How do you know the difference between a spirit of error and the Spirit of truth?

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...
Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.… He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13, 14).

The function of the Holy Spirit in the Church is described as that of guiding, or literally, of “leading the way.” The Spirit does not use external weapons to drive, but He leads by exerting His influence upon the regenerated consciousness of the child of God and enlarging in his or her mind those themes that Christ taught during His earthly ministry. In doing this, He guides men into all the truth, that is, the whole body of redemptive revelation. We must remember that the Holy Spirit never stresses one point of doctrine at the expense of all the others. He leads into all the truth.
As He leads us in truth, Christ is glorified. The Spirit causes the virtues of Christ to be proclaimed, showing forth His power, holiness, love, mercy, and other glories, causing these attributes to become manifest before all peoples. When the Word is preached, the Spirit enlightens us to see the glory and excellency of Christ.
Take note that it is the Spirit who leads us into all truth concerning redemptive revelation. We do not find the truth of Christ in worldly philosophies and the inventions of men. These can offer no hope, no peace, no salvation. Only the Spirit, who alone leads us in truth, can give these things.
And notice also that the work of the Spirit is never separated from the Word of Christ. The Spirit speaks what He hears from the Father and the Son. This means that the Spirit never revealed anything that was contrary or in addition to the sufficient Word of Christ. In the days of the apostles, He amplified the teaching of Christ, but He never revealed anything contrary to it. The Spirit of truth reveals Christ, who is the truth. These two members of the Trinity cannot be separated or set in opposition against each other.
The lessons we can draw from this are significant. If anyone claims to be teaching as the Spirit has “led” him, yet his teaching is contrary to the revealed Word of God and the redemptive revelation of Christ, then his teaching is false. And anyone who claims to receive revelation from the Spirit that does not conform to the Scriptures is also a false teacher. Of such we must beware. We must “test the spirits.” The Spirit will always be true to the Scriptures and will glorify no other but Christ Jesus.
Read 1 John 4:1–6. How do you know the difference between a spirit of error and the Spirit of truth? What is essential to the truth (v. 2)? Confessing Christ means holding to all His teaching as it is revealed in His Word (John 17:17). Read this verse and the passage for today several times. Memorize 1 John 4:2–3.

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