Discernment

An Absolute Necessity for Spiritual Maturity

Introductory Questions to Ponder

We will begin this thought on discernment by posing a few questions which I believe will lay the foundation for the title of this article. Is it incorrect to say that in the Gospel of Christ there are elementary principles and there are principles very difficult to understand? Is it safe to say that in the Scriptures there are simple truths and there are higher truths? And, is it wrong to say a distinction may be made between lower doctrines and higher doctrines of Christianity?¹

¹ See for example: 2Cor. 12:1; 2Pet. 3:15,16; Eph. 3:3ff; 2Cor. 12:1

Continuing with a few more questions, is it a spirit of elitism to believe that spiritual maturity of a believer, and the Church, can only come by way of such understandings and revelations, i.e., enlightenment? Or that the spiritually immature Christians, even though practicing their formalized Christian religion, tends to remain spiritually immature being more gullible various winds of doctrine and are subject to deception? And finally, is it not sad to think that, in the status of the Church today, many believers, regardless of their chronological age or spiritual age, understand and behave as children or even babes in Christ—that they are able to digest the milk of the simplest truths but their spiritual digestive systems simply cannot handle to solid foods of deeper mysteries?

² Jn. 6:60-63

None of the above questions call into question the salvation of the believer, or their love for Christ, or the desire to serve their Lord with all their heart. It does however call into question the exact nature of the outworking of that salvation in their lives and the spiritual nature of their service. Is simplistic and routine religious practices and charitable works of kindness the calling and destiny of the Church? Or is the Divine ultimate intention something far beyond and higher than that? “Since God in the fullness of time, will put on display His Divine masterpiece before all the universe, how can we fully cooperate with Him if we do not understand His ultimate intentions?” ³

³ Devern Fromke, Ultimate Intention.

Discernment: A Key to Unlocking Our Understanding

The writer of Hebrews has much to say on the matter of unlocking our understanding:

“Concerning Him (Jesus Christ) we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” Heb. 5:11-14 (Italics and bold print mine.)

In the context of these verses it is clear that the “good and evil” referred to does not pertain to a moral right or wrong, but to excellence or inferiority in matters of instruction. And, it is the ability, or inability, to discern that enables whether the believer may rightly perceive and judge sound or unsound doctrine. I hope the importance of discernment well appreciated here. It is a matter leading to proper spiritual growth or remaining as insecure babes in Christ.

Paul was equally concerned about a lack of discernment with the Corinthian church as he writes,

”But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve through his craftiness, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive different spirit, which ye have not received, or different gospel, which ye have not accepted, you might well bear with it.” 1Cor. 11:3,5

Paul is saying here that without proper discernment they are apt to tolerate unsound doctrine. To his account, Paul vowed to continue doing all he could to cut off the opportunity for “false apostles” and “deceitful workers.” ⁴ See 1Cor. 11:12,13. However, what will happen in the absence of the apostle Paul; or in the absence of sound men of God?

And of course Jesus addressed this concern in Mathew 24 when He said, “Take heed that no one deceives you.” regarding the events of the end of this age. Four times He uses the word deceive to describe false teachers, prophets, and false christs. The last reference in in verse 24 where He warns that the signs and wonders of these false prophets and false christs may, “deceive even the elect.”

Discernment is the innate ability to distinguish and/or judge matters, character, or a proper response to a situation. It is an ability to see what is not evident to the average mind. Spiritual discernment is the ability to distinguish truth and error. It is equivalent to Godly understanding and wisdom.

Discernment may be a gift given or it can be an acquired ability. It is spoken of as a spiritual gift given through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit to properly discern spirits. ⁵ See 1Cor. 12:10. However, it is clearly shown in the Hebrews reference above that discernment is an acquired ability: “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” Obviously, the senses referred to in this verse do not pertain to our natural senses (to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell.) Rather, it refers to spiritual senses.

First, some examples from the natural.

1. A bank teller and counterfeit money.
2. Crosby
3. Other

Examples from the spiritual

1. Worship: Understanding & emotions vs. spiritual discernment
2. Speakers: “ “
3. Messages: “ “

Training of the spiritual senses

1. Recognize the need
2. Go to the Lord in Prayer (Phil 1:9,10; Ps. 119:66)
3. Listen carefully to the learned. Ask questions.
4. Devil is in the details vs. God is in the detail

• The idiom the devil is in the details means that mistakes are usually made in the small details. Usually it is a caution to pay attention to avoid failure.

• An older, and slightly more common, phrase God is in the detail means that attention paid to small things has big rewards, or that details are important.