“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. By this, you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 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. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this, we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
(1 John 4:1-6)
John tells them that they need to discern what is true and false in what they hear. Referring to something he said earlier: “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” (1 John 2:18-19)
From the beginning, John warns them of the false teachings of Gnostics, announcing them as antichrists who are speaking lies. Jesus also warned His disciples; telling them that “many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” (Matthew 24:11)
Today we have access to a lot of information, primarily through media and the internet, which also means we have access to many voices in the world competing for our attention.
But how do we test the validity of the many voices we hear today? Especially since we live in a time when truth has become relative and non-absolute. One of the wonderful attributes of God is that He never changes, so whatever He says, it will happen. (Ezekiel 24:14) Jesus also said, “I am the way, truth, and life.” (John 14:6) The influence of worldly voices emphasizes our need to search for the only source of absolute truth and follow that voice, which is the Word of God.
“The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63)