Read 1 John 4:1–5

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. (1 John 4:1)

As we look forward to flying closer to the flame as the Spirit of God controls and transforms our lives, we need to keep a few practical and helpful checkpoints in mind.

Checkpoint 1: Always let your Bible be your guide. Whenever you are in doubt or confusion, always go back to the Bible. Anytime you are not sure, or feel uneasy, or wonder if something may not be quite right—it’s the Bible you need to consult.

Checkpoint 2: Be discerning. It pays to be a little suspicious, even a tad skeptical. To keep asking questions. To check out the character of the one doing the teaching. Don’t be gullible. Keep thinking clearly. Be discerning.

Checkpoint 3: Stay balanced. In other words, guard against extremism. If you find things getting a little fanatical, put on the brakes. Christ builds His body with stable, contagious Christians. Fanatics are not contagious, they are frightening. If you are alienating those who are strong in their walk with Christ, something is wrong. One other little tip on staying balanced: If you are becoming more and more exclusive, you are probably moving toward error. When God’s in it, He blends the flow of truth into the whole body of Christ. If you are beginning to think you have a corner on what’s right, something’s wrong. You are losing your balance.

Checkpoint 4: Seek the counsel of men and women you admire. If you are beginning to wonder about what’s being taught, spend some time with those who are not caught up in the things you have been hearing and following. You need a calm, objective, wise perspective. Seek it out.

Checkpoint 5: Keep the unity. Keeping the unity of the Spirit is not simply a nice option, it is a biblical command to keep the body strong. It is an essential part of our walk. Don’t allow yourself to be deliberately divisive. There are a few occasions when one must stand alone and walk away, but those times are exceptions, not the rule.

I pray my words have helped you understand the work and enter into the power of the Holy Spirit, but, more than that, may they lead you to the most exciting and fulfilling experience in life: flying closer to the flame.

Taken from Flying Closer to the Flame by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1993 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Deepen your intimacy with the living God by reading Embraced by the Spirit, an updated release of Flying Closer to the Flame.