Reflection on
Deuteronomy 6:4
The
Bible repeatedly affirms that there is only one true God. But the New Testament
indicates that Jesus and the Holy Spirit, as well as the Father, are divine.
How do we reconcile those two claims? Historically, the concept has been termed
the “Trinity,” though that term does not appear in the Bible. While this truth
is a mystery, the Biblical evidence for it has been embraced as a fundamental
teaching of Christianity. There is only one true God—existing as three persons.
DISCERNING THE TRUTH
Do not quench the
Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold
fast to that which is good
If
you accept prophetic utterances as valid for today, I would encourage you to test
them in the following ways.
First,
is the person giving the prophetic utterance living a balanced and righteous
lifestyle? You must carefully evaluate the person announcing, "Thus saith
the Lord." Also, be on guard for the person who wants to bring a "new
thing." If it is true, it's not new. If it is new, it's not true.
Second,
is the person committed to building God's kingdom or his own? Is Christ being
lifted up or is he?
Third,
does the prophetic utterance establish confidence in the Word of God and is it
consistent with a balanced presentation of it? Are people going to have a
greater dependency on God's revelation or man's inspiration? Are prophetic
utterances a substitute for the serious, personal study of God's Word?
Fourth,
does the use of the spiritual gift bring unity to the church and build up the
body? Be careful in this test because those who hold to a form of godliness but
deny its power are not in balance either. They will quench the Spirit through
censorship and very little will be accomplished in the church. They can cause disunity
as well.
Last,
do the spiritual manifestations bypass the mind? God operates through our mind;
Satan bypasses it. If a person takes on a medium-like trance, be assured it is
occultic. God renews our mind and brings back to our mind all that He has
taught us. We are to think so as to have sound judgment.
All
of us receive input from a myriad of sources today. With Satan still using
false prophets in his battle for your mind, determine to discern the truth God
wants you to know to set you free and keep you free.
Prayer: Lord, I want to be
so in tune with your Word that I can discern error and darkness even when it
appears as truth and light.
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