1 John 4:1–6: Testing the Spirits by Confessing Christ
John commands readers to test the spirits, and he supplies the test: a confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Assurance rests not in our sharp judgment but in the one who is greater and already in us.
What to Look for in a Church: Matthew 16:13–20
Jesus asks his disciples who he is, and Peter answers that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The church is built on that God-given confession, not on our preferences.