"They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 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 John 4:5-6, NRSV

The devotional texts this week continue to discuss the topic: how do we tell the evil spirit from the Holy Spirit? The broader sense of the question is: how do we differentiate the false teachings and teachings of the truth? Other than testing if the spirit in question or prophets who possess the spirit "confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh," John tells us another way to make the judgement—if the prophet's teachings agree with the biblical teachings. (v.6)

He explains that it is because that the false prophets (or teachers) is from the world and of the world, the world will listen and agree with their teachings because they have the same wavelength if we use the analogy of radio channels. In contrast, people who belong to God have a different wavelength and will agree with the biblical teachings.

Learning to identify the areas where a teaching, ideology, or method is against God's Words is crucial. But one needs to have a solid understanding of the Bible to be able to do so.

Share with your devotional partner an experience which you were able to identify a teaching that is aginst the Bible. Pray for one another that the Holy Spirit will give each other the spiritual sensibility to make the right judgment call.