Tuesday, October 28
Festival of St. Simon & St. Jude, Apostles
1 John 4:1-6
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. 2 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. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 Little children, you are from God and have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
“… 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. …”
I was talking with a woman the other day whose computer had been hacked. Time and time again she turned to “trusted” helpers supposedly representing legitimate agencies, only to discover all were fraudulent.
In our day when there are so many false prophets out there peddling their brand of ideologies, philosophies, agendas, and scams, it’s often difficult to separate reality from fiction, truth from lies. It’s even evident in the church and religious sector of society.
John reminds his readers that the only truth is Jesus Christ. Apart from the Lord, everything else is subject to misinterpretation, deviation, and falsehood. That is why the author encourages everyone to test the spirits. Don’t just believe what you hear or read, especially online in social media and online “news” sources. Instead, turn to the Scriptures, to trusted counselors, to faithful companions along the way. Together, you are better able to discern the spirit of truth.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for those in my community of faith who help me to discern Your Spirit. Help me to avoid becoming a false prophet myself. Instead, give me insight that I may help guide others along Your way. Amen.