Moving Toward Spiritual Discernment-4

MOVING TOWARD SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT-IV—1John 3:10--4:21

Attention:

I have a west-facing window in my office that looks over across 1st St.

If something I find interesting happens outside, I put on my glasses because I am near-sighted. I do that so I can clearly see what is transpiring. I might recognize someone & go outside & say, ‘Hello’ to them. I might see someone involved in some sort of activity that they shouldn’t be, & let them know they have been seen.

Regardless, I put on my glasses so that I can be more discerning, & thus more effective in my ministry.

If you are a Christian, you are equipped to be, & are expected to be, ‘spiritually discerning’ in all your endeavors.

God’s people are always in training toward being spiritual discerning. Some of us have a ‘good way to go’ in that regard, others are miles ahead of the curve, & still others are somewhere in between the two extremes.

It is imperative that God’s people see the importance, the seriousness & the security that comes with their Moving Toward Spiritual Discernment.

One of the outcomes of the Church gathering together, is for the purpose of being encouraged & strengthened in it’s Movement Toward Spiritual Discernment.

The apostle John sheds light on this need for Spiritual Discernment in the Church.

Today as in previous millennia, Spiritual Discernment is a necessity in the Church.

•How is Spiritual Discernment in the Church achieved/accomplished?

--OR--

•What must be recognized in moving ourselves & the church & toward spiritual discernment.

At least 15 things we must 'recognize' when moving toward spiritual discernment.

I’ve chosen the word, ‘recognizes’ here, because it goes beyond mere ‘acknowledgment’ or mental agreement. ‘Recognition’ of the things we’ll examine implies not only head knowledge, but heart knowledge which then drives a person to performance or action.

In the past few weeks we’ve found that:

Moving(yourself & the Church) toward spiritual discernment recognizes...

1. OPPOSING SIDES(3:10)

•Children of God & Children of the Devil.

2. The FOUNDATIONAL MESSAGE(3:11)

•Love One Another.

3. IMPASSIONED BELIEF(3:12-13)

•The world hates you.

Today, we’ll also discover that...

4—Moving(yourself & the Church) toward spiritual discernment recognizes...DECISIVE MOVEMENT(A)(3:14)

Explanation:(3:14)

3:14—“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.”

“We know that we have passed from death to life,...”

“We”—John is including himself in this promise to all Christians.

“We”—hmeiv—Personal Pronoun 1st Nominative Plural—1) Us, we etc.. Strong—Nominative Plural of egw. We(only used when emphatic).

“We know that we have passed from death to life,...”

“Know”—There is knowledge of & thus certainty of having performed some previous action. I have had conversation with many a person who gets irate with me because I tell them that they can be certain about whether they have eternal life or not.

The Greek behind the word translated as “passed”, pictures a person taking ‘deliberate steps.’ It is in the ‘perfect’ tense signifying that the action is completed or finished.

•True Christians have & do deliberately choose “life” over “death, by ‘deliberately’ choosing Jesus!

“Life” only flows from one’s nurturing relationship with Jesus! The reference here is to ‘eternal’ life.

•There is no other source for “life” than Jesus!

Jn. 14:6—“Jesus said to him[Thomas], “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Jn. 1:4—“In Him[the Word of God] was life, & the life was the light of men.”

The presence & choice of “Life” for a person, refers to everything that is the opposite of ‘eternal’ “death.”

“Death” is what ‘most’ people live out every day.

•That is, they temporally live in a continual state of separation from God...And should that separation remain, as a result of your stubborn will, that separation from God will remain & be played out constantly, permanently in eternity!

•“Death” is what God’s people have willingly chosen to “pass from.”

I have learned that when you ask just a few pointed/telling questions of people, it brings an honesty to light about the practicalities of their belief system. And the great thing about honestly answering the questions, is that a person may even reveal to THEMSELVES important matters about their belief system that they hadn’t ever given real thought to!

•I have asked many people about their personal certainty of having eternal life—“Do you know for certain that you have eternal life & that you will go to heaven when you die?”

•On the heels of such a question, it’s pertinent to ask another open-ended question. It is very enlightening to listen to the REASONS they give for their ‘certainty.’ When asked, “Suppose you were standing before God right now, & He was to call you by name & ask you, ‘Why should I let you into MY heaven?’ What do you think you would say?”