“By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error”
Back in school I really did NOT like tests, at all. But “testing” actually does serve a purpose.
Test for truth 1 Thessalonians 5:21
There is a simple test John puts forward here in 1 John 4:1-6. We can easily test those who teach the Bible. We must – to know if they are of God or actually a wayward heretic apostate.
Many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world. Sadly, their teachings are pure junk. We must guard against them.
Who wants to be following untruth? I, for one, want to follow Jesus Himself, the real Jesus — not a false antichrist.
These days, many claim to know Jesus – but don’t. We are warned about them.
1 Timothy 4: verses 1-2 AMP
But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 [misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning]….
1 John 2:19
19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that [a]it would be evident that they all are not of us.
Use this test with your pastor. Especially use it if you are in a charismatic apostolic church. Use it everywhere there might be NAR-type false teaching going-on.
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Simple test: “The one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not from God does not listen to us.” (v6)
6 We are from God.
The one who knows God
listens to us;
the one who is not from God
does not listen to us.
By this
we know the spirit of truth
and the spirit of error.
– Verse 6 of 1 John 4:1-6 NASB
John is writing as one of the early church leaders who God used to establish the Christian faith. What he wrote was truly inspired by the Holy Spirit. The same is true of the others who wrote the New Testament books… Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter, Jude 1. All were eyewitnesses of Jesus.
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1 John 4:1-6 NASB
4 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.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world.
4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world, therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them.
6 We are from God. The one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
– 1 John 4:1-6 NASB
FOR MORE:
How can we know a teaching is truly from God? John gives us a simple test we can use. Want to follow God Himself, or some heretic false teacher?
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It is what it is: The Bible Is God’s Word To Us
10 Things You Should Know about the Reliability of the New Testament Writers | February 01, 2022.
God spoke through prophets and Jesus – the greatest of all
The Apostle Paul’s Criticisms 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Words of mere men are not God’s Words
False Prophets | by Diane S. Dew
1 Timothy 4: verses 1-2 AMP
But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 [misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning]….
The Great Water Down of Jesus’ Message to us all
The gullibility of the common person
Is God restoring the offices of apostle and prophet? | From GotQuestions.org
Does God give new revelations or is the Bible enough?
No new revelations in these End Times
Following the Jesus who was not God
Do you have God? Excerpt: Running ahead of Jesus …2 John 1:9
Are you content with what Jesus taught? There are certain discontented ones among us who have run “on ahead” and gotten into strange teachings. God is not on their side.
The faith of “anything goes” Excerpt: “Anything Goes” is like Easy Beliefism: “Easy! Just simplify faith: “God is love! God died for everyone! No real choice involved here, really. Our loving God will lovingly accept where you’re at. Just be loving.” THAT is an “anything goes” false faith.” Paul warned us of how faith can wander from Christ.
Wandering Stars. The Paganism of Bethel, Hillsong, and the NAR pt 1
Verify Jesus. Verify, verify, verify
Entrance Granted Into The Eternal
The Kingdom of God is very exclusive, very luxurious, very special
The inclusive yet exclusive salvation of Jesus
Footnotes
- Jude 1, verse 1: “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ and brother of [b]James”.
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