Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 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…

                                                                                                                   1 John 4:1-3a 

It is another area of the Christian faith that is often complicated but without cause. “Groups” finger pointing and accusing other “groups” of being false teachers or teaching false doctrine. For some, it would seem that everyone on the planet (other than themselves) is a false prophet. But scripture teaches us the simple formula for determining whether or not a spirit, message, or proclamation is from God. “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” Another way of saying this (borrowing from John), “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides with them” (1 John 4:15). When someone correctly, accurately, and unapologetically affirms the deity of Christ, they are speaking by the power of the Spirit of God. However, there is something that we must consider when discerning proclamations from others.

It is possible that when others speak that they are using their words as a means to deceive or entrap. When we hear that someone is proclaiming the name of Jesus, we must always consider the possibility that they are insincere. Their motives may not prove to be pure rather their speech might only be for the purposes of misleading or defrauding. Perhaps there is a profit to be made. Maybe they are using their rhetoric to lure unsuspecting believers into some kind of spiritual trap. Usually the actions of a person will give them away, either affirming their love for Christ or proving that they are just speaking into the wind. Either way, we must always discern whether or not a declaration of loyalty to Christ is sincere.

But putting that aside, when a person is sincere in their motives, attitudes, and proclamations, we can be sure that they are speaking from God when they affirm the Person of Jesus Christ. John identifies false teachers as those who deny the deity of Christ. It matters not whether they think of Jesus as a good man, superior teacher, or another prophet. When someone is opposed to Christ, we can be sure that they are of the antichrist. In other words, recognizing the truth is all about Jesus. Here are three ways that we can know that a message or proclamation is from God.

1. The Spirit of God will always affirm scripture

There is nothing like preaching or teaching in the power of the Spirit. But when we stand and make declarations and pronouncements, we need to always make sure that what we are declaring is consistent with the truth of scripture. The Spirit of God will never contradict what we find in God’s Word. This is why we cannot overstate the importance that every believer spends quality time studying the Bible. This is the only way that we will ever be able to discern truth from manmade doctrine. There have been many things offered up in the realm of theology over the centuries. Some of these ideas are sound and sure. Others are merely thoughts and ideas with which mankind has derived. I believe that the teaching ministry of the church is to teach scripture. Let the Word speak for itself. We need to make sure that we are not indoctrinating individuals to a specific way of thinking rather we are revealing to them the truth of scripture. God’s Word does not contradict itself. We need to let the Bible mold and shape our doctrine, not the other way around. God will always affirm what is in His Word.

2. The Spirit of God will always affirm the deity of Jesus

The Spirit of God will always affirm that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14-15). When we correctly identify Christ, we correctly identify God. When we consider all of the other philosophies and theological offerings of the world, we will discover that all of the false doctrines will miss represent (whether intentionally or not) the Person of Jesus. Often, we see this when people discuss the historical Jesus. Perhaps they are interested in His life and earthly ministry but will stop short of admitting their sin and need for a Savior. When someone is speaking according to the Spirit of God, he/she will always point to Christ as they only way of salvation. When someone suggests that other non-Christian belief systems are equally as valid as the Christian faith, we know that they are not speaking according to the Spirit of God. The Spirit will always affirm the deity of Jesus Christ.

3. The Spirit of God will always stay consistent with the character and nature of God

Sometimes we hear someone suggest that God has instructed them to say or act in a specific manner. Well, God does speak to His own, but He will always guide us according to His character and nature. Remembering that God is love (1 John 4:8) and that He is compassionate, gracious, and slow to anger will give us greater discernment in knowing when we are hearing from God. He will never violate His own character and nature. He is gentle and humble at heart and when we hear from God, we find rest (Matthew 11:28-30). God is not the author of confusion. If we do not sense the peace of God, then we need to be cautious in our next steps. God’s Spirit produces consistent fruit such as love, joy, and peace. It promotes in even the harshest of personalities the ability to be patient, loving, and kind (Galatians 5:22-23). The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ and will always uphold the words of Jesus. When the Spirit of God is present, we find spiritual freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). When the Spirit of God speaks, He will always speak according to His character and nature.

It is a dangerous game to play when we take it upon ourselves to label others as false teachers. Serious prayer and consideration should go into that task before publicly announcing others as being false. Just because someone doesn’t agree with us about everything does not make him/her a false prophet. There is plenty of room in the body of Christ for serious yet civil discussion over spiritual issues. But as far as announcing the falsity of someone else’s ministry, we have the clear instructions of John to guide us.