Hey, is that really true?

Don’t stop the work of the Holy Spirit. Don’t treat prophecy like something that is not important. But test everything. Keep what is good, and stay away from everything that is evil. (I Thessalonians 5:20-22)

Don't stop the work of the Holy Spirit - just how might we do that in our own lives or the lives of others around us? We might not listen when he is giving us guidance, choosing our own plans or path. We could discount something he has shown another, making them question if they are really hearing from God at all. We might find ourselves disagreeing with truth simply because it doesn't 'fit' our present lifestyle or choices. Whenever we 'stop the work of the Holy Spirit', we might find ourselves walking away from truth and toward deception quicker than we think!

Test everything - does God really mean 'everything' when he says this? Yes, he does! Test what you hear before you put your full belief into it! I always tell someone if something doesn't quite line up with scripture, we have to rely upon the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to give us that final 'nudge' toward it, or that final 'tug' away from it. Many simply believe what they hear, failing to get into the scripture to see for themselves what it reveals about what is being taught. This is a dangerous way to live our lives because it sets us up for deception. Keep what is good - stay away from everything else!

The saying to 'chew up the meat and spit out the bones' holds true here. We are not going to swallow everything we hear - it might introduce things into our lives that will do us great harm. Why do you think God sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers? It was for our safety - so we would have a 'filter' in our lives through which all teaching, instruction, and 'beliefs' could be 'tested'. It isn't that we aren't smart people - it is that we can be deceived easier than we might recognize. The work of God's Spirit within us is to bring confirmation, as well as to show us where there is a 'misalignment' between what we are forming beliefs around and God's truth. 

The closer we get to Jesus, the more our enemy wants to 'dissuade' us from that relationship. His tactic has been deception from the beginning of time, and he is too set in his ways to change that now! We need the protection of God's Spirit within to help us 'ferret out' any belief that is misaligned in ANY way with what God says to be true, upright, and holy. Just sayin!