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Discerning of spirits is the supernatural ability given by the Holy Spirit to perceive the source of a spiritual manifestation and determine whether it is of God (Acts 10:30-35), of the devil (Acts 16:16-18), of man (Acts 8:18-23), or of the world. It is not mind reading, psychic phenomena, or the ability to criticize and find fault.
Discerning of spirits must be done by the power of the Holy Spirit; He bears witness with our spirit when something is or is not of God. The gift of discerning of spirits is the supernatural power to detect the realm of the spirits. It implies the power of spiritual insight. It is a gift which protects and guards your Christian life. How to Test a Spirit You can discern or test whether or not a spirit is of God by the following three ways:
1 Observing what a person does. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus explains that false prophets are known by their fruit - by their conduct and actions.
2 Observing whether or not a person exalts Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as Lord and Saviour (I Corinthians 12:3).
3 By listening to what a person says (I John 4:1-3). Does their confession line up with the truth of God's Word?
Category ------------>Revelation Gift
Definitions----------> Recognizing what is of God verses the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Example--------------> Paul recognizing that the girl in Philippi had a spirit of divination. One of the greatest ways the enemy has come against not only the church but also society in general is through their bodies.
I Thessalonians 5:23 says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole SPIRIT and SOUL and BODY be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Thus you are a spirit; you have a soul (comprised of mind, will and emotions), and you live in a body.
Most Christians do not understand how important it is to take care of these separate parts -- especially the body because it carries your soul and spirit around. I Timothy 4:8 states: "For bodily exercise profits a little; but godliness is profitable unto all things..." In this article, I will discuss how the spirit will help bring your body and soul into proper balance and wholeness.
In Romans 12:2, we are told to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service." I Corinthians 3:16 says that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (the house of God). It is vital to the victorious Christian that he fully understands the body and its nature.
Many Christians do not know how to properly take care of their bodies. We are a driven culture obsessed with instant gratification, like fast food, for example. We often take medications for the "quick fix", rather than focusing on preventative methods. Galatians chapter 5 talks about the fruit of the spirit; Christians need more temperance or "self control" in this particular area.
Our flesh, for the vast majority of Christians, is in total control of our dietary and exercise practices. This is why so many millions of Christians and non-Christians suffer defeat.
One of the best ways to start taking back control of our flesh is by reading the Word of God (the Bible) and then by walking in wisdom as a result of meditating on God's Word.
You see the Spirit man needs to be fed too, and this is accomplished by reading the Word of God. The more you are in the Word, the more your spirit man will bring your body or flesh into subjection. By reading the Word, you are also renewing the mind (Romans 12:2) which helps you gain control over your will and emotions.
Without making a commitment to be in the Word, I believe that most, if not all dietary/exercise programs will eventually fail because your flesh, at some point, will get in the way. This may seem unrelated to health for some people, but I believe we must have a strong foundation before we ever build anything. Jesus, who is the Word (John 1:1), is also referred to as the Rock many times in the Bible. We must have our foundation for anything we do on the Rock of Christ Jesus. For it is only by His grace that we will accomplish what he has called us to do. Philippians 4:13 says that we "can do all things through Christ who strengthens us."
By being in the Word, we are laying our foundation in the Rock. Hebrews 4:12 states: "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing assunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow..." After reading the word, we need to meditate on it and then apply it to our daily lives. Thus we will begin to walk in wisdom. Wisdom, in turn, will help us with our eating and dietary habits, and we will begin to practice more self-control.
By daily digesting the Word of God, our spirit man will begin to grow. There are many benefits in having a strong spirit. Proverbs 18:14 says that "A man's spirit sustains him in sickness" and Proverbs 16:24 says that "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." I personally can't think of any more pleasant words than those in the redemptive Word of God!
Furthermore, Proverbs 15:30 says that "good news gives health to the bones." The Word of God is definately good news! After we get the Word in us, we need to start speaking it with our mouths, so as a man thinks, he becomes. By speaking health and healing scriptures with your mouth, you will be exercising the force of faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, "that without faith it is impossible to please God." Thus by confessing your words, you will be birthing your blessings in the spirit realm which will eventually if not instantly manifest itself in the natural.
May God richly bless you, and remember that Christ is the Healer. We as Christians are bound to face struggles in our life such as conflict in relationships, financial pressures, time demands, illness, personality conflicts, job loss, or even death. In these and other situations we are to draw nearer to God and wait on Him. However, the enemy would have us do just the opposite: to complain and run away from God. The Bible urges us to realize that God is certainly never to blame for anything, for God is "perfect and blameless" and everything He does is "good" (Genesis 1:31).
By waiting upon the Lord, he will renew our strength so we will mount up with wings as eagles, so we will run and not be weary, and so we will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31). You see an eagle uses storms for his benefit. He carefully discerns the strong wind patterns and gains their advantage so he actually soars to greater heights. We as Christians need to learn from the eagle's example. We need to use trials and tribulations to our advantage. We need to recognize where the storms are coming from and why they are occuring so we can soar over them and achieve patience and spiritual growth.
We need to recognize that as joint-heirs with Christ, "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28 ). By being tested and tried, we enter into a deeper walk and relationship with the Lord.
We also need to recognize that ultimately people are not our enemy either, but sin and Satan are. John 10:10 says that "the thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; but Jesus came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly."
Certainly there is a place for human responsibility; God has given us a free will to make our own choices whether they be good or bad. It is important to note that many of the problems we face today are a result of our own doing. We do not always follow Galatians 5:16 as a guideline which tells us to walk in the Spirit. As a result, the lusts of the flesh (greed, selfishness, lust, pride, etc.) often take over due to our inherited sinful nature.
However, (Romans 13:12) tells us to put on our spiritual "armor of light" so we can stand up to the onslaught of these powerful adversaries which try to influence us. We must fight principalities on our own turf -- by walking in the Spirit on the spiritual level -- with weapons appropriate to the conflict.
Peter tells us in I Peter 5:8 that we must "be sober (not intoxicated), be vigilant (alert), because your adversary the devil, walketh about, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
You see the devil is very cunning. He will use FEAR (false evidence appearing real) to combat against our FAITH (forsaking all, I trust Him [Jesus]). If the devil who acts as a roaring lion (but of course he is only pretending to be) can get our faith to waver, he gains temporary victory in our lives. For the Bible says in Romans 14:23 that "whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
However, Romans 10:17 says that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Thus by reading the Word of God (the Bible), we can increase our faith. This, in turn, will enlighten us to the devil's schemes and storms. For "faith works in love (Galatians 5:6) and "perfect love casteth out all fear" (I John 1:18). Thus faith casts out fear!
The Bible mentions in John 8:44 that the devil is "the father of all lies and that there is no truth in him." You see, Satan uses deception and darkness to confuse the believer. Jesus, on the other hand, uses truth and light to direct us and guide us. Jesus is "the Word" (John 1:1) and He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6). By reading and meditating on the Word of God, the clouds of deception are removed, and we see the light!
God has graciously given us spiritual weapons and spiritual armor so we can see the light and combat this "roaring lion." Paul writes in II Corinthians 10:4 that "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." Furthermore, II Corinthians 10:5 says, "Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought unto the obedience of Christ."
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
(What Is Our Emphasis?)
Have you noticed that there seems to be an extraordinarily large emphasis on spiritual gifts today? You hardly ever hear anyone talking about spiritual fruit anymore. While I believe these spiritual gifts serve an important purpose in the Body of Christ, I like you to be equally (if not more) aware of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and how important it is to understand what God is doing in your very own life.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit manifesting His fruit in us is far more important than any spiritual gift. Many people continue to seek the power and manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit, but they do not place a priority on the call of every believer to a holy life. Our desire should be to earnestly seek "the Giver and not the gifts" then "all these things (Christ-like qualities) shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33) through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. Regardless of what anyone says, God still frowns on sin and has called us to be conformed to the image of His dear Son.
We must remember that gifts are given, but spiritual fruit is developed. The fruit of the Spirit (also known as our Spiritual Medicine Chest) comes to us when we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour; however, it only comes as a small seed which must be nurtured and developed in our lives (or watered) through prayer, by reading the Word, and by putting faith into action. If Christ is in us, then we should be Christlike. The fruit of the Spirit is the display of the character of Christ. It is His presence within us that enables us develop the spiritual fruit in our lives.
I find it quite fascinating that the Bible both begins and ends talking about fruit.
"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man saying, 'Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat'..." --- Genesis 2:15-16
"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
--- Revelation 22:1-2
God's Divine Purpose
God's divine purpose for your life is for you to bear spiritual fruit. Your relationship to Jesus (Yeshua) is described in John 15:5 in this way, "He is the vine, and we are the branches."
Again in John 15:16 the Bible declares, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you."
In order to bear this fruit, you must be planted and properly rooted spiritually:
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, taht bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper"
(Psalm 1:1-3).
If you want to bear spiritual fruit, then you must reject sin, walk in holiness, and delight in God's law. You must also be planted in the house of God - connected to the Body of Christ.
Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to "forsake the assembling of ourselves together" and Psalm 92:13-14 tells us that:
"Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing...".
A Supernatural Process
Bearing fruit is a supernatural process. Jesus produces the fruit and we bear it. The Father is the divine gardner who supervises the process:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (prunes or refines) it, that it may bring forth more fruit."
--- John 15:1-2
The purging process is one that may Christians reject because when they go through difficulties in their lives they always think that the devil is attacking them. God prunes productive plants for the same reason a farmer prunes - to produce more fruit.
Jesus' parable of the barren tree in Luke 13:6-9 illustrates how God works continually and patiently with the unproductive to produce fruit.
"A certain young man who had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, 'Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it in the ground'? And he answering unto him, 'Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down'."
The book of Galatians identifies the Christ-like qualities that God wants to produce in our lives: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." --- Galatians 5:22-23
Notice that the "fruit" of the Spirit is singular (not plural), for there is one fruit revealed in nine separate supernatural manifestations.
Peter wrote, "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" II Peter 1:8.
We are "filled with these fruits of righteousness only by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God." Ephesians 5:9
Discerning One's Fruit
Believers beware! There are many people out there wearing sheep's clothing and are "prophesying" by using divination. These people may "appear" to be holy; have their Christian bumper sticker; and know all the right phrase like "Amen," "Hallelujah," "Glory to God," and "Praise the Lord!" but watch out -- they might just be ravening wolves.
As Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruits," so watch them carefully. If these people display the fruit of the Holy Spirit, you can be assured that they are "good trees"; and if they don't, there is a good chance that they are "corrupt trees" in need of God's saving grace.
Jesus says in Matthew 7:15-20 and Matthew 12:33 :
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
"Either make the tree good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit."
Abounding Fruit
Believers can also produce spiritual fruit by giving to this ministry. Paul reminded the Philippians to give, "Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account."
Your financial support results in fruit that abounds to thousands of men, women, and children from all over the world whose lives are being impacted by the liberating message of God's saving power!
Closing Statement
These nine manifestations of the fruit of the Holy Spirit will enable you to eliminate spiritual barrenness, to escape the corruption of the world, and to become partakers of the divine nature of God
II Peter 1:4-8. Therefore, keep developing the fruit of the Spirit and the character of Christ in your life. Not only will it cause you to grow spiritually, but it will be a powerful witness to unbelievers as well. The 1st three fruit focus on your relationship with God.
The 2nd three fruit focus on your relationship with others.
The final three fruit focus directly on the individual.
LOVE
The first of the manifestations of the Spirit is love, the key to all the others. Along with temperance (self-control), love is bookend that helps hold the other fruit in place. Its divine characteristics are detailed in I Corinthians 13. It is a love that surpasses human understanding and causes a person to be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19). This supernatural love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).
The spiritual fruit of love is not just a feeling or an emotion, but rather it is a decision. This fruit of the Spirit causes us to make a decision to love even when we don't feel like it. Paul writes in Philippians 1:9 : "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more." The word abound means "to grow." God wants our love to grow so big that it will chase people down and overtake them. When we walk in the love of God, everything else will fall into place.
Song of Solomon 8:7 "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it."
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
John 16:27 "For the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God."
I Peter 4:8 "And above all have fervent love among yourselves; for love shall cover the multitude of sins."
I John 3:11 "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."
I John 4:7-8 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God."
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
JOY
Joy is defined as "cheerfulness or calm delight;" however, it has nothing to do with your emotions. Joy is something that is manifested in the spiritual realm; it is a supernatural joy that gives spiritual strength (Nehemiah 8:10). The Psalmist and the Prophet Isaiah both refer to it as the joy of salvation
(Psalm 51:12; Isaiah 12:3).
It is divine joy that results from an experiental knowledge of God's Word (John 15:11; Jeremiah 15:16).
Nehemiah 8:10 "For the joy of the Lord is your strength."
Psalm 16:11 "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence if fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
Psalm 35:9 "And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation."
Psalm 89:15-16 "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord in the light of thy countenance."
"In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
Acts 2:28 "Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance."
Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."
PEACE
We must learn to maintain peace in three important relationships: with God, with our fellow man, and with ourselves. We maintain peace with God by believing and trusting Him. We maintain peace with our fellow man by not allowing strife to be a part of our relationships with other people. We maintain peace with ourselves by refusing to live in guilt or condemnation thus recognizing that God is greater than all of our sins.
This kind of peace doesn't come through drugs, alcohol, sex, wealth, or entertainment. It is a supernatural (not worldly) peace that is a gift of God (John 14:27). The spiritual fruit of peace results from being justified by faith (Romans 5:1). and loving God's law.
(Psalm 119:165)
This is a peace that surpasses all human understanding, and it keeps your heart and mind through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)
Psalm 4:8 "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety."
Psalm 119:165 "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."
Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on the; because he trusteth in thee."
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." LONGSUFFERING
Longsuffering is love on trial. It enables you to forbear and forgive others (Colossians 3:13). As with the other manifestations of spiritual fruit, you can't produce it in yourself. The ability to be longsuffering comes from the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:11) and by loving God's law. (Psalm 119:165)
Longsuffering is also be referred to as patience. Patience is being mild, gentle, and constant in all circumstances. The real test of patience is not in waiting, but in how one acts while he or she is waiting. A person who has developed patience will be able to put up with things without losing his or her temper. Scripture tells us in James 1:4 "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting (lacking) nothing." Reaching this point is definately a process which takes a lot of practice. However, we can learn to enjoy life where we are while we are waiting for what we desire.
Ephesians 4:1-2 "I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love."
II Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
II Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Goodness
Goodness is holiness put into practice and results from knowing God. Once you have this knowledge, goodness is supernaturally produced in you (Romans 15:14)
Goodness enables you to do good to those who hate you (Luke 6:27) as well as those of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). It is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. That's why we need to be good to people. Our witness won't have any power unless we are kind. We are called to be light in a dark world, and we must make up our minds that we are going to shine!
Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Psalm 52:1 "The goodness of God endureth continually."
Faith
Faith is a gift and also a manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. The gift of faith is imparted from God through the Word, but the fruit of faith is produced by the Holy Spirit. The gift of faith can move mountains, but the fruit of faith is what is required for daily living. The fruit of faith enables us to walk and live by faith (Romans 5:2). Without this kind of faith, it is impossible to please God
(Hebrews 11:6).
According to The 1828 Webster's Dictionary, faithfulness means a "firm adherence to the truth and to the duties of relationship with God; adhering to your duties; loyalty; constant in performance of duties or services."
Being faithful is not always easy; it requires making a decision and then sticking to it no matter what regardless of what are feelings tell us. However, when we are faithful and do what God tells us to do, we will be rewarded; for the Bible says that if we're faithful over little things, God will make us rulers of much.
Matthew 17:20 "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, 'Remove hence to yonder place;' and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
Matthew 21:22 "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
Mark 9:23 "Jesus said unto him, 'If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth'."
Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
Romans 4:20-21 "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith giving glory to God;"
"And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."
Hebrews 11:6 "Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
Gentleness
The Apostle Paul illustrates gentleness by the example of a mother nourishing her children (I Thessalonians 2:7). Gentleness is a quality that makes you great in God's sight (II Samuel 22:36).
II Samuel 22:36 "Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; and thy gentleness hath made me great."
II Samuel 22:36 "Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; and thy gentleness hath made me great."
James 3:17 "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."
Meekness
Meekness is not "weakness", but rather a slave-like submission to God. Your spirit is free from rebellion and pride. It is the hidden man of the heart - a meek and quiet spirit - which is greatly valued by God (I Peter 3:4). Meekness or humility is defined as "freedom from pride and arrogance; modest estimation of our own worth." Humility or meekness is the opposite of pride. The Bible says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (I Peter 5:5) , and it is the meek which will inherit the earth (Psalm 37:11).
Ephesians 4:1-2 "I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love."
Colossians 3:12 "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. endureth continually." Temperance
Temperance means self-control. It is control over the whole man (spirit, soul, and body) which enables us to live a victorious life
(I Corinthians 9:25). A person who has self-control is mild and calm, avoids extreme behavior, and exercises self-restraint in both actions and speech. Although restraint and self-control aren't easy, they are necessary if one ever wants to operate in the fruit of the Spirit. After all, temperance and love are the bookends that hold all the other fruit in place.
Ephesians 5:18 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit;" What Is Spiritual Discernment?
Spiritual discernment : calling on the Holy Spirit to lead or give direction on a matter. It is how the Spirit shows the church or its people what God wants them to do and be.
There is discernment of :
gifts,
spirits,
actions,
intents,
the spirit of the times we live in.
Discernment is more than just a skill. Discernment is a gift from God before it is anything else. Yet there are clearly skills that are put to use in doing it, and you can become better at it through training and experience.
Discernment is more than just a process. Even for the most 'material' or 'nitty-gritty' matters, there is a Spirit at work nudging us, leading us, even pulling us by the nose ring. Even for the most 'spiritual' matters, there are disciplines, methods, processes, means, and tools that the Spirit can work through to help us discern rightly. Discernment isn't usually a sudden zap from beyond, but something that emerges from hard work.
"It is impossible to frame a doctrine of the Holy Spirit by taking all the data indiscriminately and forcing them into the Procrustean bed of a formal system. We have to discriminate between what is true and what is false, ... between what is primary and what is secondary, between what is central and what is peripheral;... between testimonies concerning the Spirit which reflect different levels of apprehension, between those which belong to different stages of the divine economy, and between those which have relation to different moments in the dialectic of spirit."
When the Spirit is on the move, it's characterized by:
Christ-centered spirituality in every aspect of life;
Rejection of all prejudice, class/ethnic/educational barriers, exclusiveness, and denominational warfare. When it follows the Spirit, the Body knowingly chooses to counter-model prejudices by living without regard to them.
bringing attention and worship to Jesus Christ, and awareness of God's/Jesus'/Spirit's work.
an unusual level of passion, energy, or impact.
These are the main things to look for in discerning about something:
it is governed by love, for if it is not, it's worthless (1 Cor 13:1-3);
it centers us onto Jesus the Christ and Lord (1 Cor 12:3), and His good news;
it directs us to Scripture, not away from it (Isaiah 8:19, 20);
it builds up the church and its members (Ephesians 4:11-12), giving it power, wisdom, character, boldness, and unity.
it helps create in us a love of righteousness, a heightened sense of sin, and a turning away from known evil.
'Discernment' is sometimes used as a catch-word for speaking against others (as with some 'discernment ministries'), or to defeat them in a struggle for power or influence, or just to pick at them until they quit or retreat. We need to discern whether something that's labeled 'discernment' is done from love, or whether it just is a clanging gong or a noisy cymbal. Jesus didn't call us to love ideas, he called us to love people. John put it as bluntly as he could :
"One who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (I John 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. Indeed, it's time to focus on listening, because it may be your time to learn.
Scripture and Discernment
Christians turn to the Bible in order to get our story right. The New Testament passes along the testimony of those who knew Jesus and His mission in person. For the early church after the apostles, for the Reformers, and for us today, we turn to Scripture because we know the Spirit speaks there. It is Scripture that shows us the Spirit's priorities, and Scripture that shares with us the vision of the coming Kingdom. The Spirit works through Scripture, not against it. Through Scripture, we discover wisdom and direction. Without it, we fail to distinguish God's Purposes and Word from our purposes and words. This is true of what we think and do today, and it's also true of the past, including the traditions we most treasure. If the new or the old stands against Scripture or is used to thwart its central thrusts, we must stand with Scripture, or we will fall for anything.
This 'Scripture principle' is not there to hold the Spirit in chains. It is 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 :
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.
If these are all true, then no direct warrant is needed from Scripture, tradition, or for that matter, sometimes even from common sense. The Spirit has every right to lead us into new things that look like folly. The Holy Spirit is sovereign. Discernment is our finding out if it's the Holy Spirit and not someone else's folly.
There are some people who could stuff themselves with Scripture until it came out their noses, and they'd still refuse to let the Spirit teach them anything. They're seeking support, not truth. For the rest of us, the patient, prayerful, steady study of Scripture brings many rewards. The Spirit rewards such diligent listening by developing within us an understanding of why God acted in the past. Since the same God is acting today toward the same purposes, this gives us a sense of what God is doing now and what role we may have in it.
The Scripture principle is not a substitute for the Spirit. It works only because the Spirit works through Scripture. We rely on that truth when we read the Scriptures in earnest prayer. Without the Spirit's action, the Bible's pages would lay still, moving your life no more than a dictionary or encyclopedia. If the Spirit is working in us, the Bible is aflame with truth and vision for every corner of our lives and for the whole world we live in. The Spirit wants us to study, to trust, and to shape our lives according to what is in Scripture; to steep it into our souls, to live by the contours and the world vision of the Scriptures. Noone can prove that the Bible is the authentic story of God's dealings with humanity. That has to be shown to each of us by the Holy Spirit.
Anyone who denies the authority of the written Word in/for the church is also denying the Christ who is the living Word of God, and who is what the written Word is about. We cannot just nakedly 'go by the fruit', 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.
The Church's Role In Discernment
Discernment is more than the work of an individual person. The Spirit acts within the gathered believers (the Church) so they can discern what to do and be. Within that context, specific persons may be given the gift for leading the church as it discerns. Such gifted people are given a 'spiritual eye' for cutting through facades and confusion, for getting to the heart of the matter. They listen closely, notice what's happening in the world around them, and instinctively know what place it has in God's plans. Someone who's gifted in discernment of spirits can find where evil lurks in good things, and where the Spirit is working when things are going wrong.
When the church was starting out, there was only one way she could learn the faith: on her feet. The church had to learn while she was doing. The Spirit had to teach the Christians how to love at the same time as moving them to act on that love, teaching them mercy at the same time as empowering them to live merciful lives.
Christians sometimes forget that what we teach and discuss is inevitably our own understanding of Scripture. Other understandings, if drawn from Scripture and open to be judged by Scripture, are possible and even faithful.
That's why it's so valuable to have the input from 2000 years of churchgoing Christians (tradition) and the billion Christians of today (fellowship). Meaning springs out of life; the Spirit's way is lived and experienced. Even more: it is lived and experienced by being a part of those who believe in Jesus and his good news, a Body whose members are formed and shaped in this way, as found in Scripture. That community teaches each other, recalls history, shares their experiences, and affirms each other's value. It (sometimes) has the strength to say no and to get each of us to amend our understandings and change our ways when we are going astray, and to show a more excellent way in all things.
When you're being checked by the church, you're being checked by others who have also done patient, prayerful, steady study of Scripture. The Spirit didn't give a sense of God's purposes only to you but also to others, in a slightly different way for each of them. If they didn't study God's ways, they won't have that sense, and thus are a less trustworthy part of the discernment process. (You'll never find out one way or the other unless you listen carefully, and have the guts to put away any defensive reactions you might have.)
Church actions should be set up to discern the right direction before it acts, to keep effective tabs on it while it acts, and to debrief after it acts, taking whatever disciplinary actions or clarifying lessons are needed. Do this, expecting that the Spirit will lead, if really asked and really given a chance to lead.
One drawback of the church's role in discernment is that it is made up of people. (It's a benefit in more ways, but here's one way that it's also a drawback.) People are strange, and sometimes do wrong. They are not all-knowing, and have badly-damaged understandings. They can be fooled. People love to be sweet talked, to be showered with puffery and to get their egos stroked. They push aside what's bad news for the camp they're in. It's easy to become a yes-man or to get stuck in the 'no' position. These facts must be kept in mind when discerning with the church. But remember too that these things are also true of you. Your role in discernment requires checking and re-checking and cross-checking, and so does the church's.
Neither we nor the communicated Word nor the Church are the bridge between the biblical events and our putting the Word into living effect. It is the Holy Spirit's doing.
Having Yourself Held Accountable
Like everything else in this world we are in, our discernments are bound by our imperfections and thus can be false or shallow or merely mistaken. But it helps greatly to have the right attitude toward it :
Make sure you can be held accountable, on small things as well as large ones;
Allow others to actually do it (don't fight back nor blindly accept, but pay attention and be a servant about it);
Be ready to hold others accountable, if need be - even if that makes you uncomfortable.
That way, you become less bound by what binds your discernment.
One of the keys to discernment is surrender. If we treat "I" as the emperor of all things, we won't be in the right place to find out what God wants of us. In fact, that selfish view of existence lies at the heart of sin : we act as if we're God, even though we certainly know better. The emperor 'I' has no clothes. So we need to set aside what we want and what we've been taught, and join with Jesus in His prayer in the face of His most ultimate decision : "Yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matt 26:39).
Another key to discernment is a 'sense of peace' about something. That peace must take place within the rest of the framework of discernment, or it's not divine. Yet the absence of such peace is, by itself, bad news. Such peace and security comes and grows with prayer. Peace is a gift that God is more than happy to give. God wants us to have some sense of security about what we do. Since God is not a God of confusion, it will not do in God's purposes for God's followers to be confused, or be confusing.
Some Questions to think about
(If these questions are being used in small group study: please talk about these with each other, and be honest with each other in doing so. If you're doing these questions on your own, grab a pad and write your responses.)
(1) Have you had the experience of thinking that you were being led by God to do something, and it turned out not to be so?
What were the consequences?
Looking back on it, what could/should have alerted you to this?
(2) What kind of matters have you sought God's guidance about?
How has the result surprised you, if it did?
(3) Have you ever used "God's will" as a cover for your own plans or ideas? Are you doing so now? What led you to do it?
(Please, don't talk or think about when others have done so; that just breaks down into the blame game. Talk about yourself.)
(4) Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21. It says 'Don't quench the Spirit' and 'test all things'.
How do they fit together?
How might these be seen as working against each other?
Have you ever been involved in an activity or a church where one was used to render the other as void? How? Why? Did you take any action?
(5) List the people you would most likely turn to when you're making a tough personal decision? What is it about them that would cause you to turn to them?
(6) For church-goers and cell members : how do the members of your church/cell use each other as a way of discernment?
(7) For groups : Try some group role-playing. Choose a matter at hand that interests those in the group, and act as if you were the ones who make decisions about it. Take yourselves through a discernment process. (If you're doing this right, it should take at least several meetings.) Keep working at it until a consensus is made or a true impasse is reached. Q. How do we recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
A. We recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit when we confess Jesus Christ as Lord and are brought into love and harmony with God, with ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation.
Q. How do we recognize the truths taught by the Holy Spirit?
A. We recognize truths to be taught by the Holy Spirit when they are in accord with the Scriptures."
Discerning Within Yourself
As you grow in your dealings with the Holy Spirit in prayer and disciplines, you'll come to see more clearly how the Spirit at work in day-to-day life. Since the reborn New You has a supernatural nature, the supernatural begins to feel quite natural. As we allow ourselves to live in tune with God's gifts, it becomes easier to see where the supernatural is making things happen in our natural lives. In doing that, our faith deepens. The more we (appropriately) use the gifts we're given, the better we get at what we use the gifts for. The Spirit not only gives, the Spirit also teaches and trains. A skill develops to go with the gift. Uncovering Bogus Gifts and Deeds
The letter to Timothy warns that some will be led to follow deceiving spirits. Those spirits can be from beyond the Christian faith, such as the seeking of wealth or fame or magical power. But most of it will be where it can do the most damage : within the Christian community.
There are some markers by which we can tell the spiritual counterfeits :
the lack of love when they are used. (It's no accident that Paul puts into the middle of his powerful writings on gifts (1 Corinthians 12 and 14) his earth-shaking chapter on love (1 Corinthians 13).)
one person's authority is held beyond question;
whenever someone or something is in the place that Christ and His good news should be.
Noone, on their own authority, can 'send' the Spirit into others, and certainly not :
chucking into them like a spear or
shooting into them like an arrow.
doing a countdown (like that of a rocket launch) to the arrival of the Spirit
Doing such things is like a satire on God's gift-giving, a joke at God's expense. The Spirit follows no human's cue as to where or when to act. The Holy Spirit acts to draw attention to Christ, not to lift up an evangelist or preacher or ministry or movement.
Who makes counterfeit gifts? Mostly the human mind of the faker, through learning how to trick people or to draw them into dependent relationships. Sometimes there is power which comes from the Chief Deceiver himself, the Devil. Whatever the source, there's a lot of it going around. Where the frauds show up, they must be called for what they are.
Scripture provides us with some rules on discernment of spiritual gifts. Paul's rules on gifts is that they are there to be used to build up the gathered believers and further the Gospel witness, in any specific situation. He also says they are to be used with a sense of good order.
When the pastor and leaders teach, preach, and model good discernment, it creates a good atmosphere for it. The members wouldn't look at someone who raised hard questions as being weird. Fewer folks would say "that's not how we do things around here". Their leaders could show them that if they are to follow Christ, then seeking the Spirit's leading is the way things are done in the Church.
The spiritual fruit are to be found not in the moment of a miracle, but in life after the miracle. Trust God
"The basic decision, after all, is to let God be God, to say "yes" to the work of the Lord....."
