Testing the Spirits (2)
A Sermon on John 1:26-33
Originally preached Feb. 21, 1965
Scripture
26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where …
Sermon Description
With all the opinions on truth in the world, how is the Christian supposed to determine which ones are correct? In this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “Testing the Spirits (2),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides a helpful framework for thinking through how Christians can be discerning when analyzing different truth claims. First, they must use reason. God does not tell His children to “check their brains at the door” when they are saved. Instead, He calls them to exercise wisdom and discernment. He gave tools to use and that includes reasoning abilities. Next, Christians are to use the Scriptures and compare everything alongside of Scripture. He then provides some general principles that can be applied as they look to identify false truth claims. First, he says, the Christian must be very cautious of any idea claiming to be truth that is relatively new. Second, they must reject teachings that blatantly contradict the teachings of Scripture. Third, they must use their reasoning and be skeptical of anything that appears to be overly spectacular. Dr. Lloyd-Jones elaborates on these points and helps the believer think about how to sift through the countless truth claims being advanced in the culture today.
Sermon Breakdown
- We must never abandon our minds, reason or understanding. We must never "let ourselves go".
- The Holy Spirit enlightens the understanding, he does not make us Christians apart from the understanding.
- Christianity is reasonable and rational. We cannot reason ourselves into Christianity but once in it, we find it reasonable.
- The glory of Christianity is that it takes up the whole man - mind, heart and will. Any teaching that tells you to stop thinking is contrary to the Gospel.
- We must test the spirits and prove all things. We cannot do this without using our minds and reason.
- We must not rely on subjective feelings or the sincerity of those reporting spiritual experiences. Both scripture and history show that sincere Christians can be misled.
- We must test all things by scripture. Scripture is all the teaching we need. There is no need for new revelation.
- Be suspicious of any claim to fresh revelation of truth. Claims of revelation of the date of Christ's return contradict scripture.
- Reject anything claiming to be from the Spirit that contradicts scripture. Examples: needing to touch a man to receive blessing; not needing to prepare sermons.
- Be suspicious of anything merely spectacular or foolish. Examples: expecting new teeth to grow; attempting to walk on water.
- The counterfeit tends to overreach itself, lead to credulity and press us into foolishness. It brings the work of the Spirit into ridicule.
- We need to test the spirits to avoid both quenching the Spirit and exposing ourselves to fanaticism.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Testing Spiritual Gifts?
How should Christians test spiritual manifestations according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christians must test spiritual manifestations in two primary ways. First, they must use their reason and understanding - never abandoning their minds or "letting themselves go." Second, they must apply the Scriptures as the ultimate authority. He emphasizes that we are explicitly commanded in Scripture to "try the spirits, whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1), which requires mental discernment. The preacher warns against purely subjective evaluation based on feelings or the sincerity of those claiming spiritual experiences.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones warn against "letting yourself go" in spiritual experiences?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns against "letting yourself go" because this abandonment of reason makes it impossible to test spiritual experiences. He explains: "I am arguing that the first thing we have to do is to use our reason, our understanding, the very powers that God has given us." He emphasizes that while we cannot reason ourselves into Christianity, Christianity itself is never irrational. The Holy Spirit enlightens our understanding rather than bypassing it. When people abandon reason in spiritual experiences, they cannot "test, evaluate, prove, or control" what is happening, which leaves them vulnerable to deception.
What scriptural evidence does Lloyd-Jones provide that Christians should remain in control during spiritual experiences?
Lloyd-Jones points to 1 Corinthians 14:32 as key evidence that Christians should remain in control during spiritual experiences: "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets." He explains that this verse settles the matter "once and forever" - we are not to let ourselves go because we must be able to test other spirits and control ourselves. He also references the apostle Paul's instruction in 1 Corinthians 14:40: "Let all things be done decently and in order," which would be impossible if believers abandoned rational control.
What historical examples does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give of false spiritual movements?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several historical examples of false spiritual movements:
- Montanism in the early church
- The Anabaptist extremists after the Protestant Reformation
- The Quaker movement started by George Fox, which began with Scripture but increasingly relied on the "inner light"
- The Edward Irving movement in the 1830s, where prophetic utterances took precedence over Scripture
- Seventh-day Adventism, which began with claims of special revelation about Christ's return
- The teaching about a "secret rapture" which originated from a supposed prophetic utterance in Irving's church
- Various American religious movements where leaders claimed special spiritual power
What warning does Lloyd-Jones give about new spiritual revelations?
Lloyd-Jones strongly warns believers to "always be suspicious" and "ready to condemn and reject anything that claims to be a fresh revelation of truth." He explains that new revelations are unnecessary since the Scriptures contain all the teaching we need. He cites examples like the teaching on the "secret rapture" which originated from a claimed prophetic utterance in Edward Irving's church, and various date-setting schemes for Christ's return. The preacher sees this as a dangerous pattern where movements gradually give less attention to Scripture exposition and more to supposed direct messages from the Spirit.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.