What steps can we take to ensure we follow God's truth, not deception? Jeremiah’s Wake-Up Call “Shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah” (Jeremiah 28:12). Hananiah’s smooth words promised freedom; Jeremiah’s wooden yoke was shattered—yet God stepped in with the real message. This snapshot sets the stage for learning how to stay anchored in truth when deceptive voices sound appealing. Ground Rule 1: Wait for the Word, Not the Crowd • Hananiah’s prophecy was popular, Jeremiah’s was not. • Truth is determined by God’s revelation, never by majority vote. • Compare: Exodus 23:2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” • Practice—pause before embracing a trendy teaching; ask, “Where has God spoken on this?” Ground Rule 2: Test Every Voice against Scripture • 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit… test the spirits.” • Acts 17:11 commends Bereans who examined “the Scriptures daily to see if these teachings were true.” Steps: 1. Identify the claim. 2. Search related passages. 3. Refuse anything contradicting clear biblical teaching. Ground Rule 3: Recognize Fruit over Flash • Jesus warns: “Beware of false prophets… you will recognize them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:15-20). • Hananiah produced broken yokes and applause; Jeremiah bore ridicule yet stayed faithful. • Look for enduring obedience, humility, and repentance in a teacher’s life. Ground Rule 4: Submit to the Full Counsel of God • 2 Timothy 3:16-17—Scripture “is God-breathed… so that the man of God may be fully equipped.” • Never build doctrine on a single verse torn from context; read whole chapters, books, and themes. • Jeremiah accepted all God said—judgment now, hope later—without editing the hard parts. Ground Rule 5: Cultivate a Listening Heart • Proverbs 3:5-6 calls us to trust the Lord, not our own understanding. • Jeremiah waited quietly for God’s next directive; he didn’t rush to defend himself. • Regular habits: daily Bible reading, silent reflection, willingness to have treasured opinions corrected. Ground Rule 6: Obey What You Already Know • James 1:22 “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” • Partial obedience opens doors to deception; full obedience sharpens discernment. • Jeremiah kept wearing God’s yoke illustration until told otherwise—faithful action attracts further light. Ground Rule 7: Armor Up for Spiritual Battle • Ephesians 6:14-17—truth as belt, righteousness as breastplate, the gospel, faith shield, salvation helmet, and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” • Deception is not merely intellectual; it is spiritual warfare. Stay suited up daily. Putting It All Together 1. Pause—don’t swallow new teaching untested. 2. Search—measure every claim by clear Scripture. 3. Observe—inspect the messenger’s fruit. 4. Submit—embrace the entire biblical message. 5. Listen—maintain a humble, teachable spirit. 6. Obey—walk in the light you have. 7. Stand—wear God’s armor continually. By following these steps, we echo Jeremiah’s posture: centered on God’s unchanging word, resilient against every Hananiah that may promise comfort at the cost of truth. |
    |