According to the Internet, the top three false teachings about Jesus today are:
(1) Jesus was just a good moral teacher: This idea suggests that Jesus was a wise and insightful teacher of ethics and spirituality, but not divine.
(2) Jesus was married or had romantic relationships. The idea that he had a wife or lover is not supported by the Bible or other reliable sources.
(3) Jesus taught a prosperity gospel: Some preachers claim that Jesus promised wealth, health, and success to his followers in this life as a reward for faith and obedience.
In the first century, false teachers focused on various issues, but they all shared the same core issue of bringing Jesus down to a human level through deceptive teachings.
These teachings reduced the mysteries surrounding Jesus to human size, simplifying them and eliminating the mystery. They made Jesus the servant of human desires, with humans in control rather than submitting to his will.
How to Discern Truth from Falsehood
If we follow John’s instructions, we will be equipped to escape deception and follow the truth.
(1) It is wise to examine the attitudes and actions of preachers, politicians, and media personalities before accepting their message.
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 (1 John 4.1).
As we test the messenger, we should ask helpful questions such as:
— Does the message convey love?
— Is the person profiting financially or otherwise from their message?
— Does the message exalt or diminish Jesus?
(2) Is Jesus Lord?
Paul provided another test of false or true witnesses.
He wrote, “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12.3).
John gave a similar test.
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.
And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world (1 John 4.2-3).
We should avoid any teaching that diminishes the nature and character of Jesus and fails to reflect his true grandeur.
(3) Beware of theories that stem from the world’s system.
Every age has popular theories about God that have two things in common. They explain God in simplistic terms that humans can understand.
The god of the world’s system can be manipulated to serve human interests.
John reminds us that followers of Jesus are not part of the prevailing culture and should not follow the direction of the world’s system.
Little children, you are from God and have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them.
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1 John 4.4-6).
John’s basic message is to not give space in our minds to false teachers. Instead, we should immerse ourselves in the teaching of the Bible.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I continue our study of 1 John today. Our video can be found on the Bob Spradling YouTube channel.
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