Courtney Gilmore 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.
1 John 4:1
Some people who proclaim the name of God are actually false teachers, and sometimes, it is hard for us to spot the difference. So, how can we know? The first thing we can do is look at how they live, not just what they say.
Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly, they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit… Therefore, by their fruits, you will know them.
Matthew 7:15-18, 20
Just because they say the “right” things does not mean they are genuine.
They profess to know God, but in works, they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
Titus 1:16
Satan is a fallen angel. He knows the word of God, yet He uses it against Christians. So, a false teacher can quote scripture for deceptive purposes and lead us astray if we are not careful.
Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So, it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Knowing God
We must know the Lord well enough to know what He would really say and do and what He would not. We get to know Him by reading His Word because it tells us what He says and does. If anyone tells us something contrary to the Bible, we automatically know it’s false.
However, to determine whether they are contradicting the Bible, we must know what it says. Otherwise, it can be easy for someone to twist the verse and make it say something it does not. We also cannot know only parts of the Bible because when passages are taken out of context or seem to contradict another passage, we must look at God’s teaching on that subject as a whole to understand His character and feelings on the matter.
Then, anyone who denies that Jesus is the sinless Son of God, who died for our sins and rose again to give us new life, is not of God. This is an explicit teaching of the Bible that cannot be compromised.
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.
1 John 4:2-3
Jesus is the only way to heaven. Anyone who says there is another way to find God and eternal life is wrong or lying.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6
Desiring the Truth
Then, sometimes, we convince ourselves that false teachers are telling the truth because that is what we want to hear. Often, deception sounds better than the truth because the truth convicts us.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires. Because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
We like to listen to the rosy parts of Christianity. It sounds good when we hear what God can do for us, but when they start talking about what we should do for God, it starts to get a little uncomfortable. We like to hear the good news of Jesus, but we don’t want to hear about our sins. But what is so good about Him if He is not our Savior, and what does He save us from except for our sins? We must know the bad for the good to be of any use. Do not be fooled. Deceptive words lead down deceptive paths whose end is only destruction.
False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them, the way of truth will be blasphemed. In their greed, they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
2 Peter 2:1-3
Whose Voice is in My Head
But sometimes, it is not a false teacher we are trying to discern, but our own thoughts. It can be challenging to know whether our thoughts are of God, Satan, or ourselves. Inside our head, all the voices sound the same, right? Our discernment in this situation is the same as if it were a person. We must know God well enough to determine whether it is something that He would say or not. Remember the old saying, “What Would Jesus Do?” The only way to know what He would do is to know Him.
When trying to discern between a counterfeit bill and a real one, you learn every characteristic of the true bill. That way, whenever you see the slightest discrepancy, you immediately recognize it as counterfeit. It is the same way with God.
He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs up some other way; the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him, the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them. The sheep follow him, for they they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
John 10:1-5
If you know God and have studied His characteristics, then when you see or hear the slightest discrepancy, you will recognize it as a false teaching. You will know it is a stranger’s voice and not that of your Lord, and you will flee from it.
So, guard against deception by seeking the One True God.
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This is an excerpt from “Asking for a Sign: Gideon” as taught on YouTube, Podcast, and written on Substack. Read the beginning of the lesson for free. Or read it in its entirety, along with previous lessons over Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges for $6/month or $60/year. Once subscribed, you’ll receive one lesson each week thereafter by email. Cancel anytime.
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