The TRUTH book Volume 1 (PDF) - For My People Ministry

Chapter three - Steve Wohlberg 101This confession was correct. Thus demons can correctlyconfess who Jesus Christ is, and still be demons.A key message within 1 John is that a simple verbalconfession or profession is not enough. Six times inchapters one and two, John wrote, ‘If we say…’ (1:6; 1:8;1:10) and ‘He who says…’ (2:4; 2:6; 2:9), showing thatmere words are not enough. Making his point, John wrote,‘My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, butin deed and in truth’ (3:18).Many Adventists today openly ‘confess that Jesus Christhas come in the flesh,’ even in fallen flesh, but this doesn’tmean they are led of God in everything they do or teach.Thus it is obvious that a human being can make the correctconfession, but still be a deceiver. Why can’t a demon dothe same thing?Truly confessing Jesus Christ means more than merelyspeaking words. ‘He who would confess Christ must haveChrist abiding in him...The disciples might speak fluentlyon doctrines, they might repeat the words of Christ Himself;but unless they possessed Christlike meekness and love,they were not confessing Him. A spirit contrary to the spiritof Christ would deny Him, whatever the profession’ (TheDesire of Ages, 357). “A mere profession of godliness isworthless” (The Faith I Live By, 130).”TestsWe agree, and Ernie agrees, that the statement regarding 1 John 4:1-3 as “notthe only test in God's Word” is true. Ernie never stated that it was the only test.It was one test that he used as well as others. Interestingly, Ernie was givenfurther instruction about the proper way to test the spirits in a subsequentdream on May 12, 2008 entitled, “Testing the Spirits.” It shows that 1 John 4:1-3is only one of many tests of the spirits, but they all are valid independent of oneanother. Ellen White uses 1 John 4:1-3 as the key text at the beginning and endof her article on testing the spirits. No mention is made that this test might belacking in its validity or effectiveness. Would any be so brave as to say that anyof the following six biblical tests are incomplete, inadequate, and cannot standalone?God says:The Signs of the Times, September 3, 1894, Try the Spirits"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they areof God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Herebyknow ye the Spirit of God: Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christis come in the flesh is of God; and every Spirit that confesseth not thatJesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit ofantichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even nowalready is it in the world." [1 John 4:1-3] . . .