Test the Spirits

John 15:26

“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.”

When Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit He often referred to Him as the Spirit of truth.

1 John 4:1, 2

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

John tells us that we are to test the spirits to see whether they are from God. But how do we know if a pastor or preacher or rabbi or TV evangelist or someone we found on the Internet is from God?

Luke 1:39 - 44

Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.”

When Mary greeted Elizabeth the Spirit within John while still in the womb recognized the words of Mary who had found favor with God and he leaped for joy. In the same way when you and I hear the words of someone who is from God the Spirit within us will leap for joy at the sound of those words, at the sound of truth.

So…

Has your Spirit leaped for joy lately?

Have you heard the sound of truth (the sound of the Spirit)?