Cultivating a desire for discernment.

 Biblical discernment is the ability to accurately distinguish between truth and error, right and wrong, good and evil and to understand God's desire for a situation or one's life, often through the application of scripture and reliance on the Holy Spirit. It's a call to examine all things by God's word to make wise, spiritually sound decisions and to see things as God sees them and to judge accordingly and biblically.

In these last days, no gift is more needed by the Christian disciple than the gift of discernment and yet I have in all my years of listening to so many mighty men of God preaching the word of God heard a message on the desire for the gift of discernment: and yet the Bible teaches us to desire the greater gifts and I truly do believe that the gift of discernment is one of these greatest gifts, is one of the most important gifts that we can and should desire. In the Old Testament Ecclesiastes 8 verse 5 it says this, ‘He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful; And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment.’

And in the New Testament 1 Corinthians 2 verses 6 to 16 (verse 14) Paul writes this, ‘⁶ However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. ⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ^[c]ordained before the ages for our glory, ⁸ which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

⁹ But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.’

In Matthew 16 verses 1 to 4 Jesus talks about human wisdom and discernment as opposed to godly wisdom and spiritual discernment it says, ‘ Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. ² He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; ³ and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ⁴ A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.’

And in the book of James, the said apostle elaborates on this in James 3 verses 13 to 17 it says, ‘¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.’

This is because discernment is in a group of gifts that includes wisdom, knowledge, understanding and right judgement. Without inner discernment of how to think and act spiritually and biblically we can easily be deceived and distracted. In Hebrews 4 verses 12 to 13 we see how the Holy Spirit discerns our condition where the way our carnal or spiritual it says, ‘¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.’

And in Hebrews 5 verses 12 to 14 the lack of discernment shows us how spiritually in mature we truly are, it says, ‘¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are ^[c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.’

The foolish lacked discernment the wise seek it out. To pursue the gift of discernment in these last days is needful and necessary. The Bible commands us to test not only the spirits but also to identify false Christian disciples and the false prophets that are in such abundance now. It is necessary to be able to judge righteously on so many levels. It is needed to righteously divide the word of truth because our enemy the devil uses distraction and deception to pull us away from the word and to be blinded by the God of this world.

Discernment is one of the least searched out gifts of the Holy Spirit and 1 Corinthians 12 verses 4 to 11 says this, ‘⁴ There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. ⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: ⁸ for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.’

And in one Corinthians 12 verse 31 it says this in conclusion to this chapter, ‘³¹ But earnestly desire the ^[i]best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.’

In Malachi 3 verses 16 to 18 we see a prophecy concerning discernment written for these last times it says, ‘Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name.

¹⁷ “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
¹⁸ Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.

In the body of Christ there is such a great need for discernment many problems that Christian disciple encounters today are directly rooted and caused by the lack of spiritual discernment. Finally Jude verses 20 to 25 says this, ‘²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

²² And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

²⁴ Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
²⁵ To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.

God desires that his children discern as he does! If we earnestly pursue this gift of the spirit it will be given and granted to us. Amen.

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