READ: 1 John 4:1-3
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus 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.
KEY THOUGHT:
There are lots of people who call themselves Christians yet teach something contrary to the Bible. That’s why it’s important for you to read and study God’s Word. It’s important for you to know what’s in God’s Word so that you can use it as a filter for what you hear from others. I often tell my students, “Don’t believe what I say because I say it. Look in your Bible and see if it’s true!” Not that I would intentionally say anything contrary to God’s Word. It’s just important for you to use the Bible as a “litmus test for truth.”
Here are two tests you can find from today’s passage: 1) Does what you read or hear tell the truth about Jesus – that He came in the flesh from God? 2) Does what you read or hear align itself with God’s Word or does it align itself with the anti-Christian movement of today’s culture? Failure of either of these tests shows you that what you read or hear is not from the Spirit of God and comes from something else. Always test what you see and hear using God’s Word because all truth comes from God.
CONSIDER:
- How can you know if what you read or hear is truth?
- Why is it important for you to know the difference between truthful Bible teaching and deception?
- What does God give you to help you know and understand the truth (see John 16:7-14)?
APPLICATION:
Trust only in the truth that comes from the Spirit of God!
