Time For A Test
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.
1 John 4:1
“It’s time for a test.” These words periodically send shockwaves through countless classrooms; but without the test, there’s no assurance that you’ve learned the lesson. In 1 John 4, John gave his readers a series of tests to help them distinguish between false spirits, evil spirits and God’s Spirit.
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Testing your spiritual experiences against the timeless standard of God’s Word is another “exam” you can’t afford to miss, as A. W. Tozer comments.
WALK WITH A. W. TOZER
“The seeker after God’s best is always eager to hear from anyone who offers a way by which he can obtain it. He longs for some new experience, some elevated view of truth, some operation of the Spirit that will raise him above the religious mediocrity he sees all around him.
“Our Lord has made it plain not only that there shall be false spirits abroad, endangering our Christian lives, but that they may be identified and known for what they are!
“The first test must be: ‘What has this done to my relationship with and my attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ?’ Do I love God more? Is Jesus Christ still to me the center of all true doctrine?
“Again: ‘How does it affect my attitude toward the Scriptures?’ Did this new view of truth spring from the Word of God itself or was it the result of some stimulus that lay outside the Bible? Be assured that anything that comes to us from the God of the Word will deepen our love for the Word of God!”
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
Father, now is a good time to test myself and see if I am growing in my walk with you.
When seeking the truth, may I be quick to ask these two questions: “What will this do to my relationship with and attitude toward Jesus Christ?” and “How does this affect my attitude toward your Word?”
May my answers reflect my deep love for you, Father. Amen.
