John’s advice not to believe every spirit that comes along, combined with the encouragement to test every spirit, must be exercised with extreme caution and heavy reliance on God’s Holy Spirit. It is all too easy to simply square our shoulders, stick out our chests and say, “You’re wrong,” then disassociate from those who hold other opinions, or cast them out of our presence. That was not John’s intent nor very Christlike.
John’s advice to test the spirits is incredibly broad. The spirit that confesses Jesus Christ as God in the flesh is the litmus test. Within those wide parameters there is room for much diversity, and dare I say, disagreement. But at the end of the day, agree or disagree, we are all sisters and brothers, one in Christ, and must be accepted and treated as such.
I have learned over the years that another element is needed in putting John’s advice into action, namely, humility. No matter how well I know my Bible, how many theologians I have read, how often I attend worship, I do not have all the answers. I can always learn from others.
Holy Spirit, open my heart to others as yours is open to me. Amen. —