I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit -just as it has taught you, remain in him. (I John 2:27)
False teaching will always be something the church and followers of Jesus need to be on guard against. But false teaching is not always easy to recognize. As Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians, Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s podcast, the average Christian simply does not possess the biblical knowledge to debate Scripture with those well-versed in the Bible. Those new Christians in Galatia who came out of pagan religions didn’t stand a chance against the Jewish teachers among them. “Look, it’s right here in the Scriptures. You can’t argue with God’s Word,” they said.
But there was something that both those believers in Galatia and you and I possess that empowers us to recognize and reject false teaching. That something is described by the Apostle John as “the anointing you received.”
What is John referring to? The Holy Spirit, of course. And when John says, “you do not need anyone to teach you,” he is not discounting those called and gifted by God to serve as teachers in His church. He is saying that we can distinguish between counterfeit and real teaching through the Holy Spirit, that is, the Spirit of Christ that lives in each of us as Christians.
This is why Paul begins his letter as he does, referring to those who are “throwing you into confusion.” (1:7)
If our hearts are seeking hard after the things of God and the ways of Christ, we won’t be “bewitched” (see Gal. 3:1) by teaching that does not reflect the spirit and heart of Jesus. Little warning lights will flash, and bells will ring in our spirits, letting us know something is not right.
Sadly, this is not the case in the lives of many in the church today. Too many, in the words of Hebrews 5:11, have become dull of hearing. I could say a whole lot about why this is so, but for the purposes of this post, let’s leave it at that.
I’m writing this post for those who are serious about making Jesus and His kingdom the priority in their lives. And I want you to listen to me when I say that a lot of false teaching today is not necessarily found in doctrinal error, instead, it is found in attitudes and spirits that breed hostility and inflame hearts. It exchanges eternal things for temporal things, focusing on worldly stew which caters to the flesh rather than the birthright that Jesus promises his disciples, saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
In Christ,
Dan
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