1 John 4:1-3
Deceptive imitations are everywhere. I hope that after following along with this week’s devotions, you can join me in saying that you’ve learned a lot this week about how to spot a false teacher and how to avoid their traps. It’s so important to be grounded in God's word and abide in it. Let’s walk through the first three verses in 1 John chapter 4 together.
“1 Dear friends, 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.” False teachers are everywhere; television, online videos, public platforms, and even in our churches and ministries. Social media networks like Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are so popular and run rampant with false teachings. There are a lot of smooth-talking liars in the world, and we shouldn’t believe everything that we hear. Remember, not everyone who talks about God comes from God.
“2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” True and genuine prophecy and true and genuine teaching will present a true and genuine Jesus. A deceiver will refuse to confess faith in Jesus. A deceiver does not acknowledge that Jesus is both God and man. We need to weigh whether someone openly confesses their faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who comes from God and belongs to God. We know that the antichrist is coming. Verse three reminds us that this antichrist spirit is already here. It can be found everywhere and anywhere a false Jesus is exalted over the One True Jesus. We need to be filled with Truth to be prepared to recognize those who oppose Christ and his teachings.
We must be vigilant and employ discernment. We must be ready to test what we’re hearing against biblical teachings and what is revealed about Jesus in scripture. We need to really look at a teacher's life so that their actions and character align with their message. Friends, deception is everywhere. Let’s remain watchful and on guard as we use God’s inerrant and infallible word as the standard for testing spirits.
Deceptive imitations are everywhere. I hope that after following along with this week’s devotions, you can join me in saying that you’ve learned a lot this week about how to spot a false teacher and how to avoid their traps. It’s so important to be grounded in God's word and abide in it. Let’s walk through the first three verses in 1 John chapter 4 together.
“1 Dear friends, 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.” False teachers are everywhere; television, online videos, public platforms, and even in our churches and ministries. Social media networks like Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are so popular and run rampant with false teachings. There are a lot of smooth-talking liars in the world, and we shouldn’t believe everything that we hear. Remember, not everyone who talks about God comes from God.
“2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” True and genuine prophecy and true and genuine teaching will present a true and genuine Jesus. A deceiver will refuse to confess faith in Jesus. A deceiver does not acknowledge that Jesus is both God and man. We need to weigh whether someone openly confesses their faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who comes from God and belongs to God. We know that the antichrist is coming. Verse three reminds us that this antichrist spirit is already here. It can be found everywhere and anywhere a false Jesus is exalted over the One True Jesus. We need to be filled with Truth to be prepared to recognize those who oppose Christ and his teachings.
We must be vigilant and employ discernment. We must be ready to test what we’re hearing against biblical teachings and what is revealed about Jesus in scripture. We need to really look at a teacher's life so that their actions and character align with their message. Friends, deception is everywhere. Let’s remain watchful and on guard as we use God’s inerrant and infallible word as the standard for testing spirits.
Posted in Devotional