If you haven’t already discovered this, you will soon. Some very nice people carry Bibles but also carry totally wrong doctrine. It may not be evident on your first few encounters just how wrong their beliefs are. But as you bond with them, the more they will share their false teaching, and, obviously, the greater your vulnerability will be.
The Apostle John was no junior Christian. When he first met Christ, he was young. A lot of water had gone under the bridge. After Christ’s return to Heaven, the Gospel spread. Thousands were saved, local churches were established, and things were booming. But when things are happening for God, you can be sure Satan will be busy too.
Satan is the arch-enemy of God. He was busy in John’s day, and he is busy in our day. By the time John wrote his first Epistle, he was an elderly Christian and wrong stuff was being taught by supposedly Christian teachers. Satan was doing his best to worm his way into the heart of Christian testimony to corrupt, spoil, wreck, dilute, divide, obstruct, impede and weaken the work of God.
Godly old John urged Christians not to be gullible. Don’t fall for every new thing you hear. Don’t swallow hook, line and sinker the words of people just because they have magnetic personalities. Don’t meet with them because you find it difficult to say no to them.
Be very cautious and discriminating when it comes to matters of Bible doctrine, the Word of God and what people believe about Jesus Christ. Be on guard constantly. They use deliberate techniques to blend what you believe with their teachings so you will think you are basically on the same wavelength. They will also make you feel wanted and accepted.
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. 1John 4:1
John had been writing about the importance of love in Christian living – but then he focused on the importance of truth. His message is clear: never give a centimetre on truth – no matter what. Don’t compromise. He gives us at least two ways to check out what someone is teaching. You should read the first six verses of 1John Chapter 4.
- Does the person believe in the full deity and humanity of Christ? In other words, do they believe that Jesus was God on earth in human flesh? That’s 1John 4:3
- Are they committed to all the teachings of all the apostles in the New Testament? When John refers to ‘we’ in 1John 4:6 – he is referring to the Apostles.
What the person believes about the deity and humanity of Christ and the doctrine of salvation is essential and critical. You will meet other genuine Christians who may see some things a little differently than you as they read their Bible and they may have different practises where they attend on Sunday – but every real Christian believes the same truth about Christ and salvation.
But beware of those who carry a Bible like yours but then introduce another book to you that they claim is equal to the Bible – but more recent and current. There is no Volume 2 for the Bible. Those who say there is a second book on par with the Bible are not Christians – even if they present themselves as believing and loving much of what you spiritually love. Anyone who claims they have a second book that carries just as much authority as the Bible is definitely not someone God wants you to learn from.
Another tactic is to carry only the Bible but then tell you their translation is more accurate. Representatives of this group may show you John Chapter one and verse one in their ‘Bible’ that says the Word was “a god.” What a can of worms such false teaching opens up! Look at what your Bible says in John 1:1. Both groups often come to your door or give you their teachings on the sidewalk. 
Don’t just shrug off differences as minor discrepancies in your beliefs. Be very cautious. When the Apostle John said ‘test the spirits,’ he wasn’t merely suggesting that we think twice about what others are telling us. He was saying: rigorously test the stuff you hear, as if you were a specialist in metals, responsible for judging their purity and value. That’s the metaphor John used for testing. Get out your Bible and diligently search it out. Don’t treat it lightly – because it could be just the ‘small’ beginning of something that could take you a ‘great’ distance from New Testament Doctrine.
One other quick note of warning – you can find anything and everything online. Podcasts, videos and blogs. A lot of it is attractively packaged and convincingly presented. Some of it is Christian but Scripturally unbalanced. Just be very cautious. Tragically, some believers have swerved away off track by being attracted to someone on Youtube or online.
In addition to studying your Bible, if you hear something that challenges your thinking or conflicts with what you have been taught, run it by an older Christian whom you respect or the person or people who first shared the good news of Jesus with you when you were saved. It is also helpful to ask older Christians what helpful study books they might recommend. Some writers excel in some areas but may be weak in other areas. It is always good to be cautious.
Paul said to Timothy: “Study, be diligent about rightly dividing the word of truth” (2Timothy 2:15). Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers: “Prove or test or evaluate everything you hear and only keep what is good” (1Thessalonians 5:21). In other words, be extremely careful.
Assignment for today:
- Underline in your Bible 1Thessalonians 5:21, 2Timothy 2:15 and 1John 4:3.
- Pray that you will be protected and preserved from Bible teaching that is wrong.
- Identify the Christian you will talk to if you have questions about what the Bible teaches and ask them if they will be available to you when you have questions. Ask for their contact information.
