The Gift of Discernment (4)
A gifted story: Karen seems always to ask the
most probing questions during Bible study. She looks very deeply
into a passage and almost always discovers a new insight. There
is always a clear desire to get at the truth or to determine what
goodness can be discerned from a passage. We have come to expect
special insights from her. If we are at a crossroads as to what
course of action to take in the church, her input will be sought.
Many in the congregation ask for her advice in their attempt to
learn of God's will in particular personal circumstances. Karen
has a thirst to discern God's will at all times-- she has the gift
of discernment.
Biblical references:
Romans 9:1 - I am speaking the truth; I belong to Christ and I do not
lie. My conscience, ruled by the Holy Spirit, also assures me that I am not
lying….
1 Cor. 2:10-13,15 - …it was to us that God made known his secret
by means of his Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, even the hidden depths
of God’s purposes. It is only a person’s own spirit within him
that knows all about him; in the same way, only God’s Spirit knows
all about God. We have not received this world’s spirit; instead, we
have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has
given us. So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in
words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have
the Spirit…. Whoever has the Spirit, however, is able to judge the
value of everything, but no one is able to judge him.
1 Cor. 12:10 - The Spirit gives one person the power to work miracles;
to another, the gift of speaking God’s message; and to yet another,
the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the Spirit
and those that do not. ….
Definition and comment:
The gift of Discernment: the special ability that God gives which
enables a person to know with assurance whether certain behavior
purported to be of God is in reality divine, human, or Satanic. This
gift can motivate a believer to seek God’s will and purpose
and apply that understanding to individual and congregational situations.
It provides the ability to distinguish between truth and error, to
know when a person or act is of God.
Sometimes the gift of discernment is referred to as “discerning of
spirits.” That phraseology is certainly most descriptive of situations
when the behavior or act could be of evil origin but disguised in such a
way that many thought it was good. Jesus warned us to beware of false teachers
and prophets, and the gift of discernment plays a critical role in helping
the church stay the course of true doctrine in the face of error and untruth.
Church members with the gift of discernment are responsible for keeping false
teachers and teachings from influencing and possibly perverting the church.
The power of discerning good from evil is present in all mature Christians
by virtue of guidance from the Holy Spirit. All Christians should seek to
discern truth, and the ability to do so is there when conscience guides the
mind. The supernatural ability referred to in this spiritual gift is simply
a heightened and perhaps more critical sense of the same quality. With it
comes a boldness to speak out, a willingness to question apparent authority,
and a quality of continual evaluation that puts the believer on guard at
all times. It is hard for Satan to sneak up on a person with this gift.
Anyone who has this gift has to walk a fine line. They are compelled to expose
heresy, false doctrine, and untruths, but they must do so tactfully or lose
credibility as an “overzealous heresy headhunter” or simply a
highly judgmental person. Care must be exercised to expose untruths with
clarity and kindness.
Affirm that you have this gift; questions to ask yourself:
-
Have others in the church noted that you are able
to see through phoniness or manipulative behavior before it is
evident to other people?
-
Has your sense that a person’s teaching
was from God, Satan or of human origin later been confirmed as
correct?
-
Can you judge between the inadequate and the acceptable,
or between evil and good?
-
Do you see a serious danger when false teachings
and false practices creep into the church?
-
Are you usually aware of people who pretend or
who wear masks?
Areas for study and personal growth:
-
Read works that help identify traits of evil and
untruth. A classic is C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, which
exposes many of the cunning methods Satan employs to wend himself
into our lives. Study the life of Martin Luther to understand how
he came to know he should speak out against the abuses of the church.
-
Become a scholar in what scripture has to say
about discerning good from evil. Nelson’s Complete Concordance
lists over 600 references to evil - it wouldn’t hurt to read
all of them in an effort to hone your sense of awareness and become
more alert to evil in the world.
-
Learn about “watchdog” organizations
- those that are dedicated to righting supposed wrongs. Become
aware of their tactics as examples for potential use when you need
to expose error. In doing so you may uncover certain groups that
you will want to support and encourage.
-
Read and meditate on Bible passages dealing with
discernment and false teachings: Eph. 6:12; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; 2
Pet. 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1-3; 1 John 4:6;Matthew 16: 21-23; Acts 5:1-11;
Acts 8:20-23; Acts 13:6-12; Acts 16:16-18; Rev. 2:2; Rev. 2:14-15,20.
General ways to use the gift of discernment:
-
Personally: warn friends and family about false
teachings and the dangers of some TV programs. Detect wrong motives
of deceitful persons, and help others to be aware of con artists
and fraud.
-
Within the church: expose error, evaluate study
materials, join a committee; arm others through teaching (see more
specific church service opportunities in the Booklet Channels for
Using the Gifts).
-
Within the wider community: discern and encounter
evil in societal structures; counsel those who are in error or
who have failed to recognize the evil of their actions.
For reflection:
Anyone with the gift of discernment will know error and evil when confronted
with it. To do something about it takes courage. You will become a “whistle-blower” against
Satan, and, well, he’s probably not going to like that! Whistle-blowers
are never very popular with the folks that did the wrong to begin with. There
will be temptations to step back, perhaps to lay low and just “let
sleeping dogs lie.” The trouble with that is that the dog is not sleeping,
and unless evil is halted when it starts, it has a way of spreading. God
knows that, and so he passed out this particular spiritual gift.
Discernment is a pivotal ability. It is a course-changer. Things are going
right along, lickity split, (of course, in the wrong direction), and then
comes the guy with the gift of discernment with a word of wisdom - “It
doesn’t feel right. Something’s wrong here. It smells bad. It’s
wrong because…” And the train stops dead in the track. There
is a certain authority that comes with this gift that makes the bearer of
the gift better able than most to stop the errant train. Then others can
step in and re-evaluate, back up and go a better way. This should all be
done in a spirit of love and community. And when it happens this way, everyone
present will feel it - the warmth of the Holy Spirit. All of a sudden, everything
feels right. It is a moment to pause and offer praise.
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