“1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” — 1 John 4:1 (ESV)
Trust is important. I have to be trusting that those in positions of authority are acting in the best interest. I have plenty of people in my life that are in those positions and well let’s just say that I am a bit skeptical at times as to their motives and actions. As I read this morning, it is not a bad thing to have those questions. The thing is, I have to take action and test to know for sure and settle things instead of simply having the questions.
John points out here that there are those in the world that are not from God. It is known and it is important to be aware. I have to look out for those false prophets and test whether they are from God or of the world. I have to keep my awareness front of mind and look out for the distractions that can come from what is offered, and question for myself just where they are coming from and listen for their answers and motives.
“2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” — 1 John 4:2-3 (ESV)
Those that are not from God are not going to offer up that they are from God. They will need to be tested and you can see that John lays out the test in verses two and three above. We have to ask them. And if the are indeed from God, they will confess of Jesus Christ and His coming to the world. This is not something that will be stated, it will have to be asked for. I have to be diligent in my testing of those around me to ensure that they are indeed from God and not just making things look good.
There is a certain level of trust that has to be. I have to act, in the beginning, as those in authority are here to lead me in the right direction and down the right path to the completion of the work God has for me. Without that initial trust, I will find myself frozen in ambiguity and will not be able to fully act at all. I do have to be aware of signs that things are not as they seem and when they are presented, I have to question/test those in authority to understand just where they come from and what their ultimate motives happen to be. It is in the answers to those questions/tests that I am able to have the confidence in working with them to the advancement of the work of God.
When have you wondered about those in authority around you? Are you blindly working for them fully trusting they are who they appear to be? What if you were to trust initially and then be aware enough to question/test them to determine if they are indeed from God and have His work in mind?
Trevor's Thoughts 