend a church on a weekend or how popular they are with important world figures. Crucially, we must look at whether there is sacrificial love—not love that objectifies for pleasure, but the self-sacrificing love that God has shown us in Jesus Christ.