But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. 1 John 4:3
One way that technology, specifically social media, has influenced our world is that it has given an instant platform to share thoughts, opinions, and teaching to anyone who wants it. In other words, everyone, it seems, is a talking head. The thoughts, opinions, and teaching of others that are being shared all over social media require us to exercise caution and thoughtfulness. We need to be especially careful when we consider what we are being taught about Jesus, because what we believe about Jesus affects every aspect of our lives.
As we have been studying in the book of 1 John, followers of Christ are called to watch out for teaching that does not come from God, whether we are listening to teaching, our favorite podcast, or reading from a well-known author. This is especially true when we think about what is being taught about Jesus. "If someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God" (1 John 1:3). In other words, if someone claims to teach or preach truth from God, but does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus that is found in Scripture, then they are false teachers and are not actually from God.
In order to truly understand Christ, we have to study Scripture to know what He is like. One of the passages of Scripture that teaches about Christ is 1 Corinthians 15. According to these verses, Christ brings resurrection and new life for anyone who trusts in Him. This resurrection, these verses teach, is possible because Jesus himself rose from the grave, conquering sin and death. When we know these things about Jesus, we can start to discern whether or not what we are being taught is true. My friend, let's be people who learn more and more about Jesus. When this happens, we can discern what is true about Jesus, and we will also become more like Him in the process.
In order to be prepared to discern truths from lies in what we are being taught, it will be helpful to have a list of questions to ask to test the truth of the teaching we've been given. Take a notecard or a sheet of paper and make a list of questions you can use to examine the teaching you have been given. To begin, write, "Does this teaching align with what the Bible teaches about Jesus?" and "Is this teaching consistent with the character of Jesus that I have come to know and love?" Add two more of your own questions to the list. Let this list of questions guide you as you examine the truthfulness of teaching about Jesus that you are being given.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-5 (NLT)
But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead.
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