I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie…—1 John 2:26-27 NLT
The arrogance of human nature sometimes shows up when we think and prove that we know more than others do. You will find such people in schools, universities, workplace, corporate organisations, government and even in the church. Perhaps you know or have met someone like this!
In life, what one believes truly matters but how do you know if what you believe is light and not darkness, truth and not lies?
The apostle John’s writing was to counteract or attack the spread of false teachings in the early church. The false teaching was based on Gnosticism, a concept which teaches that matter is evil, and spirit is good. Followers of Gnosticism claim to have an additional, superior and secret knowledge beyond scriptures of the truth that leads to salvation.
The church today has had its fair share of false teachings, doctrines and heresies. We’ve heard of cults masquerading as churches, using the name of Jesus to deceive, manipulate and enslave their members. We see smooth-talking, charismatic preachers perfecting their skill of deception, often twisting scriptures for their personal agenda.
So, how do we spot and guard against false teachings, doctrines and heresies? How do we decipher between what is truth and what is lies? The apostle John said, “…the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.” 1 John 2:20-21 (NLT)
As believers, we have been given the Holy Spirit and He dwells in us, guiding us to all truths. Jesus promised His disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth…” John 16:13 (NLT)
To guard against false teachings, we need both the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Because we have the Holy Spirit, we do not need anyone to teach us what is true. This does not mean we do not need Christian teachers in the church. Teachers are gifts to the body of Christ according to Ephesians 4:11-12. However, we don’t need any other teachings apart from what is found in the Word of God because the entirety of God’s Word is truth.
But there’s something I’ve noticed with some believers. Many hang or hold on to every word of their pastor even when it contradicts the Word of truth, the Word of God. This is a dangerous place for any believer to be in.
No one or organisation possesses any additional or higher truth than what is contained in the Word of God. With God’s Word and the Holy Spirit in us, we can spot and reject false teachings.
Stay blessed,
LaraLex
Hills and Valleys 