To a certain extent, many Christians accept that because we are mortal and will struggle with our flesh even after we are saved, there are some things that we may not understand on this side of Heaven. There are doctrines where different people disagree, but accept that it does not impact whether or not someone can have a right relationship with God.
However, sometimes there are doctrines that someone presents as Christian which are actually false teachings from wolves in sheep’s clothing. Many come out and say things that are overt re-tellings of the Gospel, and many who lack discernment and the Holy Spirit accept these false teachings, though some familiar with their Bible recognize these things as lies. Some people come out and use big words, Biblical concepts, and even twist Scripture to their own purposes, making it harder to discern.
God gave the world His Word so they can learn about Him and be saved, and for believers, the Bible paired with the Holy Spirit can illuminate the Truth, helping people identify lies and false doctrine.
The Bible calls Satan the Great Deceiver, and He knows the Devil lies to try to ensure that people continue to remain dead in their sins, or to create problems amongst believers. Some of those lies are easier for people who have a relationship with God to spot than others. Because God knows that even those who love Him can be led astray, or be led to worry about their salvation unnecessarily, He ensured there were ways for those who love Him, or even for those seeking truth but who have not yet begun a saving relationship with Him, to sift falsehood and see it for what it is.
Because God is good and holy, the truth matters greatly to Him. He is truth. As the Creator, everything He says is the truth. Anything that stands in opposition to God is a lie. When God said something should exist, it did, because God only speaks truth. If God were not who He says He is, it would be impossible to trust in anything, and all things would be relative and subjective, even salvation.
There are many verses in Scripture which emphasize the importance of knowing and discerning the truth, which is why discerning false doctrine is so important.
Psalm 25:5 - “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”
Psalm 145:18 - “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
Proverbs 12:22 - “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”
John 8:31-32 – “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
Romans 12:2 - “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 - “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”
Ephesians 6:14 - “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, “
1 Thessalonians 5:21 - “But test everything; hold fast what is good.”
Hebrews 5:14 - “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
1 John 4:1 - “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.”
When confronted with a doctrine or truth claim from a person or group that seems confusing, may be true, or is a claim to secret knowledge, Christians have several avenues for determining its truth.
First, can this claim be verified or debunked by looking at the world around me or doing a quick search in a book or on the internet? Start there. If a claim is scientific or historical, and can be demonstrated as true or false, that can demonstrate a person or religion is making a false claim. Examples include the claim that the earth rests on the back of a large creature, that a person claiming to be a prophet taught one thing but behaved differently, or if a prophet made a closed-date prophecy - meaning that it had a verified end point - that did not come to pass.
For other questions, including about things like salvation, the nature of God, and morality, the Bible encourages believers to pray and to study the Scriptures. Luke recorded in the Book of Acts an example of this type of discernment with the account of the Bereans. In Berea, there were Jews who were waiting for the Messiah. When Paul and Silas came and presented to them the good news that Jesus Christ had come and fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection, “...they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men” (Acts 17:11b-12).
Not only did the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob rightly discern the truth through prayer and studying the Scriptures, but gentiles did as well. This testimony affirms the sufficiency of the Bible to know the truth of God’s Word, and that claims stating the Bible is not the complete Word of God, and that it has been misunderstood or mistranslated, are false.
- Does this claim exalt God? Does it diminish God?
- Does this claim contradict the teachings of Jesus, of the Apostles, or the Prophets?
- Does this claim exalt and illuminate who Jesus is and what He did, or does it diminish Him and what He did?
- Does this add works to God’s plan for salvation?
- Does this minimize sin?
- Does this add to the prophecies about the End of Days in the Book of Revelation, supplemented by prophecies in Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and some of the other prophetic passages?
- Does this claim lessen man’s wickedness?
- Does this claim change the way the afterlife is understood?
- Does this claim make Satan seem less evil or change the way he could be perceived?
It is also good to do research to see what trusted pastors and theologians say. Turn to the mature believers in the church, and ask them for guidance. Lean on the Holy Spirit and the other Christians to help clarify things in the Bible that may be confusing.
It is possible to know God, and to be confident that what is known about Him is true. In Proverbs, it is written, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me” (Proverbs 8:17). Those who seek to know God will know Him, that’s a promise He makes, and He always keeps His Word. Satan has many lies and many ways to cause confusion, disruption, and uncertainty, but there is only one Truth - the truth from the one, true God.
Sources
Challis, Tim. The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007.
A Field Guide on False Teachings
Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible
Basic Theology A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth
KJV Dictionary Definition: discern
He is a cross pendant.
He is engraved with a unique Number.
He will mail it out from Jerusalem.
He will be sent to your Side.
Emmanuel
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