"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood."
The desire to be famous is a uniquely human drive. The ancients recognized it as one of the more powerful forces at work in human nature, driving men to put themselves forward because of the power and influence that fame brings. The great philosophers of the ancient world gave advice on how to harness the human drive for power and fame for the collective good of society. The desire for fame and renown is powerful.
But is that drive active in the Holy Spirit? It’s a rhetorical question, of course. But to listen to some of the preachers and teachers in the wider American Protestant religious culture you’d swear that the Holy Spirit was a little desirous of attention and fame. In some corners of the American church there is so much emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit that one is almost tempted to think that the most important characteristic of being a Christian is not faith in Christ, but the possession of the Spirit’s supernatural gifts.
St. John’s words today correct that misunderstanding. Of the three persons of the Trinity the Holy Spirit is, in some regards, the “shy” one. The Spirit is not concerned about getting time in the spotlight. His only concern is to direct everyone’s attention to Jesus Christ. Only faith in Jesus saves. Faith in the Holy Spirit doesn’t save. The Spirit knows that, and so His concern – as God – is to direct everyone’s attention to the one person that can save us from our sin: Jesus Christ. The Spirit testifies about Jesus. He inspired the Prophets and Apostles to write the books that we call “The Bible” – a collection of books with Jesus Christ as the central theme in all of them. The miracles that the Spirit performed – and still performs today – all accompanied the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to testify through the miracles to the truth of that Gospel message so that everyone who heard it would believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity responsible for working faith in our hearts, and our faith is in Jesus Christ.
ALL of the Spirit’s work is directed to making Jesus “famous” because salvation is found in Christ. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit and never needs to doubt that, for faith comes from the Spirit. Keeping in step with the Spirit, then, means that we, too, will keep our attention focused solely on Jesus. Any "spirit" that doesn't focus on Jesus and his death and resurrection for us is not the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: O Holy Spirit, protect me and all believers from the temptation to take our focus off of Jesus. You have given me faith in Christ. You have given us the Word to know Christ. You have given us the Sacraments to receive Christ. You want us to be in Christ and to focus on Him alone. Grant that we may ever walk in Your ways by keeping our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. Amen.
In some sections of the American church, there is so much stress on the Holy Spirit's gifts that one could suppose the most significant trait of a Christian is not trust in Christ, but the Spirit's supernatural abilities. https://scdownloader.io
Testing the spirits
1 John 4:1-6
"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood."
The desire to be famous is a uniquely human drive. The ancients recognized it as one of the more powerful forces at work in human nature, driving men to put themselves forward because of the power and influence that fame brings. The great philosophers of the ancient world gave advice on how to harness the human drive for power and fame for the collective good of society. The desire for fame and renown is powerful.
But is that drive active in the Holy Spirit? It’s a rhetorical question, of course. But to listen to some of the preachers and teachers in the wider American Protestant religious culture you’d swear that the Holy Spirit was a little desirous of attention and fame. In some corners of the American church there is so much emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit that one is almost tempted to think that the most important characteristic of being a Christian is not faith in Christ, but the possession of the Spirit’s supernatural gifts.
St. John’s words today correct that misunderstanding. Of the three persons of the Trinity the Holy Spirit is, in some regards, the “shy” one. The Spirit is not concerned about getting time in the spotlight. His only concern is to direct everyone’s attention to Jesus Christ. Only faith in Jesus saves. Faith in the Holy Spirit doesn’t save. The Spirit knows that, and so His concern – as God – is to direct everyone’s attention to the one person that can save us from our sin: Jesus Christ. The Spirit testifies about Jesus. He inspired the Prophets and Apostles to write the books that we call “The Bible” – a collection of books with Jesus Christ as the central theme in all of them. The miracles that the Spirit performed – and still performs today – all accompanied the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to testify through the miracles to the truth of that Gospel message so that everyone who heard it would believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity responsible for working faith in our hearts, and our faith is in Jesus Christ.
ALL of the Spirit’s work is directed to making Jesus “famous” because salvation is found in Christ. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit and never needs to doubt that, for faith comes from the Spirit. Keeping in step with the Spirit, then, means that we, too, will keep our attention focused solely on Jesus. Any "spirit" that doesn't focus on Jesus and his death and resurrection for us is not the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: O Holy Spirit, protect me and all believers from the temptation to take our focus off of Jesus. You have given me faith in Christ. You have given us the Word to know Christ. You have given us the Sacraments to receive Christ. You want us to be in Christ and to focus on Him alone. Grant that we may ever walk in Your ways by keeping our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. Amen.