Note: Harry does not endorse the above advertisements from Geocities.


"BELOVED--TRY THE SPIRITS"

1 John 4:1 "BELOVED, BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT, BUT TRY THE SPIRITS WHETHER THEY ARE OF GOD: BECAUSE MANY FALSE PROPHETS ARE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD."

Q. But are we not "judging others", when we "TRY THE SPIRITS", and THEN decide whether they are "OF GOD", or of SATAN?
A. No. We have full scriptural authority to JUDGE ANOTHER'S DOCTRINAL POSITION. Even when we decide whether someone's doctrinal position agrees with the scriptural requirements of salvation, this does not mean we are deciding that person's eternal destiny! God alone is The One and Only "Final Judge" in that matter! That person might change his doctrinal position later on, without our knowledge, thereby making our previous judgment of them (i.e., whether they are "lost" or "saved") invalid.

Q. How can we be justified in "judging" whether someone's "spirit" is "of God", or of Satan?
A. 1 John 4:2, 3 - "HEREBY KNOW YE THE SPIRIT OF GOD: EVERY SPIRIT THAT CONFESSETH THAT JESUS CHRIST IS COME IN THE FLESH IS OF GOD: AND EVERY SPIRIT THAT CONFESSETH NOT THAT JESUS CHRIST IS COME IN THE FLESH IS NOT OF GOD: AND THIS IS THAT SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST, WHEREOF YE HAVE HEARD THAT IT SHOULD COME; AND EVEN NOW ALREADY IS IT IN THE WORLD."

1 John 4:5, 6 - "THEY ARE OF THE WORLD: THEREFORE SPEAK THEY OF THE WORLD, AND THE WORLD HEARETH THEM. WE ARE OF GOD: HE THAT KNOWETH GOD HEARETH US; HE THAT IS NOT OF GOD HEARETH NOT US. HEREBY KNOW WE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, AND THE SPIRIT OF ERROR."

Rom 16:17, 18 "NOW I BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN, MARK THEM WHICH CAUSE DIVISIONS AND OFFENCES CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE WHICH YE HAVE LEARNED; AND AVOID THEM. FOR THEY THAT ARE SUCH SERVE NOT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BUT THEIR OWN BELLY; AND BY GOOD WORDS AND FAIR SPEECHES DECEIVE THE HEARTS OF THE SIMPLE."

Q. Did Christ Jesus ALSO tell "the saved" TO "TRY THE SPIRITS" of all who profess to be saved?
A. Yes. Matt 7:15 "BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, WHICH COME TO YOU IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING" (i.e., who pretend to be a child of God), BUT INWARDLY THEY ARE REVENING WOLVES.

So how do we spot them? Verse 20 "WHEREFORE BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM." (Note: In context, vs. 21-23, Christ Jesus identifies such "FALSE PROPHETS…IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING" as devotedly religious, church-playing, self-righteous hypocrites, whose feigned faith will eventually be revealed by their own "self-righteous" works.)

Q. Did The Apostle Paul give us the "spiritual yardstick" by which we may precisely judge both OUR, and ANOTHER'S, TRUE GOSPEL POSITION?
A. Yes. Gal 1:6-9 "I MARVEL THAT YE ARE SO SOON REMOVED FROM HIM THAT CALLED YOU INTO THE GRACE OF CHRIST UNTO ANOTHER GOSPEL: WHICH IS NOT ANOTHER; BUT THERE BE SOME THAT TROUBLE YOU, AND WOULD PERVERT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. BUT THOUGH WE, OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN, PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL UNTO YOU THAN THAT WHICH WE HAVE PREACHED UNTO YOU, LET HIM BE ACCURSED. AS WE SAID BEFORE, SO SAY I NOW AGAIN, IF ANY MAN PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL UNTO YOU THAN THAT YE HAVE RECEIVED, LET HIM BE ACCURSED."

Note: There it is. THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF CHRIST is totally separate from The Works of The Law of Moses. This is the infallible "test" of "THE ONE FAITH" of Gal 1:6-9, Eph 2:8, 9, Titus 3:5, and Rom 10:9-10; the one and only permissible gospel message for this Dispensation of Grace: Christ Jesus, plus nothing, equals salvation! ADD ONE WORK TO GRACE, AND YOU DO NOT GET IT; e.g., Rom11:5, 6; Eph 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5; Gal 2:16, 21; Rom 10:4; Rom Ch 4; Gal Ch 3.

Q. What really determines a person's eternal destination, according to that which is written concerning it in The Holy Bible (The Written Word of God)?
A. John 12:48 "HE THAT REJECTETH ME, AND RECEIVETH NOT MY WORDS, HATH ONE THAT JUDGETH HIM: THE WORD THAT I HAVE SPOKEN, THE SAME SHALL JUDGE HIM IN THE LAST DAY."

To put it simply, the saved have the scriptural authority to properly quote The Word of God. That in itself condemns or saves those who hear it, and willingly choose to either accept or reject it, according to Rom 10:17 "SO THEN FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD." However, when we speak the word of God, it may never be "OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION"; e.g., 2 Pet 1:10. And it must always BE RIGHTLY DIVIDED (2 Tim 2:15), and only spoken ACCORDING TO THE "ORACLES OF GOD"; e.g., 1 Pet 4:11.

Q. But what about the fact that believers are forbidden to judge? For Rom 2:1 says, "THEREFORE THOU ART INEXCUSABLE, O MAN, WHOSOEVER THOU ART THAT JUDGEST: FOR WHEREIN THOU JUDGEST ANOTHER, THOU CONDEMNEST THYSELF; FOR THOU THAT JUDGEST DOEST THE SAME THINGS." And what about Matt 7:1? For it also states, "JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED."
A. These foregoing verses refer to JUDGING SOMEONE ACCORDING TO THE LAW, NOT ACCORDING TO HIS ACCEPTANCE (or rejection) OF THE ONE FAITH, described by Paul in Gal 1:6-9; Eph 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5; Gal 2:16, 21; Rom 10:9, 10, etc. No one has ever KEPT THE LAW, John 7:19. Thus, even the saved have no scriptural right to "judge others" by that which they themselves have not fully obeyed!

However, having found and accepted the foregoing "ONE FAITH", the saved do have full scriptural authority to judge the gospel soundness of all who either accept it or reject it. Simply stated, the saved cannot judge others by "the law", but they can indeed judge the doctrine expressed by others concerning "Law" vs. "Grace". The scriptures repeatedly warn the saved against the multitude of false religious prophets, who don sheep's clothing (i.e., pretend to be Christ-Ones), but who are (Satanically) inspired to preach the word of God--WRONGLY DIVIDED. Paul called all such, SATAN'S "MINISTERS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS"; e.g., 2 Cor 11:13-15. And, in fact, they are clever enough in so doing that they almost, but not quite, DECEIVE THE VERY ELECT OF GOD; e.g., Mark 13:22.

We are told very plainly to "MARK THEM" and "AVOID THEM"; Rom 16:17, 18, Phil 3:17. Thus, if we were not scripturally authorized to recognize true or false doctrines, and so judge them, we could never comply with the foregoing related verses that plainly tell "the saved" to do so!

Q. Do the "spirits" of the saved recognize the "spirits" of the unsaved?
A. Yes, as stated earlier in this study. 1 John 4:1-6 "BELOVED, BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT, BUT TRY THE SPIRITS WHETHER THEY ARE OF GOD: BECAUSE MANY FALSE PROPHETS ARE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD. HEREBY KNOW YE THE SPIRIT OF GOD: EVERY SPIRIT THAT CONFESSETH THAT JESUS CHRIST IS COME IN THE FLESH (i.e., every spirit who believes in the Eternal Deity of Christ Jesus as The Eternal Jehovah God, the "I AM" of Ex 3:14, as attested to by Christ Jesus Himself, in John 8:23, 24, 58) IS OF GOD: AND EVERY SPIRIT THAT CONFESSETH NOT THAT JESUS CHRIST IS COME IN THE (foregoing) FLESH IS NOT OF GOD: AND THIS IS THAT SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST, WHEREOF YE HAVE HEARD THAT IT SHOULD COME; AND EVEN NOW ALREADY IS IT IN THE WORLD… THEY ARE OF THE WORLD: THEREFORE SPEAK THEY OF THE WORLD, AND THE WORLD HEARETH THEM. WE ARE OF GOD: HE THAT KNOWETH GOD HEARETH US; HE THAT IS NOT OF GOD HEARETH NOT US. HEREBY KNOW WE THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, AND THE SPIRIT OF ERROR."

Wellington


Harry's Web Site: http://www.cybertrails.com/rdivbible/

Harry's Rightly Divided Bible: The Rightly Divided Bible

The invitation is open to call, write, E-mail, or visit--anytime.

Yours, In Christ's One Body

biblew@cybertrails.com

NEW ADDRESS!
Harry T Wellington
405 S Brassie Dr
Payson, AZ 85541
Ph 1-928-474-0398 (Please note: Some callers may have to use the *82 prefix; some may not, for some strange reason.)

CLICK HERE to learn more about Harry Wellington

Return to Index of Harry Wellington's Writings


You are visitor number to view this page