Johan Oscar Smith
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. 1 John 4:1-2.
The apostle John gives us a distinguishing characteristic of every spirit that is of God, an unfailing characteristic: Christ manifested in the flesh.
This characteristic is what almost all of the religious people of this world agree to reject. They can split and form parties over many points, but concerning “Christ manifested in the flesh,” they are in complete unity to reject it. Of course, they believe that Jesus came into the world, and that He is the Savior of the world, if they believe in Him at all; but that He was manifested in the flesh—no, they do not dare believe that. The fact that He took upon Himself flesh and blood like us, like the children, and that He was tempted in flesh and blood like us, and that He eventually, through His constant devoted obedience, suffered death according to the flesh—no, we cannot believe that; that would be blasphemous. But for the same reason, you cannot just assume that such people have the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This is why we must test the spirits, whether they are of God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. You must not be surprised to find that false prophets are active in our day. Just as the true prophets are spread evenly across all ages, so, too, are the false ones. A clear sign of a false prophet must then be that he is ardently against “Christ manifested in the flesh.” Christ manifested in the flesh—what He manifested in His own flesh 1900 years ago—must also take place as Christ manifested in our flesh, the flesh of the children. The battle is exactly the same for us—against the same powers, against the same sin, against the same religious Pharisees.
We can see clearly that in much of the work of the religious leaders, Christ cannot be manifested in flesh, and His leading and Spirit are far from being the driving force. So they have every reason to fear anyone who confesses Christ manifested in the flesh because they can expect their evil deeds to be exposed by these people. You are the light of the world! A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Wherever Christ is manifested in the flesh, the flesh must necessarily be crucified so that it is not able to give leadership or direction. But those who walk according to the flesh, following its unclean lusts, are being reserved under punishment until the day of judgment. 2 Pet: 2:9-10. You can walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, but Christ cannot be manifested in the flesh of someone who is walking this way. That is why “Christ manifested in the flesh” is a mystery of godliness. 1 Tim. 3:16.
“But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.” Jude verse 10.
It is very dangerous to speak evil about the things you do not know. In fact, you can destroy yourself by “whatever [you] know naturally.” If you cast such a judgment on Christ manifested in the flesh, then destruction will inevitably come, in one form or another.
The Spirit that confesses “Christ manifested in the flesh” intends to have Him come forth in the flesh again. For it is written: “Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Cor. 4:10. So “Christ manifested in the flesh” is the standard for every man’s deeds. Thus, He is also the judge of men because He is the Son of Man. He had the same flesh and blood as us. Heb. 2:14, 17. He overcame, and we shall overcome. He offered Himself in the power of an eternal Spirit, and the same possibility is available to us if we present our bodies as an acceptable sacrifice to God. Rom. 12:1.
“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” John 12:26.
These days we hear a lot about serving Jesus and giving to Jesus. If they would like a building or two or three, they immediately cry: “Give your share for Jesus! Help to build Him great houses of wood and stone, for He needs them.” When Jesus was here in the days of His flesh, a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Matt. 8:19-20. How can He possibly need this amazing number of buildings in our time? Is Jesus not the same yesterday, today, and forever? Or has He changed, or could it possibly be that it is “another Jesus” who needs all these buildings? 2 Cor. 11:4. Jesus of Nazareth went about all Galilee healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Matt. 4:23. He had nowhere to lay His head. But now, people need entire complexes to pray for the sick, who usually do not get healed. Can they not pray for the sick in their bedrooms, in the loft, the cellar, the meeting hall, the open air, or somewhere else? Why must they build one structure after another just to do that? I can well understand that people hate the teaching about “Christ manifested in the flesh” because it demolishes all these great buildings and shines light into the darkness. Then people can have their eyes enlightened to see that all this begging for big buildings is madness in these difficult times—times when many people do not even have enough bread to eat.
Jesus presented His body as a sacrifice, and that is why He required so little. He was above begging because He sought first the kingdom of God, and so all these things (food and clothing) were added to Him. To follow Jesus is to follow Him in these things also. If what we start cannot remain standing without this eternal begging, then let it fall; for what God starts He is mighty to sustain. He holds everything up that would otherwise come to an end. It is natural for one who is healthy to go to the sick, but here the sick are going to the healthy, and in most cases, they return home as sick as when they came.
Yes indeed, they have good reason to rage against “the spirit that confesses Christ has come in the flesh” because it destroys the whole business. This is why this spirit receives opposition from every corner—there is no profit from such a life and doctrine.
Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain! That is, there is no blood in their sacrifice. There is no blood in money and big buildings. That is the sacrifice of Cain. But in love, patience, forbearance, brotherly love, which are fruits of the Spirit, we can find blood; because we must lay aside our impatience, intolerance, and dislike. This is a better sacrifice.
Woe unto them! For they have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit! Balaam flattered and was deceitful for the sake of profit. He admired and worshipped the people who could provide him with riches and honor. There was a lot of Judas in Balaam, for he also loved money and sold our Lord Jesus Christ for it. I wonder if Balaam and Judas wouldn’t have a word of support for begging for money and hating the spirit that confesses Christ manifested in flesh. I can also see that Caiaphas is in the picture. Test the spirits to see whether they are of God, for many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh. 2 John 7. You shall know them by their fruits. If the tree only bears money, money, and more money, then you have good reason to reconsider and re-read about Jesus, the Example, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and see whether He lived like these people. I know that Judas did, and that Joseph’s brothers loved money more than their own brother, but I have never seen this written about Jesus.
We have brothers among us who are poor, who have 8 to 10 children and who labor much in the Lord. However, I have never heard them ask for one cent, and yet the Lord supports them. That is princely.
Those who are genuine co-workers of God would not dishonor their Lord and Master by begging. God is powerful enough to support His servants who serve Him in spirit and in truth. But if people assume a position themselves, God does not take it upon Himself to support them. One of the results of this is begging.
Watch out! Listen! For the false prophets derive their sustenance in the darkness, and many people have already been hoodwinked by them.
Test the spirits, whether they are of God. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 2 John verse 7.