We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error, I John 4:6. Without any doubt, the spirit of error is one of the seven spirits of carnal man. From the moment of a man's birth he will be a spiritual creature, but until someone informs him of the dangers of his natural state, those spirits will keep him lost.
Just as under the covenant of circumcision a person is born naturally uncircumcised, a person today is born with an uncircumcised ear. To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it, Jeremiah 6:10. In each of the verses quoted, I John 4:6 and Jeremiah 6:10, the problem is that the people do not hear God's man.
In the last post dealing with the spirit of slumber, we saw that a person needs to be awakened to begin seeking God. When they are awakened and become aware of their need, it is important that they take heed to Proverbs 3:5, Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Their own understanding will be warped by the spirit of error. The apostle Paul warned about a mind that is in its natural, carnal state, Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, Romans 8:7. A circumcised ear is an ear that has learned to listen to God and ignore its own spiritual impulses.
There will always be religions seeking to ensnare the unwary by feeding the spirit of error. This is one of the main reasons that people must be taught that there is a perfect Bible. Remember, a perfect Bible needs a perfect text. An imperfect text yields an imperfect Bible. What greater way can there be to ensure that people rely on a religious overlord than to make the Bible appear to be out of the common man's reach or understanding?
A preacher who cannot hold a Bible out with certainty, and teach men to trust it and not them, should look for another job. I am a Baptist and as a result I believe that men have the right to be in error and that no man can ever force another's conscience. If I speak according to the Word of God, I can be sure that the spirit of truth will bear witness. If a person chooses to follow the spirit of error that is his choice and his right.
My readers will notice that the spirit of truth in I John 4:6 has a lower case "s" as opposed to John 14:17, John 15:26, and John 16:13. Rather than attack that difference, learn from it. In another series of posts we will be looking at the seven titles of "spirit" that have lower case "s"s and yet are deity. They will each manifest Jesus Christ himself rather than the Holy Ghost. Much can be learned from a perfect text.