We are living in times where knowledge has exceeded, and everyone has a say as to what should be and not be. There has been an increase of speakers all over the globe pointing out things that need to change and others only God, Satan and themselves know why they do it. Scripture tells us to test every spirit in 1 John 4:1-3, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and 3 every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. The thing is, we must be careful and not just trust because it is coming from someone whom you know or respect. When it comes to your own life, it is up to you to do your due diligence and seek the Lord’s will, test every spirit and then wait for God to give you the answer before you embark on what you hear others say.
The above scripture tells us that ‘false prophets have gone out into the world’. The only one who can help us discern the things of God is the Holy Spirit of God and He never disappoints whenever we sincerely seek Him. He is there to help us out to live a Christlike life.
Believers need to be alert, do their part and stop waiting on the minister to do the work for them. Salvation is for each person who believes in the Son of God and confesses their sins and accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. It is also to be individually worked out with fear and trembling, ‘Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’, Philippians 2:12.
The Apostle Paul commended the believers in Philippi to remain firm in their faith and to live faithful, obedient, and pure lives modeled after Christ. Believers must reckon with God’s judgment like everyone else (1 Cor 3:10-13), so they must live before God obediently, with deep reverence and fear. All people are accountable to God for the way they serve Him. God is not mocked, and nothing passes Him by. Our service should be from a pure heart whether someone is watching or not. Our actions, words, and thoughts all play a part in how we turn out in this life.
Paul had laid the foundation as an expert builder when he first began the church in Corinth and now others were building on it. He gives a warning to the ones building to be very careful, 1 Cor 3:10-11, According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[a] master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. There can never be any other foundation for the church the Jesus Christ, but the Corinthians were in danger of treating human a human teacher as their foundation. Everyone called an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher, they are a vessel to be used by God, a servant of God and the church and they are a gift to the church too, nothing else. They should not be worshipped or given reverence in place of God.
You will know them by their fruit, Matthew 7:15-20 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits, you will know them. Believers need to make the Holy Spirit their best friend. Keep Him close and be close to Him. He is the One that teaches us all truth and we can never distinguish what is of God or not without His leading.
There are many things that happen in our journey of salvation that can both build us to maturity or lead us astray and destroy us, but if we have the Spirit of God in our lives we will overcome. 1 Cor 3:13-15, Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Each builder’s work will be tested through fire to reveal what kind of work each builder has done. We have all been given a purpose by God and it is for the glory of His name. What we do with it matters a lot. Our work here on earth must survive through the fire to show if it has value and so that we can receive our reward.
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