Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John4:1
We all need to become skilled in testing the spirits and ensuring that what we are hearing and observing lines up with the word of God. False teachers and false prophets who teach Humanism are used by the enemy to influence people inside and outside of the church. These teachings and philosophies breakdown the fabric of families and society by promoting the grace of God in the absence of His truth.
How we define a term makes all the difference in our understanding of a certain point and developing a worldview around it. Some of the things that cause people to get deceived in life are the modern ideas that redefine a certain principle thereby derailing people spiritually.
For example, marriage was defined by God in the book of Genesis following the six day of Creation. God created a helpmate for Adam to complement him as they lived together in a holy covenant before God. Marriage is a picture of the relationship of the church to Jesus as His bride.
Over the years the definition has changed to any two individuals who are in love should have the right to marry each other. This kind of marriage is no longer about pleasing God, but it is about pleasing self. In addition, “no fault divorce” makes divorces easy and readily available for anyone who wants to get out of a marriage. In reality, we have changed the definition of marriage and dumbed it down to man’s desires rather than God’s plan for marriage, and as a result, we have made a mess out of it.
A Christian lady at the gym was telling me that recently she and her husband left their church after 27 years. The position of their church had changed, and now the church believes that the definition of Biblical marriage is subject to interpretation. Therefore, they will no longer take a particular stance on marriage. She was deeply hurt and was wondering if she and her husband did the right thing by leaving. Their old friends have shunned them, and now they have to rebuild a new community of believers for themselves.
It is crucial for us to test the spirits and not allow the smokescreen of so called “love” taint God’s view on major life issues. We must guard from anyone advocating an idea that does not line up with the word of God.
