You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
1 John 4:1-3
1 Beloved [agapetos], believe [pisteuo] not [me] every [pas] spirit [pneuma], but [alla] try [dokimazo] the spirits [pneuma] whether [ei] they are [esti] of [ek] God [theos]: because [hoti] many [polus] false prophets [pseudoprophetes] are gone out [exerchomai] into [eis] the world [kosmos]. 2 Hereby [en] [hos] [touto] know ye [ginosko] the Spirit [pneuma] of God [theos]: Every [pas] spirit [pneuma] that confesseth [homologeo] that Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos] is come [erchomai] in [en] the flesh [sarx] is [esti] of [ek] God [theos]: 3 And [kai] every [pas] spirit [pneuma] that [hos] confesseth [homologeo] not [me] that Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos] is come [erchomai] in [en] the flesh [sarx] is [esti] not [ou] of [ek] God [theos]: and [kai] this [touto] is [esti] that spirit of antichrist [antichristos], whereof [hos] ye have heard [akouo] that [hoti] it should come [erchomai]; and even [kai] now [nun] already [ede] is it [esti] in [en] the world [kosmos]. KJV-Interlinear 1 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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. NASB
All teaching of faiths, philosophy and such have to be tested to see whether they are really from God or whether they are bogus.
There are two and only two sources of influence in all of creation. The Bible is the truth from God, and Satan is the source of all others. These two lay out the foundations and patterns for truth and philosophy, or alternate points of view.
John herein states that you can begin your testing with the attitude toward Jesus Christ which, any given belief takes a stand on. A positive attitude toward Jesus Christ is the beginning of determining the truth of the source. A negative or compromised attitude toward Christ is a clear indication that the opinions being stated are false.
Many philosophies in opposition toward God (anti-christs) have come into the world and are always with us in this world. The ultimate anti-christ is Satan and he is here now, and will remain until the Second Advent of Christ. But one day he will select his human counterpart to Christ, to come in his first advent to reside among men. That will be the one single future human anti-christ who will live in the Tribulation, and his will be the ultimate demonstration of lies and deception and destruction.
All religions apart from Christianity (Christianity is not a religion by the way) reject Christ. There are four large religions in the world which have come down through history. Hinduism was the first and oldest, followed by Buddhism, then Judaism evolved on the scene in the few centuries before Christ, and then in the early 600's AD, Islam came onto the scene.
Mixed in with these organized religions were a sprinkling of idol worship, cults, inventions of various defined gods made of stone or wood or metal, or gods were ascribed to the wind or fire or planets or animals and such things. There have been astrologers, professors of magic, and dealers in charms, as well as professors of philosophies and science and other academic or political points of view.
All of these are false truths. They may take from history, or even from science, but their conclusions are false. Their earnestness, sincerity, logic, and fervor are no guarantee of truth. But they are very persuasive and convincing to the uninformed, and that leads to destruction.
Even the Bible, can be very frustrating when times are tough. People can have a tendency to not believe the Word of God, or even the promises made within the Bible. But that is where faith and reality come face to face. All you have to do is look at all of the possible forms of truth out in the world and then decide which is going to be around when all is said and done. Nothing else in the world can offer that which God offers.
No other belief or philosophy has a history like the Bible. No other belief or philosophy has a continuity through history like the Bible. No other belief or philosophy has a future as the Bible describes. No other belief or philosophy has a guarantee like the Bible.
God is not here to serve in the capacity of a genie, but He is here to bring each one of us to the fullest possible life even beyond anything we can imagine.
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Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.
