Discernment

A.W. Tozer: "Among the gifts of the Spirit scarcely one is of greater practical usefulness than the gift of discernment. This gift should be highly valued and frankly sought as being almost indispensable in these critical times. This gift will enable us to distinguish the chaff from the wheat and to divide the manifestations of the flesh from the operations of the Spirit."

Scripture on discernment Heb 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit of joints and of marrow and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Heb 5:14 – But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Rom 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

What is the Gift of Discernment? Literal meaning:

• To separate; to differentiate; to make a distinction.

Description:

• The gift of discernment is the special ability that God gives to the body of Christ to distinguish between truth and error, and to know with assurance whether certain behaviour thought to be of God is in reality divine, human, or satanic.

What do we discern?

• There is discernment of: gifts, spirits, actions and intents.

• Discernment is more than just a skill. • Discernment is a gift from God before

it is anything else. (You can become more skilful at

it through training and experience).

• Discernment is more than just a process. (It is the Holy Spirit at work drawing us to do

God’s will, not our own minds considering facts).

The Spirit’s moving is characterized by…

• Christ-centered spirituality in every aspect of life.

• Rejection of all prejudice, class/ethnic/ educational barriers, exclusiveness, and denominational warfare.

• Bringing attention and worship to Jesus Christ, and awareness of God's/Jesus'/Spirit's work.

• An unusual zeal, passion, energy, or impact. (George Hendry, *The Holy Spirit In Christian Theology*, p.13).

Look out for these when discerning….

• It should be governed by love, for if it is not, it's worthless (1 Cor.13:1-3).

• It should center us onto Jesus the Christ and Lord (1Cor.12:3), and His good news;

• It directs us to Scripture, not away from it (Is.8:19, 20).

• It builds up the church and its members (Eph.4:11-12), giving it power, wisdom, character, boldness, and unity.

• It helps create in us a love of righteousness, a better sense of sin, and a desire to turn away from known evil.

Discernment is not…. • Speaking against others. • To defeat others in a struggle for power or influence. • Or just to pick on others until they quit or retreat. • To prove ourselves more spiritual than others. DISCERNMENT IS…. • Looking for whether discernment is done in love. Jesus didn't

call us to love ideas, he called us to love people. (IJn.4:8). • When discerning, the Christian must keep in mind why he/she

is doing it. – Ask yourself, "If I raise this issue, how am I pointing people to Christ? – How am I helping them grow in the Spirit? – In what way am I loving them?"

• If there's no answer to those questions, or if you have to stretch far and wide to come up with a complicated or weak answer, then it's best not to speak!!

When you do not find it in Scripture….

• The 'Scripture principle' is not there to hold the Spirit in chains. It's to be used in the light of freedom in Christ, knowing that Scripture does not directly address most matters.

• Instead of demanding direct 'Scriptural warrant' for a practice or course of action, it's better to seek these signals: – that Scripture does not speak against it; – that the practice or teaching conveys the Gospel, and is fully in

keeping with the root and heart of Christian belief found in Scripture; – that it turns the focus onto Christ, not persons, ideas, ideologies,

organizations, wondrous signs, or activities; – that it is truthful, not rooted in a lie or distortion.

Scripture and the Holy Spirit • Also consider the leading of Holy Spirit. • Continue to study Scripture for yourself (Acts 17:11).

• The Scripture principle is not a substitute for the Spirit. It works only because of the guidance of the Holy Spirit through Scripture!

• Overriding the authority of the written Word comes real close to bypassing the Christ who is the living Word of God, and who is what the written Word is about.

• We cannot just go by what we perceive to be the fruit of the Spirit, because it is Scripture which tells us what fruit we are to look for, and in what contexts they are the work of the Spirit.

Characteristics

People with this gift: • distinguish truth from error, • right from wrong, • pure motives from impure; • identify deception with accuracy and

appropriateness; • determine the truth of a testimony attributed

to God; • recognize inconsistencies in a teaching,

prophetic message or interpretation; • are able to sense the presence of evil.

Personal traits and behaviours

A person with this gift is usually:

• Perceptive

• Insightful

• Sensitive

• Challenging

• Decisive

• Intuitive

• Truthful

• Discriminating

Cautions

People with this gift:

• may struggle with how to express their perceptions, feelings or insights;

• could be harsh when confronting others, instead of speaking the truth in love;

• need to confirm their perceptions before speaking.

Mobilizing for ministry

People with this gift are needed in the church for:

• Counselling

• Mentoring

• Leadership

• Preaching

• Teaching

Safety tips 1) Isolation / Only listen to Holy Spirit

The gift of discernment, like all spiritual gifting, needs the balancing confinement of the local church. Sometimes individuals suffer, not because they don’t have legitimate warnings to give, but because they are operating in isolation. Often they are so harsh and so foolishly confident in their own distortions that mature Christians leave them isolated rather than face their fleshly wrath.

Safety tips 2) Anger / Justification: The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:20).

Righteous anger directed against specific sin and toward a solution is needed and is productive for the kingdom of Christ. Unrighteous fleshly anger throws accusations without reason and attacks people without cause. It refuses to listen to intent and is not moved by legitimate objection or explanation. This kind of anger is commonplace where the gift of discernment is used in the flesh! Correction, exhortation, even rebuke, have their place. But when it comes wrapped in harsh, angry words it does not edify, it does not build up, and it does not advance God’s purposes in this world.

Safety tips

3) Fear / If you do not listen….

God has not given us a spirit of fear (1Timothy 1:7). The gift of discernment used in the flesh promotes fear. To fear anything or anyone other than the Lord, is not from God. Anyone who is playing upon our fears to motivate us to do right things is not advancing the work of Christ. Beware of fear bearers; they may mean well, they may even have legitimate concern, but irrational arguments flourish in an atmosphere of fear. (Deuteronomy 6:13).

Safety tips 4) Distortion/changing origin: For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached….(2Cor 11:4).

Words mean precisely what is stated in context, nothing more or less. Do not take what someone said and assume you know what they really meant, or that they know what you know, or that they had all the information you now have when they said what they did. All of these things are distortions.

Bible references

Theory Practice

• Romans 12:2 Matt 16:21-23

• 1 Cor 12:10 Acts 5:1-4

• 1 John 4:1,6 1 Cor 2:12-16

Download this week’s notes:

www.globalprayerwatch.org

Notes used were taken from various sources and also personal study. The purpose of this teaching is to help the reader understand a bit more of what is meant by Biblical discernment. This document do not, and of course, cannot cover the whole complex topic of discernment.