Discernment - The act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment.
Keen insight and good judgment …
Illustration:
Imagine that you walk into a bank and you see that all of the customers are laying on the floor and the only person standing is a guy with a ski mask over his face and a gun in his hand. You also see that the bank teller is panicking and feverishly stuffing all of the cash from the cash drawer into a bag.
What would your keen insight and good judgment tell you about what is happening inside that bank?
Discernment. We all need discernment. If you have a certain type of color blindness you can’t tell a red light from a green light so you can’t discern whether to stop or go. That, of course, is why they standardized the positions of the lights with red at the top and green at the bottom.
Of course these are types of discernment that we need in order to get by in this world on a day-to-day basis but what about discernment in spiritual matters? What about so-called “Spiritual Discernment”? Where does that come from?
1 Corinthians 2:1-16 (Read from the Bible and have the congregation follow along in theirs)
2 Peter 1:3 NIV
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”
We have talked a lot about the need to know the Word of God in order to determine whether a doctrine or belief is true or not.
For instance we know from God’s Holy Word that Rob Bell’s claim that there is no need to fear eternal punishment in hell is wrong. We know this because it is a direct contradiction of the words of Jesus Christ Himself found in the Bible.
In Matthew 25:45 Jesus says, “Then they (the unrighteous) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
When you are trusting the fate of your eternal soul, who are you going to believe, Rob Bell or Jesus?
Now, that’s just one example but there are many more. Suffice it to say that there is much heretical preaching going on around the world and the Word of God protects us from believing those heresies.
OK. So, how does spiritual discernment protect us when were out in the world?
Let’s define Spiritual Discernment (SD) a little bit more …
SD is not just knowing the Word of God, it is knowing the Word of God and knowing the Spirit of God.
I know Pastor Karenlee better now on our 40th anniversary than I did on our 30th or 20th or 10th anniversaries. I’ve spent more time with her. I know what pleases her and I know what upsets her and I know what she is indifferent about.
This knowledge has come from years of interaction and observation.
The same goes with the walk with the Lord. As we grow in knowledge of the Lord in obedience to the Lord we form a stronger and stronger kindred spirit with Him over the years and decades. We gain the ability to sense His approval or disapproval.
We know what it feels like to be tempted and when His Holy Spirit checks us, to run from the temptation. We also know what it feels like to be tempted and when His Holy Spirit checks us to go ahead and commit the sin in spite of His warning.
We know the closeness of His presence when we are abiding in Him and the absence of His presence when we are disobedient. This knowledge of the presence of God becomes just as real as the knowledge of the approval or disapproval of one of our human loved ones.
With that understanding, let’s talk about how that is carried out into the world outside the walls of the church and our home.
We know that we are called to be witnesses for Jesus everywhere we go and that we are called to be ambassadors for Christ.
Suppose you strike up a friendship with someone from work who is unsaved and they come from a background that is very similar to your own before you came to know Jesus as your Savior.
After this friendship has developed you find that your new friend is not interested at all in coming to know Jesus but their real interest is dragging you back into the sin from which Jesus rescued you.
What should you do? What is the Holy Spirit telling you? Are you feeling the temptation to go back into sin? Is the Holy Spirit checking you? Is the Holy Spirit telling you to pull back from this friendship until the person is more receptive to the gospel? Is the Holy Spirit telling you to fast and pray for strength before spending more time with this person so that you will not fall into the temptation and sin? Is the Holy Spirit telling you to run for your spiritual life?
This is Spiritual Discernment. There may come a time when you do not have a verse memorized that will address an exact situation but close fellowship with the Spirit of God will guide you.
Let’s look at another example; the upcoming elections.
What do we know from the Bible about what our actions should be in elections held in democracies? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!
What did Jesus say we should do about how we should make decisions on who to vote for as President, Senator, Congressman, Governor, Mayor, Village Council and dog catcher? Nothing!
So, what are we to do???
First we have to get some Biblical concepts in order.
1) Our primary allegiance is to the Kingdom of God and our allegiance to the country in which we live is secondary, whether that country is China, Italy, Ecuador, Tahiti or the United States of America.
2) We should desire godly leadership if possible. Psalm 33:12a says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.”
3) The Lord raises up nations and tears them down.
Jeremiah 18:5-12 NIV
“Then the word of the Lord came to [Jeremiah]: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.’
“If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.
“And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in My sight, not listening to My voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.
“Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’
“But they say, ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”
OK. Three important principles: Our allegiance is to the Kingdom of God, we should desire godly leadership if possible, the Lord makes the final decisions regarding nations.
Well, this sermon is supposedly not about politics and is about how Spiritual Discernment outside the walls of the church.
So, how does Spiritual Discernment affect our decisions when we go into the ballot booth. Should it?
Question:
If there is a verifiable Christian who has a clear testimony of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ running for an office, should he or she be our automatic candidate regardless of political affiliation?
Question:
If there are no verifiable Christians running for an office should their stance on abortion be taken into account?
Proverbs 6:16-20 NIV
“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
Question:
If there are no verifiable Christians running for an office should their stance on homosexuality, transgender and cross-dressing be taken into account?
Leviticus 18:20 NLT
“Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.”
Question:
What if there IS a verifiable Christian who opposes abortion and sexual sin of all types but there is another one who you strongly believe will build a stronger America and lead us into prosperity? What then?
What does Spiritual Discernment tell us through Gods Holy Word and the witness of the Holy Spirit within us?
I mention this because it seems to be a true test and a timely test to check and see if we are thinking like those whose allegiance is to the Kingdom of God or those whose allegiance is to the USA. And, yes, if we are truly citizens of the Kingdom of God it does reach into EVERY corner of our lives.
Is there any place in our lives where Spiritual Discernment is not essential?
I think not!
Lucifer is a master at gradual deception. Joseph B. Wirthlin
Do not forsake the gentle proddings of the Holy Spirit as your Spiritual Discernment will slowly transform into a hardened heart and you will end up turning your back on God and return to a life of slavery to sin.
Closing remarks and prayer
