Test the Spirits: Stop Searching for a Gospel That Agrees With You

Isn’t it interesting how skeptical we have learned to become about the internet?

We see some wild claim online and immediately say, “You can’t believe everything you read on the internet.”

We know people can make videos saying almost anything. We know articles can be misleading. We know social media can spread misinformation incredibly quickly.

But something strange can happen when the subject becomes our faith.

When we hear something that challenges the way we are living, sometimes instead of allowing Scripture to challenge us, we start searching.

We watch another video.

We find another teacher.

We read another interpretation.

And sometimes we aren't actually searching because we want to know what is true.

We are searching until we find someone who tells us what we already wanted to hear.

That is dangerous.

Because Scripture doesn't tell us to find the teaching that makes us most comfortable.

It tells us:

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God...”— 1 John 4:1, KJV

Notice John doesn't tell us to believe something simply because it sounds compassionate, comes from someone claiming Christ, or agrees with what we already think.

He tells us to test it.

Paul Warned Timothy About This

Paul warned Timothy that a time would come when people would no longer want teaching that challenged them.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”— 2 Timothy 4:3–4, KJV

Look carefully at what Paul says.

“After their own lusts.”

In other words, the desire comes first, and then we find teachers who will support the desire.

That warning feels incredibly relevant today.

The internet has given us access to thousands of sermons, podcasts, videos, teachers, influencers, and interpretations.

That can be an incredible blessing.

But it also means that if I search long enough, I can probably find someone claiming Christianity who will tell me almost anything I want to hear.

The question isn't:

“Can I find a Christian who agrees with me?”

The question is:

“Does what I believe agree with Scripture?”

We Are Actually Called to Be Holy

This is where Christianity can become uncomfortable.

Followers of Jesus are called to be different.

Scripture says:

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”— 1 Peter 1:15–16, KJV

Holiness means being set apart.

That doesn't mean we become self-righteous.

It doesn't mean we walk around condemning everyone who struggles.

And it certainly doesn't mean Christians never stumble.

We cannot make ourselves holy without Jesus.

We need His grace.

We need His forgiveness.

We need His strength.

But there is an enormous difference between needing grace because we are fighting sin and using grace as an excuse to continue embracing it.

There Is a Difference Between Falling and Living There

John makes a statement that should cause every believer to examine their heart:

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”— 1 John 3:9, KJV

John obviously isn't teaching that Christians become incapable of ever committing another sin.

Earlier in the same letter he writes:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”— 1 John 1:8, KJV

And then:

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”— 1 John 2:1, KJV

So John isn't contradicting himself.

He is showing us two very different relationships with sin.

There is the believer who falls and says:

“Jesus, forgive me. I need Your grace. Help me overcome this.”

And then there is the person who says:

“I know what Scripture says, but I don't believe I need to change. I'm under grace.”

Those are not the same thing.

There is a difference between falling into sin and building a home there.

The danger begins when we stop fighting what God calls sin and start defending it.

When we stop asking Jesus to change us and start asking teachers to justify us.

When instead of saying, “Lord, help me overcome this,” we begin searching for someone who will tell us there is nothing to overcome.

Grace Is Not Permission to Make Peace With Sin

Paul dealt directly with this idea:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”— Romans 6:1–2, KJV

Grace isn't God's permission slip for us to remain exactly as we were.

Grace is what we desperately need because we cannot become what Christ has called us to become without Him.

That changes the prayer.

Instead of:

“God understands, so I don't need to change.”

It becomes:

“God, You understand my weakness, so give me the grace and strength to change.”

One uses grace to excuse bondage.

The other depends upon grace to find freedom.

This Isn't About Condemning Someone Else

And this is where we need to be careful.

This message isn't supposed to give us ammunition to start examining everybody else's life.

It should cause us to examine our own.

When I read 1 John 3, my first question shouldn't be:

“Who do I know that needs to hear this?”

It should be:

“Jesus, is there anything in me that I have stopped surrendering to You?”

Is there something I once struggled against that I have now started defending?

Have I taken something Scripture challenges and searched until I found someone who tells me it's acceptable?

Have I confused God's patience with God's approval?

Have I turned grace into permission rather than depending upon grace for transformation?

Those are uncomfortable questions.

But sometimes uncomfortable questions are exactly what draw us closer to God.

Test the Spirits—Even When You Like What You're Hearing

We already know not to believe everything on the internet.

Maybe we need to bring that same discernment into the Christian content we consume.

Just because someone quotes Scripture doesn't automatically mean their conclusion is biblical.

Just because something makes us feel better doesn't mean it came from God.

And just because a teaching gives us permission to keep something we don't want to surrender doesn't make that teaching true.

In fact, that may be when we need to test it the most.

Paul warned that people would gather teachers according to their own desires.

John told us to test the spirits.

Jesus calls us to follow Him.

So maybe the question shouldn't be:

“Can I find someone who says this is okay?”

Maybe our prayer should be:

“Jesus, what do You say? And if Your Word confronts something in me, give me the grace to surrender it.”

Because the most dangerous false teaching may not be the teaching that sounds ridiculous.

It may be the teaching we desperately want to be true because it allows us to keep what Jesus is asking us to surrender.

Don't search for a gospel that agrees with you.

Let the Gospel change you.

Pastor Scott