Discernment is a concept referenced frequently in scripture, but what does it actually mean? Every Disciple of Jesus Christ should have a filter – and we’re not talking about the ones you use to make your Facebook or Instagram photos look better. This is the kind of filter that will guard your soul and keep you from transgressions. This is a filter that only comes by way of God’s truth – and we need it every day. It is called discernment. On the surface, we can think of discernment as “good judgement.” If we unpack the Biblical case for discernment, we learn a vital concept that every faithful Christian needs to practice. So, what is discernment? Discernment is defined as separating, distinguishing and dividing rightly.
A Biblical view of discernment is born from a Spirit enabled ability to:
- Rightly see truth from error (1 John 4:1)
- Know what is pleasing to God (Phil 1:9-10)
- How to apply God’s Word to a situation (Heb 5:14)
As you can see, this is much more than knowing right from wrong or bad from good. Sometimes, this means knowing what is good, better and best in the sight of the Lord.
Believers and Disciples of Jesus Christ grow in discernment by:
- Daily Devotion to God’s Word (Psalm 119:105) “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
- Be sensitive to the Spirit’s guidance (John 16:13) “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
- Humbly Asking in Prayer (James 1:5) “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
- Accountability within a Christian Community (Proverbs 27:17) “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
- Obedience (Hebrews 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.”
Where do we see direct calls for discernment in scripture?
- Romans 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.”
- Philippians 1:9–10 – “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
- 1 John 4:1 – “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Learning Discernment from the Bereans
There’s a great account in Acts 17 about the Bereans receiving God’s Word as instruction from Paul and Silas in a noble way. As Disciples, we should model ourselves after the commendation Acts provides for us of their practice and response.
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men” (Acts 17:11–12).
Three of their noble and discerning qualities were:
- Open Hearts. The Bereans accepted the Word of God with eagerness. Discernment doesn’t always look like suspicion or defensiveness. It begins with a humble heart ready to receive instruction from the Lord.
- Testing by Scripture. Notice how they examined the scriptures daily to see if “these things were so.” Discernment should always go to the standard of God’s Word for the truth.
- Truth Produces Belief. What did the study of God’s Word lead to? It led to the belief of many. This is what God’s Word still does today. As we study God’s Word our filter for truth grows stronger, we are more equipped to handle the decision at hand and God will bring faith.
What do the Bereans teach us? We should learn that discernment isn’t about being cynical, it is about spiritual maturity. John Bunyan in The Pilgrim’s Progress put it this way: “The man that is down needs fear no fall, he that is low no pride; he that is humble ever shall have God to be his guide.” Practicing and growing in discernment begins with humility and continues by faith in God and His Word.
Encouragement We Need Today
Discernment is for every Christian who desires to walk faithfully with Jesus. We must diligently search the scriptures and ask God for discernment. James 1:5 tells us how God equips disciples who seek wisdom:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
May our lives show that we exercise discernment and may we be able to test each and every spirit, reject all that is false, hold fast to what is true, and live a life that reflects the Holiness of God.
Closing Prayer from the Valley of Vision
Searcher of hearts, It is a good day to me when thou givest me a glimpse of myself; Sin is my greatest evil, but thou art my greatest good…
Show me how to know when a thing is evil which I love, when a thing is sinful which I desire, when I have occasion for repentance and need to cry for pardon.
Teach me the happy way of self-denial, to value things by their real measure. May I never mistake the excitement of my passions for the renewing of the Holy Spirit, never judge my religion by occasional impressions and impulses, but by my constant and prevailing disposition. May my heart be right with thee, and my life as becometh the gospel.