Title: How to Discern Truth from Error
Text:
1 John 4:1-6 (HCSB)
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. 3 But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist; you have heard that he is coming, and he is already in the world now. 4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
Observation:
O how timely and timeless is the Word of God. If there was ever a time we needed to test the spirits, we surely need to in our time. Not everyone teaches the truth; there are many false teachers who, as the scripture says, have gone out into the world.
We are not alone in testing the spirits; God has given to His people those with special gifts to discern that which is true from that which is false.
1 Corinthians 12:10 (HCSB)
to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages, to another, interpretation of languages.
1 Corinthians 14:29 (HCSB)
Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should evaluate.
Notice how the people of Berea tested the spirits.
Acts 17:11 (HCSB)
The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
You are not alone; you have the divine presence of the Spirit of God within you to help you in discerning the spirit of the world from the Spirit of God. The Word of God and the Spirit of God will help you to know the truth.
1 John 4:4 (HCSB)
You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Prayer:
Father God, my dear Father, O how we thank You for Your divine presence in our lives. Father, without You we would be helpless and hopeless. Father, help us to know the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
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Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
4 But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
8 Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.
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