How To Detect False Teachers

How To Detect False Teachers

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1Jn 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

As we continue with out teachings from the writer John in Chapter 4 it has both a negative and postive message for us as believers both young and old alike. First of all it contains teaching about watching out and how detect false teachers. Which in the day and hour we live in is more evident then in time pasts because as the day grows closer for the Lord's returning Satan is working overtime to deceive the unbeliver and drag them to Hell and also to the believer who is not well rooted in Bible doctrine and Bible scriptures.

John gives us this week practical biblical guidelines in recognizing false teachers. By doing this we can develope a correct understanding of the Person of Christ and His works here while he was on earth.

Not so much more in the old Yellow Pages but online you can tell the buffet of the different denominations of churches. How does one choose what is the CORRECT CHURCH? With the technology we have today it is easier than before to find out what each one believes. Demitri and Sky did the research on a couple of churches in the past. Ms. Loretta is currently in a Bible study with a Jehovah's Witness.

John doesn't expose every error but he gives us a guideline to follow and determine if a religion or teacher is either Christlike or anti christ.

THE TESTING OF FALSE TEACHERS VS. 1

Even though John was getting ready to teach on such a serious topic he still showed his love for his writers by calling them "beloved"

Even we were taught on a wordly sense not trust everyone and John is very explicit about not trusting all teachers, bibles or doctrine that comes our way professing to be of God.

Even more so in our day and time people are searching for the truth. You definitely will not find in the news papers, TV or alot of times even on the internet.

John started the chapter to try or test the spirits whether they be genuine or false. As a student of the gospel in this sense whether the teacher or doctrine passes the test.

There are so many people whether they be believers or non believers get swayed just as easy as the wind blows a blade of grass in the spring time. The most dangerous philosophy in our day is the live and let live aspect of life.

THE TESTIMONY OF THE FALSE TEACHER VS. 2-6

The first test to see if a teacher or denomination doctrine is false is to see what it says about Jesus Christ Himself. Who He was, What did He do etc...

There a lot of false teachers and denominations that DO NOT believe Jesus was God incarnate in the flesh John 1:1. The do not believe in the Holy Virigin birth, the miracles He did while on earth and then His miraclous ressurection.

If a teacher or denominiation does not believe in Jesus and who he was they are anti christ and you need to stay away from them.PEROID!!!!!!!!!!

Now we as believers do not have to worry about going through the tribulation which happens after the rapture or calling out of the dead in Christ and the live that remain. After this the Antichrist comes on the scene professing to be the messiah and that every thing is going to be alrigth, at least for the first 3 1/2 years and then everything goes south. The bible even says that people will try to commit suicide and will not die but it is too late.

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The number one question to ask and they fail this one as a believer RUN!! What do you believe about Jesus Christ?

The believers that John was writing to had already overcome some antichrists but he wanted to make sure future readers knew.

Secondly does the teaching have a worldly appearence. Just look at all these feel good churches with the lights, smoke, looks and smells like the world and God is not within a 1000 miles of it. Also the basis is the God will not condemn any body or the feel good sense. There is NO preaching on that ye must be born again or your destination after death is hell if you do not know Him or heaven is your reward if you do.

Also because of this teaching here again the unbeliever is drawn into the deception of salvation by works which we know according to Ephesions 2:8&9 is wrong.

The second test is who listens to the teachers's message? If the unsaved world approves the message it surely is not God's Message.

Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

If the teaching is Biblical, God's people recognize and accept it as God's Message. With the true believer that has the Holy Spirit inside of them He will be the final answer to testing does your spirit have fellowship with their spirit?

We can apply these two tests to any religious teachin. Indeed, we must apply these tests to religious teaching because its our responsibility to avoid error and to abide in the truth as also to instructor our spiritual younger brother and sister's in Christ.