The Need to Test the Spirits (Part 1)

 In 1 John the apostle John says, "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." The first part of 1 John 4:1 where it said: "Beloved or dearly beloved "do not believe every spirit..., It is very important to know that there are false prophets who claim that they believe the Bible by which they utilize at will the language of the Bible as if they are in agreement with God's Word. (2 Cor. 11:3) 

In order to test such indiviuals is to asked the question (?): "Where do you stand on the authority and inspiration of the Bible? They will reply by saying, "The Bible contain the Word of God; the Bible is not the Word of God." It is true that many liberal theologians will explicity deny the absolute authority of the Bible as if the Bible contain God's Word but is not the authoritative Word of God. (2 Tim. 3:16) Paul in his letter to Timothy says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God..." God's Word have been inspired by God by which He is the Author of scripture. Everything that is in God's Word are inspired by God. 

There are many cultist that comes to your doorstep will in fact bank do not expect for the average Christian to ask specific kinds of questions about the Bible. They will say thing that will resonate with the average Christian as if they are in agreement with the Bible but at the same time seek to introduce the Watchtower theology. It is a way to craft the message by which the average Christian want even detect that of its flawed theology. Whenever a Christian begins to ask specific questions about the Watchtower theology as well as to their understanding of the Person of Jesus Christ many of cultist who are followers of this particular cult will be in surprise and shock. False prophets like Mormonism (LDS) and Jehovah's Witnesses for example utilize indiscriminately the language of the Bible (e.g., "Firstborn") by which they have systematically distort the truth of God's Word. (Eph. 4:11) The Jehovah's Witnesses undestanding of "firstborn" is that God's Son is Jehovah's First Creaed Being. Jesus Christ who is eternally preexistent was not created by God by which He is the Creator of the universe. Mormonism will define Jesus as the spirit Brother of Lucifer something that is contrary to the clear teaching of the Bible. (Col. 1:15-17)

As Christians we must insist that that many of the cults begin to define biblical terms ("Firstborn") according to the standard defintion of the Bible. A dog is a dog; a cat is a cat. There are standard definition of terms that are in congruent with the reality of what words means. The way by which to strip cultist of its most powerful arsenal is to insist that they define clearly Christian biblical terminology. (1 Jn. 4:1) Even Jesus ask Peter the question by saying, "Who do men say that I the Son of Man am? " Peter reply was by saying, "Some say you are Elijah, some John the Baptist." But Jesus asked Peter the question by saying, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter reply by saying, "Thou are the Christ the Son of the living God." Even though many cults utilize the language of the Bible but have radically different meanings. Not only do they "redefine" terms but give "new" terms to standard terms or terminologies. 

It is not just cults out there is the world but there are organizations and movements within professing Christianity that uses the same tactics that of cults today: that of the "redefintion" of biblical terms by which they give "new" terms to standard terms of the Bible. (2 Cor. 11:3)

As Christians we must model the Berean Christians in that they searched the scripture daily to see if those things were so." (Acts 17:11)  We live in spiritually deceptive times by which the church needs spiritual discernment in an age of deception. (1 Tim. 4:1)

Rev. Darryl L. Miller is the president & Chairman of Darryl Miller International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia. Darryl is the Host of "Darryl Unplugged Podcast" which address apologetics, philosophy, and theology in the area of Christian theology. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside metro Atlanta with their puppy "Little Baby."