To “test all things” we must have the approach of the Bereans, testing all things by studying the Word of God (Acts 17:11). Every idea or activity that comes before us in life should be scrutinized through the filter of God’s truth.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test all things; hold fast what is good.
In the post about John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me“, we learn how the essential starting point of true Christianity is a genuine belief in God. In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 the apostle Paul shows us the great extent to which that belief in God extends into every aspect of our lives. God’s way of life revealed through the Bible is to be the filter through which we “test,” or examine, all ideas, beliefs and activities.
Here are three keys to fulfilling this scripture:
- Any individual who claims to represent and teach about God is to be tested against the Bible—the Word of God. The starting point for this testing is whether or not the teacher teaches and observes the law of God (Isaiah 8:20). Jesus Christ also admonished us to watch for false religious teachers (Matthew 7:15-16, see also 1 John 4:1).
- To “test all things” we must have the approach of the Bereans, testing all things by studying the Word of God (Acts 17:11).
- Every idea or activity that comes before us in life should be scrutinized through the filter of God’s truth. To mature as a Christian is to become skilled at discerning between “good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14) and between what is and is not acceptable to God (Ephesians 5:10).
Once we determine the truth, we must hold fast to it, meaning we must be “steadfast” and “immovable” (1 Corinthians 15:58) in our belief in God and His truth!
1 John 4:1, 4-6 instructs believers to “test the spirits” to discern truth from falsehood, warning that many false prophets have appeared. It encourages Christians that they have overcome these false teachers because the Holy Spirit within them is greater than the spirit of the antichrist in the world.
Key Aspects of 1 John 4:1-6
- Testing Spirits (v. 1): Believers are warned not to believe every spiritual claim but to test them against Christian doctrine.
- The Test of Truth (v. 2-3): Any spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; those that deny this are not.
- Victory in Christ (v. 4): Believers belong to God and have already overcome the world’s false prophets because the Spirit in them is greater than the devil in the world.
- Worldly vs. Godly Doctrine (v. 5-6): False teachers speak from the world’s perspective and are listened to by the world. Those who know God listen to the Apostles and the truth of the Spirit.
This passage emphasizes that true believers possess the Spirit of Truth, allowing them to distinguish between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.