1 John 4:6
[6] “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
Who you listen to determines a lot about the decisions you will make in life. Influence is a very powerful tool in today’s society. There are many who have been led astray because they have listened to the wrong individual. It is sobering to think that even the Bible, in the wrong hands of the one teaching, can lead people astray. Though they may have the truth in their hand, if it is not in their heart, they can become quite dangerous as a teacher.
John is bold to declare that he and his fellow laborers are of God, and that those who know God will follow and listen to them. Those who are not willing to follow their teaching are not of God. Truth will either bring you closer to the one teaching it, or it will drive you away. This depends on whether or not you have the Spirit of truth living inside of you. The Holy Spirit confirms truth when it is being taught. He also sends up a red flag when false doctrine is being taught.
Think about the church world today. Consider the masses of people who are flocking to buildings and listening to men who tell them what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear. They make fun of those who have stood with conviction and preached the truth without apology. They teach a watered-down gospel, portray a night club atmosphere in their services and never say anything that is confrontational or places demands on the listeners. How could anyone who is saved and know the truth really believe this is right? The answer is they cannot. There is no doubt many are deceived, but there is one thing that is for sure, a saved person with the Spirit of truth living in them will know it is error. When we go to Sunday School and church, we should ask ourselves the question, “Who am I listening to?”