“AFTER CAREFUL EXAMINATION”

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

1 John 4:1

In our opening blog for this series, we said that a discerning mind demonstrates wisdom and insight that goes beyond what is seen and heard.  A discerning person acknowledges God’s word from falsehood.

This call to exercise discernment is echoed by the Apostle John, who instructs us not to believe every spirit, but to test them.

In today’s verse, John cautions believers not to trust every spirit, which likely refers to teachers. He tells them to test (dokimazō, to recognize as genuine after careful examination) every spirit to determine whether or not they come from God. By saying so, John clarifies that not everyone who speaks about the Bible, God, and Jesus does not necessarily speak the truth. Some make a profession of faith in Christ but teach a totally different Jesus.

To those with untrained ears and a lack of discernment, detecting false teachers can be quite challenging because counterfeit teachers tell some truth. Think of it this way: if everything they say is false, who would listen to them? The key to discerning them is to wait till they conclude their teaching. It’s possible to present some truth but still fail to apply it properly. So, ask these questions:

• What do they say about God?
• What do they say about Christ?
• What do they say about sin?
• What do they say about salvation?

We should exercise discernment in any teaching—being too open-minded is a highway to deception. We should have a healthy skepticism and examine a preacher’s teaching. Just because they speak in the pulpit doesn’t mean they speak the truth.

A Bible commentator wrote that Satan is the deceiver who has a false gospel preached by false teachers, producing false Christians. He plants his false teachers wherever God plants true believers. 

On a lighter note, it’s comforting to know those false teachers cannot deceive everyone in the church, especially the discerning. They are like the Bereans of the Book of Acts. With humble hearts and judicious minds, let’s carefully examine each teaching and determine whether they are from God or not.

Pursue the Savior today!