Not every spirit is a good one.
We need to test them.
I know it's silly, but I read these words and I think... what if I get it wrong? It's so easy for people to be fooled. Then I realize and important thing.
I am God's child.
God has overcome the world.
HE is greater than anything else I might uncover in the world.
This causes me to take heart and realize that if God is in me, I don't have to worry about getting it all right. I don't have to worry about being fooled... but God gives me a niggling feeling within when something is off. God has given me a hubby who is often able to put his finger on what is off (which is a huge blessing to me).
And then there is this distinct promise from God.
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
It's a sure fire way to test the spirits around me. Do they confess that Jesus is from God? If they don't... anti-Christ. If they do.. woot woot! :)
It does get confusing at times though when Christians have an agenda they want to push. Then it comes down to interpretation of the scriptures and doctrine because folks CAN be wrong in their agendas. But when it comes to the misleading of the spirit of the Anti-Christ... then we have our test. Acknowledge Jesus as the son of God or not.
I suppose it can be seen as a warning too right? A warning to be mindful of what we are espousing. Because there is right and there is wrong... those in the right hold to the things of God and not to the things of the world. Those who are wrong don't listen to the people of God and hold to the things of the world.
So hold do you hold to? The things of God? The things of the world?
Who do you listen to the most?
Me I want to listen to God even if the world keeps hollering at me. Sometimes it's hard to hear the right thing and not get distracted.
Let's not be distracted eh?