It is not enough to be moved by a teacher’s charisma, eloquence, or warmth. The church has never been called to measure truth by the impressiveness of the messenger or the emotional impact of the message. If you judge doctrine by how “anointed” you feel, or by the likability of the preacher, you open yourself to error and manipulation. The standard is not personality, but the whole counsel of God’s Word.
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
(Isaiah 8:20)
"For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."
(Acts 20:27)
The measure is clear: every teaching must be weighed against the entirety of Scripture. This is not a casual suggestion, but the dividing line between light and darkness. If a message does not align with God’s revealed Word, it is to be rejected—regardless of the vessel delivering it.
Discernment: Grown by the Word and the Spirit
No one arrives at perfect discernment overnight. Yet if you are a lover of truth, you will grow in your ability to distinguish between truth and error. This growth comes through diligent study of the Word, humility, and a conscious reliance on the Holy Spirit. God does not expect instant mastery, but He does require stewardship of the time and grace He has given. If you find yourself unable to judge whether a teaching aligns with Scripture, that is not an excuse—it is a summons to deeper study and prayer.
Familiarize yourself with the essentials of the faith. If you are unsure whether a message is sound, recognize that as the Holy Spirit’s prompting to seek, to ask, to knock. He is faithful to guide those who hunger for truth, bringing the right resources and teachers across your path. But you must pray for wisdom and actively pursue understanding. Spiritual discernment is not a passive gift; it is cultivated by those who treasure the Word and heed the Spirit.
The Cost of Abandoning the Standard
If you abandon the standard of God’s Word and judge by personality, emotion, or “anointing,” you do more than risk minor error—you forfeit your safeguard against deception. The result is not merely doctrinal confusion, but the very real danger of embracing false gospels that undermine justification, inheritance, and sonship. When the church accepts manipulation and control in place of spiritual leadership, it falls under the sway of what Scripture calls “subtle witchcraft.” The loss is not theoretical: you surrender the clarity of conscience and assurance of sonship that Christ purchased with His blood. This is not a secondary matter; it is salvific.
True Spiritual Leadership: Approachable and Teachable
Not all error is equal. There is a difference between a teacher who is mistaken and one who is an enemy of the truth. But the mark of genuine spiritual leadership is approachability and a willingness to be entreated. If a leader cannot be questioned, if he dominates every conversation and leaves you feeling “handled” rather than heard, this is not the Spirit of Christ. It is manipulation—a counterfeit authority that has no place in the household of faith.
Many pursue ministry as a vocation because they are skilled at public speaking or “managing” people. The New Testament does not recognize this as qualification. Spiritual authority is not measured by natural ability, but by fidelity to the Word and openness to correction.
Paul faced this very issue. He was opposed by so-called “super-apostles”—men who dazzled with their presence and rhetoric, yet were, in truth, false apostles and ministers of Satan (2 Corinthians 11:13). Paul’s own appearance and speech were unimpressive:
"For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible."
(2 Corinthians 10:10)
Yet God deliberately chooses the weak and unassuming to confound the wise and ensure that all glory goes to Him. Spiritual truth is not apprehended by the flesh, nor by the standards of the world, but is spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 1:27; 2:14).
Faithful Stewardship: Courage and Humility
God does use those who preach mightily, but even the most gifted are not exempt from the need to be approachable and teachable. Consider Apollos: though he spoke boldly and powerfully, he humbly received correction from Aquila and Priscilla, who expounded to him the way of God more perfectly (Acts 18:26). This is the pattern—doctrinal purity is preserved when both teachers and hearers are willing to engage lovingly and courageously for the sake of truth.
Sometimes, you may be the only one God has positioned to bring needed correction or clarity. Do not be intimidated by outward impressiveness. The stewardship of God’s truth demands that we hold every message, and every messenger, to the standard of the whole counsel of God’s Word. Anything less is a betrayal of our inheritance in Christ.
Let us not settle for superficial measures. Let us be those who, by the Spirit, discern truth from error, and who refuse to compromise the finished work, our sonship, and our inheritance for the sake of personality or performance. The Word alone is our measure.
