Test everything 1Thessalonians 5: 21
This is one of the seven things listed as God's will for us in Christ Jesus. When Paul entered the city of Berea to preach the Gospel, the Bible tells us:
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. Acts 17: 11-12
The Bereans did not have a passive faith. They were eager to receive a Word from God and so should we but they did not just accept everything they heard at face value. They tested what they heard. And the result of this faithfulness to ensuring the validity of the teachings? Many believed. That is how the Gospel works.
The last point from the key verse is a reminder to us that we need to be wary of becoming naïve. Do not believe every spirit. Too many Christians are falling for false doctrines. Paul warned the leaders at Ephesus in his farewell to them:
I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Acts 20: 29-31
Men from within our own numbers will arise to draw people away from the truth. We have seen a smile and a self-help philosophy draw people away from the full Gospel. We have seen the pursuit of greed glorified and draw people away from the full Gospel. There are many who truly believe they are in relationship with God but who do not even know Him. Many who will spend their lives thinking they are working for the kingdom only to discover in horror on the last day that they never were:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matthew 7: 21-23
These verses should be a frightening reminder to us that our salvation must be based upon a relationship, not a religion. It must be based upon being in covenant with God, not wisdom of man. The Book of Acts tells a story of the Seven Sons of Sceva. These were sons of a Jewish Chief Priest. Acts says that they went around driving evil spirits out of people. I am sure they looked the part. I am sure they knew how to play the part. I am sure that those who saw them must have thought that what they were doing was of God; after all they drove the demons out in "the name of Jesus Christ who Paul preaches." But invoking the name of Jesus is different than being in relationship with Him:
(One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. Acts 19: 15-16
Acts also tells the story of Simon the Sorcerer. The story tells that Simon amazed the crowds that witnessed his sorcery. He was very boastful and many people, both high and low, determined that he must have had some divine power. Acts goes on to say that he was baptized and became a follower of Phillip. He was part of the in crowd of the burgeoning Christian movement. Yet when he saw the Apostles impart the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands, he offered to buy the power for himself. This was the response of Peter:
Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." Acts 8: 20-23
The Seven Sons of Sceva and Simon the Sorcerer looked the part and sounded the part. Those who witnessed them probably believed in a divine role in what they were doing. But looks are deceiving and we are to not reflexively believe every spirit we see.
Instead we are to test the spirits against the Word of God, to make sure they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Many people we see today coming in the name of Jesus Christ look the part and say all the right things. We must not passively allow them to continue to corrupt the Gospel. And do not let anyone fool you into thinking that somehow they have a corner on the "deeper things" of God:
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it! 2Corinthians 11: 3-4 (NKJV)
Let us not put up with it anymore. Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is all we need. Amen.
