1-3 John - 1st John 4:4-6 Spirit of truth vs. the Spirit of error - part 2
1 John 4:4-6 · Bob Eckel · Jul 24, 2011
1, 2 & 3 John, No. 30
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926241205219

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

All right, I miss being with you last week. Margaret and I were getting ready for a party of the spirit of the evil one, never mind. Anyway, well, you know, the black and white of John's going to continue today as we continue to pursue the lesson before us. So let's, yes.

Oh, this one? Okay, this is always fun here, the impaired hearing. And seeing of the elderly here always gets us on right for me. I think we need a few more electronic devices up here. I'll give it a shot. I'll give it a shot. That part's right. But this part here, let's try it this way. There we go. Hey, it takes an engineer. I have a perspective. Now it looks like it's attending my lateral orbit here, right?

Anyway, what are we doing here this morning anyway? Speak English. We'll talk after class, all right? What's this oneness in Christ? All right, so it's fun to pick up after Jim's lesson last week. Jim, listen to that. Nice job. We were blessed by your teaching last week, so thank you very much. Let's look at Chapter 4 now. We're going to read verses 1 through 6, and today's topic is 4 through 6. Someone pick that up and read verses 1 through 6, please. A volunteer.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test this prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God. 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. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them. Because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world, therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not from God does not listen to us. All right, good. Thanks, Fred. All right, so let's begin with verse four, then. You are God, little children, have overcome them, because he who is in you is greater than he is in the world.

So if you pick one word out of this verse, which word would you like to pick in terms of being most relevant? And by the way, this is kind of subjective. There's a lot of truth in this verse. Does it have to be one word? Yeah, just pick your favorite word in this verse. What would it be? Well, I was going to say greater in you, but I have to... Well, that's more than one word.

Greater. Overcome. Overcome. Of. Of? You're in the wrong class. And Pat just said the. No, he really didn't. All right. I like to overcome myself. And let's set the stage here with what John has already articulated in this Gospel. In verse 33 of chapter 16 of the Gospel of John, he said, These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace in the world, and you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

Boy, position or condition? position. Position. Anybody for condition two? We'd like it to be condition two. Well, just wait. Now, the black versus white of John continues. Remember, that's white, but I put it white because you couldn't see anything, but anyway, I put it in a shaded color so ultimately you could perceive that black and white are quite distinct, right? What's that? Aluminum. Aluminum, yeah. It's a soft gray is what it is. Alright.

So you is pretty emphatic here. It really talks about the body. It's just not you individually, but in fact it's ye, all of us, members of the body of Christ. So John is directing this message. All of us have little children. What does that imply? Well, I think, potentially and likely, easily deceived.

In other words, this is kind of in your face, wake up, this is who you are, you've overcome, get into that mindset, into that belief. Now, little children, I mean, if you go back to 1 John 2, remember he talks to the little children and the grown men and the fathers, it's three levels of the message of the gospel of truth that John's perceiving in here. we're talking about little children, doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be relatively early in your faith or uninformed. I think it just appeals to all who in fact are members of the body of Christ. So what does it mean to overcome?

So we're not slaves to Satan or sin because of what Christ did for us. And we should reckon that to be true. Other thoughts? Well, perfect active indicative. What's the tense mean to us here this morning? Is that an action completed in the past and ongoing? And ongoing activity. Indicative means what?

Factual. So the facts before God and before the believer is that he and or she is determined to be an overcomer. Right? So, to conquer, to carry off the victory, to come off victorious, I mean, the victory is there. It's already been accomplished. So, question that I've already asked you, positional or conditional? I don't think anyone would doubt positional, would they? So when we think about positional, we think about our being crucified, buried, and resurrected with him. Positional truth, right? We're overcomers because of everything the cross stands for. But what about other aspects of position? Could it be both? I think John is clearly addressing the fact that conditionally we're to be overcomers. We've been declared to be overcomers and in fact our life by faith is that of having overcome.

Let's compare Hebrews 2.14 to Ephesians 6, 10 through 18. And Roger, I'm going to ask you to look at the Ephesians section, not read all seven verses, but just kind of if you will look at that and kind of summarize that for us. And someone read Hebrews 2, 14. Ingrid, could you get that one up for us? This is something I think as believers we often forget.

Hebrews 2.14 is one of those stellar verses that often many of us don't tuck in and I've only more recently made this verse very apparent to me. Go ahead. So what do you make of that verse? To read that verse again more loudly and slowly.

So where's the devil before God right now? Destroyed. So that means the devil has no influence? Well the devil certainly is of the world, but we allow the devil and the world to influence us when we should reckon ourselves to be. So by definition, positionally, if God has conquered Satan at the cross, which is what Hebrews 2.14 says, then in fact positionally we're overcomers. The spirit of evil or of error has been destroyed before God, and as believers we rest in the truth that ultimately that spirit of error versus the spirit of truth, which is the context of which we're studying today, is in fact positionally true. Satan is destroyed. Christ is not going to again get on the cross and deal with Satan a second time, right? So before God, the believer is secured as an overcomer, declared factually forevermore.

Now conditional truths really can wax and wane, so I asked Roger just to summarize Ephesians 6. I want to just read the first three verses. It says, Be strong in the Lord, in the strength of his might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against powers, against the forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. So, and it goes on and talks about taking up the full armor of God's help.

What I've always liked about this is, it's a, since Christ has accomplished this, it tells us to stand firm, or to believe it, to trust it. I think that's what I take away from those verses, that we're to stand firm. We're not on the offense. We're standing what Christ has done. We're not to go out and, well, I have to match what Christ did. No, we haven't been called to do that. We've been called to trust what he's done, by faith. So, Roger, are we conditionally always overcomers? I would say not.

So, Ephesians is this battleground of defending our fort, is it not? And how do we defend our fort against the errors of the spirit or of the devil? Trusting the Lord and standing firm in faith. What's the mechanism? Faith. Do we believe what God's revealed? Right? We believe what God has revealed, we positionally are secure, and our condition increasingly is conformed to our position, right? It's a battleground, if you will, but God sees it as one. We are declared to be overcomers, as John said in his gospel account. All right, applications of Christ over all of his foes, of Christians against the power of their foes, temptations and persecutions.

1 John 5.4.5, yet to be studied in this class. For whatever is born or whosoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory, that that has overcome the world, our faith.

Right? Who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? There are no other overcomers. but those who by fate accept positional truth for all that it's worth. Right? We can't become overcomers unless we see ourselves secure at the right hand. Positional truth transforms our condition into conditional truth.

Thoughts, comments? I'm wondering too, could you say death has been overcome. Death has been overcome. Is that a summarial statement? I mean, it's true. It's true. So, death meaning physical death? All death has been overcome, right? But I'm thinking of physical death, so to speak, it has been overcome. And the consequences of sin is also death, is it not? Sure. I mean, so that has been overcome positionally. Now the question is, do we believe this and does our life reflect that? It's an act of faith, as 1 John 5, 4 and 5 has just said. All right.

And by the way, this whole issue of overcoming, you could apply it judicially. This could be used very, very colloquially as of the world system. And one is arraigned or goes to law to win the case is kind of also overcoming, you know, being put in a position of victory. And that could be a legal matter. That's a very practical definition of the term.

Paul looks at this whole truth kind of similarly, but with a slightly different twist. Paul calls this being more than conquerors. John says we're overcomers. Paul says we're more than conquerors. I like really a lot this more than conquerors idea. You think of a conquerors already accomplished the victory, but Paul claims we're more than conquerors. It's a superlative. Hard to define what it means to be more than conquerors, but we'll take it as Paul has declared it.

Who is he that's in the world, as the verse said? Well, it's he who lives in the false prophets, right? In context. And it's to be contrasted from he who lives within us. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, right? So it's the other guy. So, the prince who's in the world, the spirit of the Antichrist, and that makes me kind of turn to verse 4 in chapter 4 of 2 Corinthians, whose minds the God of this age has blinded, and those who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine upon them. So this is a contrast. Those, in fact, who've been ultimately blinded by the prince of this age, in fact. Contrast, white and black. Saved, unsaved. Spirit of truth, spirit of error.

Note three messages that are directed at believers here. Number one is one that's very personal. We're called overcomers by definition, by scriptural truth. Secondly is one that's an uplifting encouragement. There's no really despair here. There's no straining, there's no stress, there's no pressure. It's in fact an act of God's grace that we would believe the truth that he's revealed for us.

And one that divides the spirit of truth from that of error, because those who are of the Lord, in the Lord, defined as conquerors, in fact, are those ingrained by the spirit of truth. There's no crossing the line to the other side. John 14, 17, the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

1 Corinthians 2.12, now we've received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given unto us. So this idea about the satanic indwelling and ultimately manifesting his power and will in the life of the believer is not consistent with scripture. So when we fall short of God's great grace by faith, what's the source of that sin or not meeting up to the mark? What's the source? Is that the spirit of error in us? The sin nature still is alive, is it not?

We were having a discussion in Bible study last night as Bruce was describing a family that he knew where it was the perfect family. All the kids were saved and married, saved spouses, had wonderful children. There was some cruise that took place that ultimately two of the children ended up with divorce because there was infidelity. Is that the spirit of Satan?

I mean the summary that we came to is the spirit of the flesh, of the fleshly sin nature is capable of doing anything in any of us at any time. And it's by God's great grace and this positional truth that by faith we realize from whence we are and who we are that we're spared from those consequences.

But we're all capable. Don't believe that you're not. It's just that we're lifted up. Remember the message is personal to each one of us individually. It's uplifting and ultimately it helps us divide who we are from who we are not. Black and white, spirit of error, spirit of truth. Next verse. They are of the world, therefore they speak of the world and the world hears them.

Is Satan a they? Is that what we're talking about here? Well, who are they? Bin Laden? Mahmoud Abominad? The premier leader of the Iranian Republic or whatever they call it? Adolf Hitler? Is that who they are? you know, evident figures of our times or of history? I don't think so.

How does the Bible define the Antichrist? In a sense, that in context is what we're talking about. If you go back to the verses Jim covered last week, the Antichrist is brought up there. And is the Antichrist just one? No, many Antichrists. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. So that could be the Antichrist But in context, really it's not.

1 John 4.3 that Jim covered last week, and every spirit that does not confess that Christ has come into the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world. So the spirit of error exists in those who in fact are not saved and in fact that is the spirit of the Antichrist and I think that this in fact is consistent with the interpretation that the spirit of error is so sourced and anyone who is an unbeliever is in fact manifesting the theme of the Antichrist. That's kind of startling in today's age. If you told people they're antichrists, they would be taken back and said, how can that be? They don't see it as that. They don't see that consequence of their unbelief. And although I guess, Roger, that could be part of the evangelistic message, it's probably not up in front.

I know. It's central in the way we present ourselves as New Testament believers. That's kind of a shocker. I have a question in today's news. I want to get into all of it, but the fellow that terrorized Norway. It was a fundamental Christian. Oh really? They called him a white wave. He wants to get rid of the Muslims. Oh, was that the motive here? Yes, uh-huh. Or, you know, they're just taking over. And so he felt like he needed to do something about it.

Now is that Antichrist? I have that question in my mind and I don't know where to go with that. Jim's got the answer. I don't have the answer. But I do have an interesting observation I just made about what's going on here. Last week we talked about how the message of Jesus coming in the flesh and that there was a rejection of these people to the claim that Jesus came in the flesh. The incarnation was what the subject of rejection was largely that John's dealing with here in these verses. And someone brought up last week that it's not just that they reject Jesus, but the title of Christ, the Messiah, the one who came in the flesh to promise to deliver, the one that was to come and the seed of the woman, and all that the Old Testament bears on the term Christ.

And it's interesting that these are not just called unbelievers here. They're literally called the anti-Christ. So what are they anti? They're anti-Messiah. They're anti-the Savior, the promised deliverer, and that is specifically where their unbelief is targeted, is this anti-Savior concept. And that same spirit continues and will ultimately, in the personality of the anti-Christ, who will claim to actually have those same abilities and capabilities even characterized by their name.

Because today the message is much more broadly spread outside the Jewish nation, but to the Gentile nations too. So our interpretation today may be a little bit different than it was in context at the time John was writing message to the Jewish unbeliever and believer.

So good point, Jim. Other thoughts? Yeah. Just a question, kind of touched on this last week. This is Test the Spirits. Does this hear it? comes out of a person's heart? Well, pneuma is a broadly interpreted term in the Greek and pneuma could be just the human spirit, you know, body, flesh, and spirit. The spirit is really a neutral term that reflects that internal nature of each and every one of us. But here the spirits in context would be the spirit of truth or the spirit of error, spirit of evil, if you will. But testing the spirits within, I think I mentioned before and Roger indicated that I think when we, the spirit of the flesh or the old nature or the sin nature ultimately could be manifested so we are in a sense testing that too as we walk day to day on this earth. that here we're talking about the black and white of John, believer versus unbeliever, right? So test the spirits that's in the environment surrounding us, not necessarily those that are stemming from internal. Yes, Donna? And the testing, is it against the word of God? Always. Always. So did you hear what Donna said? The testing is what does the Word of God say, right?

That's where the spirit of truth stems from and that's what he represents. You're looking at verse 1, is that what you're looking at? Verse 1, test the spirits, do not believe every spirit. In the last half of that verse it says, because, I think it defines who the spirits are. It refers to the false prophets.

We're going to get into this a little bit, but I guess it's one of the basic doctrinal truths that we must all agree upon, and we could list them all, but there are many. Jesus is God-made man who was crucified for the sins of the world, born of the virgin mother Mary. He was buried, resurrected, we're identified with him for sins being forgiven, our sin nature being crucified.

There are basic doctrinal truths that I think And when we talk about tongues and things like this, that may not be front and center. We all, I think, have a feeling about tongues in terms of their appropriate interpretation. But I think there are doctrines of the faith that would be false or true spirits, I think. Anybody disagree with that? Geneva, I quote, he brings a reason why the world receives these teachers more willingly than the true. That is because they speak nothing but that which is worldly.

We went to a memorial service of a man on the road who died a couple of weeks ago yesterday. And in fact, there were testimonies from the audience about this individual. We're not quite sure that this guy was saved, but I mean, the service was in an evangelical church and the assumption made there was that he was a saved man. But someone on the road who was a missionary to Venezuela for much of his life and knew him fairly well wasn't sure of this and only the Lord knows. We'll obviously leave it up to him. But the testimonies from the congregation yesterday were entirely this.

They were entirely worldly. Now that doesn't make him saved or unsaved. It simply says that the world receives these teachers willingly because it's of a worldly system and a worldly nature. To the believer, this is the spirit of error because it's entirely framed around cosmos or worldly systems and worldly system messages. Everybody okay with that? So the issue was he earned his salvation?

Is that what they were saying at this funeral? There was no salvation talked about. Yeah, I mean, the pastor rightfully, I think, had a nice message about biblical Christianity, the true gospel message at the end. But I'm just saying the testimonies from the audience were people who knew him well over many, many years. We didn't hear one thing about his faith.

Now again that doesn't mean he's not with the Lord. It simply means that it was a worldly view of this man and in fact it was all based on worldly metrics in terms of his He's a good-natured man. He did a lot for a lot of us on the road, but nevertheless, I'm just using that as a case in point. World system, world values, world ethics, world metrics. And again, he may have been saved, I don't know, but whatever.

I'm just saying the way the audience reflected this was not a man whose life brought glory to God. Again, the perception of his friends has nothing to do, perhaps, with his salvation, but it was just an example of the worldly system. I was just thinking there why the world receives its teachers, it requires no faith.

You could put the worldly system into one of faith if you think of evolution. That's an act of faith, is it not? They're really existing on really false premises of where we're from and what has occurred over millions of years of history. But you're right. I think in general, the principles they stand for, the messages they give, are not based on faith. I mean the world system believes that through social agendas and through education we can solve all the world's problems, right?

And the Bible is an antithesis to that, is it not? Right, the false prophets of the world systems are in perfect unison. Can you think of some examples here? And I guess I just gave one. Any other examples in terms of the world system and the false prophets being in perfect unison?

And also that the government can solve all the problems. We're living in the age of entitlement, are we not? I mean, look at the whole world. They're rioting in every country because the entitlements are being cut back and how dare the government not take care of them? Isn't Greece amazing? The government's going broke and they determined that it's going to be necessary to tax the people higher and reduce their entitlements and 80% of the people voted against it. How's that for an oxymoron?

I don't care if we're going broke, our government's failing, I still... We're looking at the spirit of truth here, not the spirit of error. A reminder from the Old Testament is a verse out of Jeremiah I just pulled out. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power, and my people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end? The mournful prophet, right? Jeremiah.

Therefore, they speak of the world and the world hears them. Hears means not only literally hearing audibly, but in fact it has in context the interpretation of hearing and understanding and perceiving what's being said. So hears more than just physically hearing, but in fact comprehending and understanding what's being said. The world system has its own administration, its own language, its own metrics.

And the citizens of heaven, as we are, operate by a whole different set of administration, language, and metrics. What administration do we have? It's the Lord and His charge to us. Our administration is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, is it not? What's our language? it's biblical truth. What's our metric? How are you doing? Are you chalking up your good works? Our metrics are measured by only the Lord and they're the spirit of truth leading and guiding our life that reflects the glory of God.

So, different entirely from the world system. I think you brought up something really cool here too in that you mentioned the word system. most believers today are okay with taking a part of a biblical system, but not the system as a whole. I think we're guilty largely today of compartmentalization. We take the scripture and we compartmentalize it to a certain part of our life, we compartmentalize our worship to a certain part of a day, whereas whoever way of thinking that is anti-Christ. And then there is the whole system that is concept up because it's a big problem. I almost went into James and looking at that rocky boat Christian existence, if you will, in the world system to some extent, and then things of the Lord alternatively.

I didn't go there only because of time, but I think this is a concept that's worth considering. All right, let's go ahead. And what are its metrics? Well, we just kind of talked about this. And by the way, some of these appear to be good. And we also kind of discussed this at Bible Stay last night.

You know that the fiery trials, which we covered in First Peter last night, the fiery trials for each one of us could be handled differently based on simply, you know, our personalities. Our faith could all be measured equal, but the way we handle these trials could be different. By the way, I would contend that somebody in the world system, being led by the spirit of error, could deal with a fiery trial on this earth in a, quote, observable and better manner than some believers would appear.

So don't look entirely at what you're seeing on the outside. God measures the response by his own metrics. We're not the ones to measure that. Some people are shy and reserved and somewhat bashful and ultimately that same trauma may be dealt with very differently than somebody who's very, very animated, very outward going, very strong personality. But yet that trial sustainment before God, He will provide the ability to respond and He promises that. But yet when we measure that on the outside, we may be fooled. So don't look at the metric as we see it from our earthly eyes. Because what's going on down deep and before the Lord may in fact be very different.

1 Corinthians 2.14, But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. nor can he know them because they're spiritually discerned.

So here's the spirit of truth in the believer. When we go through fiery trials, we put it into heavenly perspectives, don't we? I mean, even though the trials can be very, very difficult, where's your citizenship? What's the purpose of the trial? Here we're talking about truth and error, but yet, in fact, it can ultimately be experienced in a way of our day-to-day trials and tribulations.

6. For we are of God, he who knows God hears us, and he who is not of God doesn't hear us.

By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. I think John begins here with a conclusive statement, which is, by this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. And he starts literally that we are of the God. It's not of a God, or of the gods, or some false prophet's view of God and what he represents. But in fact, we are of the God. Not some, but the God, just covered that. I think this implies our union with God.

Both John and Paul have stated this in a number of ways. For instance, we're his children, as John frequently refers to. Paul often uses sons and heirs. We're part of the family. We're of the God. You know, ingrained and ultimately have an inheritance that's consistent with who we are positionally. All right.

And he who knows God, by the way, in the Greek it's the one knowing God. The idea of a process is, in fact, as we grow in grace, by faith we get to know him better. And the Greek term here is Gnoska. This is a personal experiential knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and the triune Godhead. This is present active participle. We keep on getting to know him as we grow in grace and truth.

Alright, John Gollery repeats what Christ had already said in John 8.4.

I don't think I wrote that down, so let's turn to John 8.4 and take a look at that verse.

I'm sorry, it's John 8.47. My bad.

John 8.47.

He that is of God, heareth God's words. Ye therefore hear him not, because ye are not of God. Tom, do that again, more loudly. He that is of God, heareth God's words. Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Okay, contrast again, black and white. John's kind of theme, if you will, in the gospel account, and then the epistle continues. He who is not of God doesn't hear. Well, that's what Christ just said, what John said Christ said actually in the epistle, I mean in the Gospel of John.

And this is the way we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Three verses out of 1 Corinthians 2, but God has revealed them, meaning these truths, to us through his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. The Spirit of truth reveals Christ for who He is.

You know, in John 14, as Christ looked forward to the Holy Spirit, what was one of the Spirit's major roles? Up front, what's the purpose of the Holy Spirit? To show us Christ. Exactly, to reveal Christ in all that He is. And since we're unified with Him in crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, ultimately the Spirit's job is revealing that new life in each and every one of us in a process of getting to know Him. I'm not considering another career.

So let's define error. In the Greek, error seems simple, that it's factually untrue, but it goes past that. So plane is the Greek verb, and it means not only factual wrong, but it also means delusion, deceit, or deception. Is not that the spirit of the world system? And what do you think about the world system? Is the world system purposely there to deceive us as believers? Are they intentionally trying to do this? When we think of the world system, by the way, we're thinking about the government, it's leadership, we're thinking of all the anti-Christ.

They have no option. They don't have any option. That's who they are. I mean, it's like, who are we? we are of Christ. That's not Christ's character, but that's the world's character. What do we expect out of the world system, right? But how often is the believer deceived by these error messages?

We're going to make the world a better place. A greener, better place. And the thing is, nobody wants the world to explode. I mean, none of us really, we don't want to, we're stewards of the earth. We want clean water and all these things, but it becomes a religion to people where that's all their focus is. And it's not who they are. They're spirit. It's the spirit of the world, not the spirit of Christ. They're not interested in the spirit of Christ.

Tom, do you have a thought here? Anybody else want to comment on this? So error can be very deceptive, very deceiving, and often not perceived. And I would suggest that the believer he or her himself often don't perceive this for the way the message is being transmitted. And that's where the spirit of truth is so important. How do we learn the spirit of truth?

What's that? Word of God. Oh yeah, absolutely. It's where it starts and ends, right? But I would contend that the fellowship we have with one another as believers builds up the truth for all it's worth and we learn more about it from one another as we espouse the Word of Truth and have that fellowship around the Lord Jesus Christ. Good, good. Bob, could you say that if it's not anything, it's not in the Spirit or truth, or there? I mean, all encompassing, but it's not in the Spirit or truth. The true metric of God's truth and righteousness is the Word of God.

Now keep in mind, the non-believer from a worldly system could use the Word of God to make us doubt the Word of God, right? Can you think of examples of that? I mean, in a sense, Vern's been teaching that in terms of the Sermon on the Mount, right? I mean, how many eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth kind of deal in terms of, gee, you've been injured in some manner and you're responding. Anyway, I think you could take things out of context in the Old Testament under the legal system and be criticized as not really being a Christian because you're not living up to what God says in the Word. Or like the Crusades, when you look at all the people that were killed in the name of God, right?

Right. That was your brother's favorite. My brother died unsaved as far as I know. It was really a sad day at his funeral. The pastor, who actually was really a right-on guy in terms of the gospel, assured me that how could I really know for sure, and that comforted me a little bit. I guess I really couldn't know for sure, but I don't think so.

My brother was very critical to say that almost all war in the world has been caused by religious righteousness, quote-unquote, and religious beliefs. And you know, if you look back, you can't really argue too much with that. So, you know, the spirit of truth can be rightly dissecting in terms of how we put that into perspective, but all that aside. So what's truth?

Well, Jesus said it beautifully, didn't he? Jesus said to him, I'm the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me. How many people leave the second part of that verse out? They don't like that second part, do they?

So Christ himself has declared himself as the truth. And for the Christian, there's no, you know, ultimately further explanation about what truth is. And since he's the truth, then everything about him is true doctrine, right? So our measuring rod is how does it relate to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and everything that he is?

From creator to cradle to cross to crown, as Jerry said yesterday. I mean, the message yesterday in terms of the unsaved individual in the audience was picturing Christ in terms of not only the cradle becoming man and the cross, but ultimately the creator which preceded it and the crown to follow. That was pretty nice. It was a nice theme for a short message for an unsaved audience. Anyway, everything relates to Christ in terms of truth.

In John chapter 15 verse 26 it says, But when the Helper comes, the Spirit, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from a father, he will testify of me." So isn't it interesting the spirit of truth reveals truth in terms of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ in each and every one of us and to the doubting and unbelieving world system before us is ultimately the truth.

So how important is truth when we put this into perspective in terms of our Christian walk? Where do you put truth in relationship to things like faith and love and grace and, you know, many of the fruits of the Spirit. Where do you put truth? Well, without the truth, you don't have any of the others. I mean, if you don't understand what the truth is... Is truth more important than love?

There's a verse that combines those two. Speak the truth and love. How about the left field bleachers over here? They're just catching fly balls over here. Any other thoughts? I'm gonna agree with Margaret. I really think truth is of the essence. I got saved by looking for truth. I didn't get saved by, I mean, ultimately God's love and His mercy and His forgiveness and all the things that go along with that are wrapped up in the truth. But if the truth is the Lord Jesus Christ, that's where it begins.

And look what John says in his third epistle. I love these two verses. John says, For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in them. Just as you walk in the truth, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. And boy, isn't that so uplifting? I mean, when we think about the spirit of error of the worldly system and the unbeliever, and when we think of the spirit of truth, then John says the greatest thing that brings joy to his heart is seeing believers walk in truth.

I think that's why we're gathering here. That's why we fellowship one with the other. It's not exclusivism, but we really do want the truth of the Word of God. And I think we all strive for that. And at times, we maybe don't quite agree. I think Jim said it perfectly two weeks ago when he said, God meant one thing by this. Our abilities to interpret it sometimes fall short. And I really appreciated what Roger had to teach two weeks ago. And I learned from that a lot. And I've reflected back on that very carefully since then. But God has one message. He's not there to confuse.

And I'm thankful that we can gather here together to refine the truth and believe it for what's really truly being revealed. Any thoughts at all about this six-verse scenario comparing the Spirit of Truth with the Spirit of Error? Craig, close us in prayer, will you please? Lord, we thank you for the truth that we have in your Word. We thank you that we can come together and discuss it and understand it and that you have one meaning behind it and that you want us to know it and to know you personally. We just ask that you give us more truth in the sermon today and thank you for this time. In Jesus name. Amen.