So hey, if you’ve been following our blog post journey, you know everything comes back to the One and Only King, Yah'shua (the Hebrew name for Jesus). It’s all about His finished work—the ultimate, accomplished, mic-drop act of love that changed everything forever.
We live in a world of filters, deepfakes, and confusing signals. You’re constantly being told what to believe, how to feel, and who you should be. You've got to have a spiritual "Vibe Check" running 24/7.
And that’s exactly what the Apostle John wants to talk to us about in the spectacular 1 John Chapter 4! It’s not a list of new rules; it’s a revelation of your current reality in Christ and the radical simplicity of divine love.The Ultimate Check-and Balance is with Yah'shua (1 John 4:1-3)
John kicks off with a spiritual instruction that sounds intense, but is beautifully simple in the New Testament:
1 John 4:1 (KJV): Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
What does it mean to "Try" (Dokimazō) every spirit, then
The word translated as "try" is the powerful Greek word Dokimazō (δοκιμάζω) and it doesn't mean "to find fault with" or "to condemn." Rather, it means:
To Test with a View to Approval: Think of testing a precious metal to confirm its purity and value.
To Prove Genuine: It's the act of discerning authenticity.
In the context of the New Testament, when you Dokimazō a spirit or a message, you are testing it to see if it measures up to the perfect standard of Yah'shua's finished work. You test it with the purpose of approving it only if it aligns wholefully with the truth of Christ.
The Meaning of "Spirit" (Pneuma)
The word "spirit" is Pneuma (πνεῦμα), referring not just to a ghost or an invisible entity, but to the animating breath, the core message, the foundational reasoning behind a teaching, a principle, or a person's life purpose - even the Gospel itself.
In our age of overwhelming information, Pneuma is the vibe or the source of the message you’re listening to. John is saying: Don't let just any Pneuma move you. Check the source!
Aligning the Scrutiny with the Finished Work of Christ
This is where the radical freedom of the New Testament shines so bright, utterly dismantling the complexity and condemnation of the Old Covenant.
The Old Covenant Test ➡ Complexity and Performance
Under the Old Covenant, the test of faithfulness was multifaceted and depended entirely on human effort. Did you keep the Sabbath? Did you sacrifice correctly? Did you tithe? Did you adhere to the dietary laws? The test was external, focused on your performance, and designed to lead you to one inescapable conclusion: you cannot pass it. The law was the schoolmaster leading us to Christ (Galatians 3:24, KJV).
The New Testament Test ➡ Simplicity and Sufficiency
The New Testament test, rooted in Yah'shua’s accomplished work, is a magnificent single-point check that boils down to the question: Is Yah'shua enough?
1 John 4:2 (KJV) provides the answer key:
“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Yah'shua Christ is come in the flesh is of God.”
The only thing that matters is the confession (check out this post if you are unsure about what this word means) of Yah'shua Christ come in the flesh. Why is this the only test?
It affirms His Propitiation (Hilasmos): For Yah'shua to be the Propitiation (Hilasmos - ἱλασμός, the full and final atonement that removed any thought of God's wrath), He had to be perfect God and perfect man. If any teaching diminishes His humanity (His "flesh") or His deity ("Christ"), it denies the absolute perfection and sufficiency of His sacrifice. The finished work demands a God-Man.
It confirms Our Identity: The confession that Yah'shua is come in the flesh means the King of the universe fully identified with humanity and, through His resurrection, perfectly secured our new identity. We are now "in Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV). Any teaching that tells you to do anything to become righteous or beloved denies this finished union. It pushes you back into the performance-based prison of the Old Covenant.
It Destroys All Works-Based Religion: A teaching that says, "Yah'shua is great, but you also need to fast, follow this ritual, give up that, or earn your healing", etc. is a false spirit. It denies the Dokimazō test because it rejects the sufficiency of the work done in the flesh by Yah'shua. It's adding wood and straw to a completed monument of solid gold!
Dokimazō isn't a random doctrinal quiz. This is the whole Gospel! The ultimate proof of the Spirit of God is the confession that Yah'shua Christ is come in the flesh. Why? Because the only way for formless humanity to be eternally reconciled to a perfect God was for God Himself to become a man—to take the divine (perfect) into the human (fallen)—and complete the work of redemption on the cross.
Any message that minimizes, ignores, or replaces this one single, finished work of Yah'shua is a fake. You don't need complicated theology; you just need the perfect truth of the God-Man, who liberated you with His blood and gave you His perfect life!
The Spirit of Antichrist and the Ancient Hebrew
John explains the opposite truth in 1 John 4:3 (KJV):
“And every spirit that confesseth not that Yah'shua Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
The "spirit of antichrist" is not just about denying Yah'shua's person; it is fundamentally about denying the sufficiency of His finished work. The spirit of antichrist is anything that replaces, revises, or requires an addition to the simple gift of salvation by grace through faith.
This is beautifully reflected in the ancient Hebrew root word for truth, Emet (אמת).
Aleph (א): The Ox Head – representing Strength/Leader.
Mem (מ): The Water – representing Chaos/Mighty Waters.
Tav (ת): The Cross/Mark – representing Covenant/Finished Mark.
Emet (Truth) means the "Strong Leader (א) who overcomes Chaos (מ) by the Finished Mark (ת) of the Covenant."
The New Testament truth is Yah'shua! He is the Strong Leader. Any spirit you Dokimazō must align with the fact that He, by His one finished sacrifice (the Mark/Tav), has overcome the chaos and formlessness of sin and death.
If a message tells you to look to your performance, your repentance, or your effort to maintain your peace with God, it is adding chaos (מ) back into the equation. But the finished work of Yah'shua has already brought peace! Romans 5:1 (KJV) states: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Yah'shua Christ.”
The Holy Spirit's daily work is to remind us of this peace and the total Dokimazō-approved truth of Yah'shua's finished work. When you hear a message, you simply ask: Does this uphold the perfect sufficiency of Yah'shua’s life, death, and resurrection?
If the answer is yes, you approve (Dokimazō) the spirit and rest in the freedom of Christ! If the answer is no, you dismiss it, knowing you are living from the victory where "greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4, KJV).
That’s the ultimate freedom from religious confusion—the perfect, simple truth for the beloved of Christ!
You’ve Already Won! (1 John 4:4)
The ultimate identity check and power statement for every believer comes from this verse:
1 John 4:4 (KJV): Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Let this sink in. John doesn't say "you will overcome" or "you might overcome if you pray hard enough." He says you "have overcome" (the Greek word is Nikaō - νικάω, meaning "to conquer, to get the victory"). This victory is a done deal, a permanent status, because of your union with Yah'shua.
The Holy Spirit, the Pneuma of Christ, is IN you. This is the daily reminder of the goodness, love, and truth of Christ. You are not fighting for victory; you are living from victory. The one who is in you (Yah'shua, the Risen King) is infinitely greater than the defeated prince of this world. You were called out from the darkness into His marvelous light (ekklēsia), and in Him, your dominant identity is "Overcomer."
Agapē – The Finished Love (1 John 4:7-12)
Here John shifts into overdrive. The core of our being, our new life, and our authority is found in the simple, breathtaking truth: God is Love.
1 John 4:7-8 (KJV): Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
John isn't talking about a feeling or a transactional emotion. He is using the Greek word Agapē (ἀγάπη), not philia (brotherly affection) nor erōs (romantic desire), but Agapē. Agapē is the unconditional, sacrificial, divine love that originates only in God. It is His very nature.
And how did this Agapē show up for us?
1 John 4:10 (KJV): Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Yah'shua is the Propitiation (the Greek word is Hilasmos - ἱλασμός). This word means the atoning sacrifice—the full, complete, and final covering that permanently establishes God’s love for us. Yah'shua didn't move God to love us; He was the proof of God’s pre-existing, finished love for us! Love is not an emotion God has; it is who He is.
Love Made Perfect is Founded in As He Is, So Are You! (1 John 4:17-18)
Because of this radical, finished love, our relationship with God has been perfected. We are not waiting for perfection; we are already it in Christ.
John gives us one of the most freeing, identity-defining verses in the entire New Testament:
1 John 4:17 (KJV): Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Read that last part again: "as he is, so are we in this world."
Not as you hope to be. Not as you will be in heaven. But as He is (perfect, righteous, beloved, accepted) right now, so are you right now, in this world! This truth demolishes all the fear and worry that keeps people trapped in a performance-based religious system, striving for something Yah'shua already accomplished.
1 John 4:18 (KJV): There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Fear has Torment. The Greek word here is Kolasis (κόλασις), which literally means punishment or chastisement. If you are constantly afraid of doing something wrong and incurring God’s wrath, you are still operating from an Old Covenant mindset. But because Yah'shua was your Hilasmos (propitiation), there is absolutely zero punishment left for you! God's love (His finished work) has cast out all fear of condemnation. You are free!
The Hebrew Whisper is the Strength of Love
To lock in this magnificent truth of God dwelling in us through Agapē, let's look at the ancient Hebrew word for "love": Ahab (אהב). (look at my revelation post dealing Abba)
In the ancient Hebrew pictographs, each letter is a picture that tells a story.
Aleph (א): The Ox Head – representing Strength, Leader, or Chief.
Hei (ה): The Window or Fence – representing Revelation, Breath, or Grace.
Bet (ב): The House – representing Dwelling, Family, or In.
When you put them together, Ahab (אהב) tells the story of love:
The Strong Leader's (Yah'shua's) Revealed (Grace) Within (us).
This beautiful ancient word screams the New Testament truth of 1 John 4!
Yah'shua, the Strong Leader, revealed the ultimate grace (His finished work), and now He has made His home (dwelt) in us through His Holy Spirit.
The entire Bible is about Yah'shua, and all of Yah'shua is about you, His beloved. Stop trying to earn something that has already been given. Stop trying to overcome a foe that has already been defeated. Stop fearing a Father who is literally Agapē. Rest in the love that is perfect, finished, and dwelling in our hearts, and live a life as the Overcomer we already are.
HalleluYAH! Let’s go live in the freedom of Christ!
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