Test the spirits

Submitted by Stephen Fong on 15 Oct 11
Passage: 
1 John 4:1-6
  1. We often work off intuition, gut instincts, feelings, even dreams, insights, inspiration ... where do you think these things come from? When we are inspired to do something do you question the source of that inspiration? Why or why not?
  2. John offers advice to test the spirit, how do we test the spirit? What circumstances would bring about a need to test the spirit?
  3. How does one recognise the Spirit of God? What practical ways can we take to ensure we correctly recognise the Spirit of God?
  4. What does John mean in verse 3 that the spirit of the antichrist is already in the world? What dangers does this pose for us?
  5. What encouragement does John remind those who are from God have? How is this worked out in our lives?
  6. What dangers do those who speak with the viewpoint of the world pose to Christians? Can you provide examples of this problem?
  7. How can you guard yourself from being fooled by false prophets? What do you need to do to put in place safeguards against acting on false impulses?