God’s Word incarnate, Jesus Christ, has told us that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no one can come to the Father except through Him. (See John 14:6).
The best way I know of to tell false teaching from the Truth (meaning the True Christ, the True Gospel) is to read the Bible. And I don’t mean just once or part of it. The Bible is God’s Holy Word to all mankind. Jesus prayed for us in John 17:17 saying to His Father “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.” That is how we are sanctified, not to mention enlightened. The Bible is the best measuring stick to see what is true about God and what is false.
However, people have “experiences” they claim are Christian, are supernatural, or from the “Holy Spirit” that others are swept into and deceived. What does that look like, and how does one know if that is true about their own church, and what should they do?
These two videos are not the only way. They are one way that one person shares, but her experiences are similar to many who have been told their church is “christian” when it is the opposite.
Title: EXCLUSIVE: Defecting From Bethel 1
Show: “Cultish” Produced by Apologia Studios
Length: 50 minutes 5 seconds
Test 1: The Test of Origin
Test 2: The Test of Authority
Test 3: The Test of Consistency
Test 4: The Test of Spiritual Growth
Test 5: The Test of Godly Living
How would you recognize counterfeit Christianity?
Different Source—Where does the message come from?
Different Message—What is the substance of the message?
Different Position—In what position will the message leave you?
Different Character—What kind of people does the message produce?
Different Appeal—Why should you listen to the message?
Different Fruit—What result does the message have in people’s lives?
Different End—Where does the message ultimately lead you?
There are a lot who preaches the word of God. I can see loopholes in some. How to manage this? Do we have to correct them in a way that they will not be offended?
For me, since I am not a teacher or preacher myself, and I am a woman, it is not my business to go around correcting those who preach in their preaching. It is my responsibility though, to be a good “Berean” (See Acts 17:11) and make notes and look up scriptures to TEST every preacher I listen to. It also helps to know the Bible well enough that I can hear immediately when a preacher or teacher of the Bible goes off track. Even then, I should double check scripture to make sure even my assumption that they are wrong is not, itself, wrong.
The whole purpose of my testing teachings is to make sure I do not fall under the sway myself of false teachers. Sometimes, because I have done this already with a particular teacher, I can share what I have found with another true Christian who may be asking about that particular teacher. It is important that we do not publicly criticize these people (unless they are so obvious, such as Joel Osteen or Beth Moore, Joyce Meyers, Benny Hinn, etc.) in order to not “bear false witness” against our neighbors. (See Commandment 9 of the 10 Commandments).
Women’s role when it comes to “correction” of others lies primarily with other women who are true Christians (with love and respect) and any children we have charge over. The only time I see scripture showing women correcting men is either a wife discussing with her husband her concerns in private, at home, or the one time in the Bible when two people, a man and a woman who were married named Priscilla and Aquila, spoke to a man who was preaching - again, privately - to make sure he had all the information he needed to preach right. (See Acts 18:18-28 for this story.)
