I John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
Did you know that the devil knows the Word of God? In the Gospels we read that Satan attempted to use God's Word to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. If you read those passages, you'll see that Satan quoted God's Word, but took it out of context; thereby twisting Scripture. Did you know that there are many out there doing the same thing today? Yes, even many of those very popular radio, internet, and television preachers that so many people follow blindly. They are twisting the Bible for their own benefit. We are warned over and over that there are false teachers out there, and in our midst. Yet, so many "Christians" still end up following these perverters of God's Holy Word. Sadly, these false teachers end up with great followings because more and more people want to hear messages that tickle their ears. They want to hear messages that make them feel good; and do not want to hear messages that convict us of sin, or that rebuke us for our lack of love for God and each other. Too many want to hear messages about how God will prosper them and give them all their selfish desires. God forbid we should hear the truth about who Jesus really is, or hear messages about loving God, and sacrificing for His Kingdom and the wellbeing of others. We don't want to hear messages about Jesus not just being our Savior, but also being our Lord. That kind of message makes us accountable to the Lord; and therefore, we are accountable for living in obedience to His Word, witnessing to the lost, and making disciples. We become accountable in respect to our words, action, deeds, and how we represent Jesus. It's far more palatable to hear "feel good messages" that promise peace and prosperity, without accountability; so that we can continue living our idolatrous lives, and continue our everyday romance with the world and all it offers. My friends, listen closely. Not every message we hear, and not every proclamation and promise we hear comes from God. We are instructed to test what we hear. What do we measure it with? That's an easy answer...the Word of God. However, that means that we have to actually take the time to read it, study it, and most importantly...pray. If we want to know what spirit is speaking to us, then we have to rely on God's Spirit who indwells us and seals us. Let us not be lazy followers of Jesus. Let us be diligent to test the spirits. I guarantee you that if we do, we will be surprised by just how many antichrists are out there. We must not allow ourselves to be easily deceived. Instead, let us be sober and vigilant spirit testers.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).
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