True Knowledge

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."   

2 Peter 1:2-3

We come to Christ because God calls us. If He didn't do so, we would never come on our own. Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:44). From the moment we are saved through faith in Christ we have everything we need to continue to walk in obedience to God. We are no longer bound by our past. We are free from the burden of trying to measure up to God's standards (the law). "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1). Now we are free to live the life God has designed for us through "His divine power". We have "the true knowledge of Him" in the scriptures and the Holy Spirit to teach us. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John 14:26). We live in a time when so-called Christian pastors, teachers and authors are telling us we need something other than what's between the covers of the Bible to live a godly life. Not so! "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" (2 Timothy 3:15). God will deal with those who teach another gospel other than the one of Jesus Christ. "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves." (2 Peter 2:1). It is up to us to study the Bible and learn the truth. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2). May  "grace and peace be multiplied in your life as you continue in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."

Know the Real Thing

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

1 John 4:1

One of the most effective ways to recognize a counterfeit is to be completely and intimately acquainted with the real thing. People who recognize counterfeit money are deeply familiar with real bills. The way they feel, the intricacy of the artwork, the weight of the paper and the way the ink bleeds into it. In John's day, false teachers were leaving the church and drawing others to come after them.Today there are many teachers claiming to be followers of Christ who are teaching heresy. They have "gone out into the world", giving their false messages not only through their churches, but through the internet, books and TV. Sadly, many people are being led astray. John told his readers to "test the spirits." Behind every teacher there is either the spirit of God or the spirit of evil. So, how can we recognize counterfeit teaching? By comparing everything we hear to the real thing -- the truth of scripture. For example, Jesus said He is the only way to God (John 14:6). If anyone says there are many ways to God, they are not teaching the truth. Scripture is clear on this point and does not contradict itself. Don't take anyone's teaching as truth -- not even the writer of Mountain Manna -- without first knowing the real truth of the Bible. 

A Closer Look

"But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;"

1 Thessalonians 5:21

Things aren't always what they seem to be. The eagle in the photograph may appear to be real, but it isn't. It's a sculpture. The more familiar you are with a live eagle, the more easily you will discern that the one in the picture is an imitation. In the same way, the more we study the Bible and come to know the true Christ and His gospel, the better equipped we are to identify an imposter. We should never take at face value the teachings of any man or woman, but test them by the scriptures. Always take a closer look.