| 1 John 4:1 - Don't Believe It
“Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.” (1 John 4:1 NLT)
by Chris
There’s a saying that goes..”Believe half of what you see, none of what you hear.”
While I don’t believe this in its entirety, there is some truth behind the saying.
I believe a more accurate version would be...”Believe none of what you see, and half of what you hear”. Simply because we are called to walk by faith not by sight.
Regarding believing what you hear - you can not afford to take a Pastor or prophet’s word at face value. No matter what they’re level of integrity is.
You should place every teaching, word, and instruction under inspection of the Holy Spirit. Do not believe the mere word’s of man because they are in a higher position of authority.
A mature preacher would recommend you do this as well. They will urge you to read your bible for yourself so that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you personally if what they are saying lines up with the Spirit of Truth.
In these times people have a tendency to listen to what they want to hear and not what they need to know. As long as it makes them feel good they will believe it and give it a try,
Beware of these people and their teachings!
The Word of God is meant to bring truth into your life. If that comes at the sake of you not feeling good about it...so be it.
What’s important is that you learn to hear the Word of God for yourself. You have to spend time in the presence of God daily, and allow Him to reveal the true meaning of the scripture.
That way you won’t get caught up in following man or putting a pastor on an undeserving pedestal. You will honor and treat them as they were intended...as a vessel to deliver the Word of God to those who will listen.
Let nothing easily enter your spirit or mind. Instead scrutinize every word against the Word of God to test its origin.
This isn’t being mean or pessimistic. It’s being biblical.
Lets pray...
“Father grow my spirit man. Reveal to me wisdom of your Word that I may be able to accurately identify spirit led teachings. At the same time, help me be able to accurately communicate the revelations of your Word that you make known to me. In Jesus name I pray...Amen.”
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