July 2, 2008
Discernment
Heb
5:13-14 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of
righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full
age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil.
How
discerning are you? Can you tell the difference between good and evil? Do you
recognize those things that are good for your soul and those that the enemy uses
to keep you in bondage?
What
do you use as your standard? It should be the Bible. Everything should come back
in line with the Bible. It is our plumb line. Our opinion doesn’t matter. Our
position doesn’t matter. Even our experiences don’t matter if they don’t
match the truth of the Word.
Do
you count on others to tell you what the Word says? We must know the Word
ourselves. We must be like the Bereans and constantly cross reference what books
and pastors and others teach, with the Word of God. Acts
17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for
they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every
day to see if what Paul said was true.
In
order to grow in discernment, you must first be skilled in the Word of
righteousness. Now what does that exactly mean—to be skilled in the Word of
righteousness? It means one comprehends the work of Christ and that we are
justified (found innocent and pardoned of our sin because Jesus paid the
ultimate price in our place). It means that we understand that we are saved by
faith and nothing we can do can earn God’s salvation. We live by faith and
because of what Christ did for us on the cross; we are skilled at applying that
which we understand to our own lives. We have become doers of the Word and of
the gospel. Our life has been forever changed whether we feel it or not. We walk
by faith and not by sight or how we feel. We are different from the world.
Others see and recognize the difference. We have not simply accepted salvation
but applied and appropriated the truth of the gospel in our walk with Christ.
This takes time. We start as babes and begin to mature as we apply the Word to
our life. Many Christians today have not matured past babes. They are known as
carnal Christians--Still living as the world-- Still acting by feelings and not
by faith. They have not begun to put to death their fleshly desires to live
according to God’s will and not their own. Maturity comes not with time but
with putting to death our flesh. We must strip away our flesh and our own
desires. We must become dead to our flesh and sin and alive in Christ.
The
word exercised in Hebrews means to train without clothes on—In other words
stripped down and nothing weighting you down. Sound familiar? Hebrews 12:1 says,
“let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles”
Discernment
is increased by exercising one’s senses. It is by paying attention and
training one’s senses to pay attention when the Holy Spirit brings something
to our attention. When people say things do your ears perk up? Do you hear the
life and death being spoken all around you? Do you hear the curses people speak
thinking they are just saying a popular phrase? Such as,
Do
you see the dangers around you? Do you see how the enemy has made skulls a fad
in our children’s clothing today? Why would anyone want to wear death? Don’t
be fooled into thinking it doesn’t matter.
Do
you feel the oppression in a room? When you walk into certain places, do you
ever think this place is creepy? Can you sense the spiritual atmosphere? Pay
attention, don’t just think that was weird! The Holy Spirit is bringing
something to your attention.
Can
you smell evil? It has a smell, just as Jesus is the Rose of Sharon.
Do
the evil things you hear, smell, and see leave a bad and bitter taste in your
mouth? Do you recognize the good and pure which leave a sweet taste in your
mouth?
Be
on guard! Be ready for the Holy Spirit to teach you about the things you have
never noticed before. There is a spiritual world all around you. In these last
days, you must be able to discern the good from the evil. Begin training your
senses. Ask the Lord to show you and give you understanding about the things you
are picking up with your senses. If you haven’t begun to pick things up yet,
ask the Lord to begin to show you and start paying attention! You may just be
entering Boot Camp my friend!
Janet
Fairbrother