1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit but test the spirits whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Ἀγαπητοί, μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύετε ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα εἰ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν, ὅτι πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐξεληλύθασιν εἰς τὸν κόσμον.
People are gullible to the latest ideas and fads. People are also deceived by gurus, gimmicks, and gadgets. This has happened to me too many times. I like to think the best of people, but sometimes these people are deceitful. There is a spiritual world that compels responses in this physical world. John connects the deceiving spirits with false prophets. False prophets have been around since the beginning of time. They have caused people to forsake the truth of God. Sometimes the truth is not an easy thing to accept, especially the truth that God judges sin. God’s truth, the real truth, penetrates to the heart. False messages “tickle the ear” by satisfying the flesh. People also have quite wild imaginations that can twist simple truths into complex systems. The best solution to the prophet of deceit is to know the truth well. First, we must know the True One through faith and obedience, trust and listening. Second, we must know the testimony of truth found in the Bible. These two things will keep us on the right path.
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