1 John 4:1-3
My dear friends, don’t believe
everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you.
Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of
lying preachers loose in the world.
Here’s how you test for the
genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus
Christ—the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood
person—comes from God and belongs to God. And everyone who refuses to
confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God. This is the
spirit of antichrist that you heard was coming. Well, here it is, sooner
than we thought!
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
Today
on one of the “morning shows,” one of the reporters interviewed a man
who was holding a “real human skull”…except the skull was not real – it
was created using a 3D printer. A CT-scan of a woman’s skull was used
to create this 3D printing. The man said, “This woman is alive.”
Well…yes…there is a woman alive somewhere whose image was used to create
this plastic skull. But the skull is not technically a “real skull.”
The
man went on to explain that scientists are now recreating rare, ancient
fossils via 3D printing, so that students in schools around the world
can actually handle these incredible specimens. I speculated to my
husband that this could cause confusion…that children might be led to
believe these were the ACTUAL fossils and not reproductions. Greg noted
that these printed specimens would most likely be plastic…and that
would help people make the distinction. I hope he is right. The
skeptic in me sees the potential for people to perfect the materials in
3D printing – and the process – to the point where we cannot tell the
man-made “relic” from the authentic one.
I see this often in the
world of antiques. I’ve been fooled more than once by a “real” vintage
piece of glassware or pottery that turned out to be a modern-day
reproduction. There are some pretty talented folks out there who are
ready, willing, and able to convince the rest of us that they have a
genuine vintage piece to sell us. And by the same token…there are plenty
of people who are more than happy to try to convince us that they are
something – or someone – we want them to be.
A few years ago, a
friend noted that she knew a lot of people who claim to be
Christians…but she felt very few of them truly were - based on how they
lived. This speaks to the point I make here often…people are watching.
They listen to what we say…but they also watch how we follow up with
our actual behavior. They study us to see if we are the “real deal”…or
just a plastic 3D reproduction.
Just as there are ways to tell
the difference between a reproduction and an authentic piece, we can
learn to spot those who claim the name of Jesus but lack a true spirit
of the Living God. Look at more than just what people say…examine their
treatment of others. Do they share the love of Christ with ALL
people? Do they disparage and discriminate…or play favorites? Do they
resort to name calling, gossip, and a “what’s-in-it-for-me” mentality?
Will they say whatever it takes to make their point or get ahead…then
turn around and step all over others when it suits their purposes?
I
am not calling on you to make judgments…but I am suggesting that we be
very careful in our own daily living. We must also be awake and alert
to those in our midst who use the smokescreen of a relationship with
Jesus to further their own personal agendas. God wants us to be able to
discern His true disciples…and to be one of them, as well. And the way
to do this is to study His word and stay in continual communication
with Him. There should be no doubt in our mind when we are hearing from
God…either directly, or via another person.
We cannot afford
to be duped by reproductions or imposters. God has given us a clear
outline for discerning His truth. How well are you reading His
“blueprints?”
©2016 Debbie Robus
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