When Truth Is Almost Right

Many Voices

All it takes is one scroll on TikTok for us to realize that we live in an age of information overload. Countless opinions, teachings, and worldviews constantly compete for our attention. Not everything that sounds biblical is truly rooted in Scripture. This makes Christian discernment not just important but essential.

How can we know what is true? How can we guard ourselves and others against even the slightest error?

Ironically, many who promote false teachings speak confidently about discernment, unaware they’ve embraced a perverted gospel shaped more by the Enemy’s lies than by Christ’s truth.

The Serpent of Old

While pop culture often depicts Satan as a red, horned, and fiery creature meant to evoke fear, this image is misleading. What many Christians overlook is that Satan rarely appears threatening—instead, he presents himself in ways that seem normal, even appealing, making his deception all the more dangerous.

The Serpent of Old is the counterfeit Christ. He is the Great Deceiver, for he disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). His crafty schemes are not at all obvious because they appear attractive. He offers a version of “goodness” divorced from God’s holiness. And in that demonic realm, just as the Apostle Paul warned, there are many who disguise themselves as “servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:15).

Disciples of the Serpent of Old

When we look at false teachers today, many of them don’t fit the stereotype of what we might imagine evil to look like. They’re often not outwardly malicious, scandalous, or openly rebellious. In fact, many are among the kindest, most charming, and well-spoken individuals you might ever meet.

They rarely say anything overtly negative or offensive. Instead, their messages are, in most cases, consistently and emotionally self-empowering. They speak in ways that make people feel good about themselves by offering the hope of worldly success and blessing, yet without confronting sin, calling for repentance, or teaching the full counsel of God’s Word.

This is precisely what makes them so dangerous. Their words may sound biblical. Their personalities may be likable. But the gospel they proclaim is often shallow, man-centered, and void of the cross. Their gospel is a message that minimizes the holiness of God, downplaying the seriousness of sin and replacing truth with sentiment. The danger isn’t always in what false teachers say but, rather, in what they consistently leave out.

For this reason, discernment is vital to the life of every believer. We’re not called to judge by appearances or personalities, but to test every teaching against the truth of Scripture (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1).

Understanding True Discernment

When we think of discernment, we often frame it as the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. And that’s certainly part of it. But true discernment goes deeper. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Discernment is not a matter of telling the difference between right and wrong. Rather, it is telling the difference between right and almost right.”

That distinction matters profoundly, because what is almost right is often far more dangerous than what is blatantly wrong. A half-truth still contains a lie. Just as a counterfeit bill closely resembles real currency, false teaching often mimics the truth in language and tone. Subtle errors are harder to detect, especially when they’re clothed in Christian language such as love, unity, fellowship, community, and grace.

But make no mistake: what is “almost right” is still wrong. And when it comes to the gospel—its doctrine, its foundation, and its saving power—“close enough” is not good enough.

Truth is not determined by our emotions or instincts. That is not how we learned in Christ. We know this. Rather, we are to be led by the Holy Spirit and devote ourselves to growing deeply in biblical truth—that we might know Christ more fully.

Discernment in a Confused World

Today, discernment is often criticized as radical, divisive, or unloving.

And maybe there is a bit of truth in that, to an extent. Admittedly, there are individuals in churches worldwide who are highly critical of minor issues, scrutinizing secondary theological differences with harshness and weaponizing discernment to elevate themselves rather than edify the church. These excesses should be acknowledged and corrected.

But does the misuse of discernment justify its abandonment altogether?

Consider what Paul says here: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9–11; emphasis added).

Notice that Paul does not oppose love to discernment; he actually couples them. Love abounds with knowledge and discernment. Discernment, then, is not optional; it is necessary for faithful Christian living.

Scripture commands believers to test everything and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). As our minds are renewed by the Word of God (Romans 12:2), we grow in our ability to recognize truth, reject error, and better understand both God and His will—for ourselves and for the church as a whole.

Knowing the Shepherd’s Voice

In a world saturated with emotionally appealing and self-sufficient messages, everything must be tested against Scripture. We must be like the Bereans, who examined the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so (Acts 17:11). No teacher, platform, or voice is exempt from this scrutiny—regardless of credentials, doctorate degrees, reputation, or popularity.

One personal test I often ask is this: Did I leave the message with a magnified view of myself—or of God?

Truth recenters our lives away from ourselves and back onto God. When a message consistently elevates human glory over Christ’s, it reveals a false gospel. If God is no longer central, then truth has already been compromised.

We must separate truth from error in a confused world, lest we unknowingly become disciples of a counterfeit Christ.

Jesus reminds us: “But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:2–5).

May we be a people who know the Shepherd’s voice by knowing His Word, and may the knowledge we gain not only shape our minds but also move our hearts to see and love Christ more, as we follow Him faithfully in a world full of counterfeits.