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. By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 1 John 4:1-3

The world of the apostle John’s day, just like today, was filled with religious fervor. Judaism was one among many religious systems which competed with one another, presenting their views, inviting people in, indoctrinating those who would embrace their system of belief with their teachings and dogma. With so many different religions to choose from, how does one know what is true and what is false? How are we to test them, to put them through a strenuous trial, making sure that what we believe is the truth and not merely a fabrication, created ingenuously by the mind of man.

The apostle John gives us some very sobering words of warning, coupled with words of sound advice, on how to know what is true and what is false. It would be awful indeed to spend one’s life devoted to a religious system which in the end proved to be riddled with falsehood, presenting false hope that is based in fantasy rather than reality. Some of the major world religions that were present during the time of Christ were: Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism – all of which are still active in the world today. Into this mix, Christianity was added after the life, ministry, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.

The vast majority of my readers are professing Christians, having embraced the teachings of the Christian faith. So this question is for us – professing Christians. How do we know that Christianity is the true religion? How do we answer those who adhere to other religious systems of belief?

Christians living in the United States are being faced with this question more and more as our country is becoming more and more the religious melting pot of the world. Adherents of other world religions are growing in number, as immigrants from other countries are now calling the US home. As they come, instead of assimilating into American life, they are maintaining the traditions and beliefs of their homeland – including their religious belief and practice. And, even more, they are in many ways demanding that the American people embrace their beliefs and practices, rather than respecting the longstanding traditional values and beliefs of America.

The results? They are very clear and evident. The United States has lost its Christian distinctive. As a past president of our nation stated, “The US is no longer a Christian nation.” And, sadly, it was due to individuals like him that this statement could ring true, since he, personally, was an adherent to a different religious belief system. Now, we are seeing politicians who embrace Islam being elected to high political offices, and we hear cries for the enactment of Sharia law. I believe that our founding fathers would be rolling in their graves if they were to realize the drastic turn in the religious fabric of their beloved nation.

But now, back to the question. How do we, as representatives of Jesus Christ, know that our manner of life, based on the teachings of Scripture, and specifically the teachings of Jesus Himself, is true? We can present all of our arguments, defending our faith, as the Bible teaches that we should be able to do. But the fact of the matter is, adherents to other world religions could defend their beliefs as well. So again, how do we test the spirits of these other religious systems, and have confidence that Christianity is true. Because, we must realize, that to say that Christianity is true we are in essence saying that all others are false. And the adherents of other religious belief systems are just as adamant that theirs is true as we are that Christianity is true.

We could defend the Christian faith by citing Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled, down to the most minute detail, in Jesus first coming. There are Old Testament passages that prophecy His birth, His miraculous conception, His sinless life, His death by crucifixion, He resurrection, His ascension back to the Father. We could also cite other prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled.

We could defend the Christian faith by sharing passages that speak of Jesus’ sinless life, His radical teachings, His ongoing influence that created a revolution throughout the entire world.

But, we could hear adherents of other religions speak of the influence of their religious beliefs and practices. Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism all have throngs of followers. It is estimated that there are 354 million Buddhists, 762 million Hindus, and 1.2 billion Muslim in the world, while Christianity is estimated to have 1.8 billion. These are not insignificant numbers. So, when we say that we believe the words of Jesus, that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him, we are suggesting that all of the adherents to these other religions are spiritually lost, without God in this world, and without hope for the world to come. Of course, they would say the same about us, but how can we know which one is true?

Well, actually we have already read the answer. Test the spirits. What do they say about Jesus? Do they believe He as a good man, a good teacher, an example of moral uprightness? Please read my following words very, very carefully. If they believe that He was a good man, a good teacher, and a person of moral integrity, but don’t believe He was God in the flesh, then they are dead wrong!

If anyone believes that Jesus was a good man, a good teacher, and a person of moral integrity, but don’t believe He was God in the flesh, they are dead wrong!

If Jesus was not God, then He was not a good man, nor a good teacher, nor a person of moral integrity. As a matter of fact, He was a dangerous liar who deceived multitudes with His fabrications about Himself. So, once again, how do we know that Christianity is right, and all others are wrong? Simple!

Buddha – DEAD!

Confucius – DEAD!

Mohammed – DEAD!

Dali Lama – DEAD!

Jesus Christ – Dead, Buried, Resurrected, Ascended, at the right hand of God the Father

What further proof could we possibly need? Jesus is the only one who promised that He would conquer death, hell and the grave, and kept His word. He changed the world, and continues to do so through His arms, legs, feet and hands – and that would be us. We are members of His body, the church. And one day, possibly soon, He will come for us, that we might be with Him forever.

Please never lose sight of what He has done for you. Your life is His gift to you; what you do with it is your gift to Him.

Blessings!