The Death of Discernment by Chris Quintana

The Christian church is in a time of deep peril. A steady, yet gradual, movement away from Biblical truth has been underway in the modern churches for decades. Churches are becoming a place where people can identify with a brand (Christianity) and not The Savior (Jesus Christ). Church has all too often become a place to be dazzled by visually stunning, program oriented, highly entertainment productions, all designed to appeal to the senses and emotion.

Seeing that all of this is going on shouldn't we ask, where has the message of Salvation? Where is the message of the risen Savior, Jesus Christ? Where is the weighty message of the innocent Son of God, paying the price for our guilt, caused by our sin? People are made to feel comfortable, rather than being told the truth. People are entertained and moved along their way, without ever having been confronted with their most desperate need, the available forgiveness for their sin. Should any of this come as a surprise? Not really, we have been warned.

Paul told us (1 Corinthians 1:18) "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" and so we see churches avoid the foolishness they see in The Cross, as Paul put it. But there is more to this story and it is the second part of Paul's message to the Corinthians "but to us who are being saved it is the power of God".

A friend recently brought something to my attention and it was chilling to read. What I read was written in the late 60's and the copy I had in my hand was from 1971. It was prophetic in ways that were profound to me. It so thoroughly predicted our current state of affairs, in the church, that it could have been written yesterday, but it was written 40 years ago.

Here is a portion of what I read:

With increasing frequency the leadership of the denominations will be captured by those who completely reject the historical truths of the Bible and deny doctrines which according to Christ Himself are crucial to believe in order to be a Christian. In some of the largest Protestant denominations this has already taken place. The few remaining institutions which are not yet dominated by the disbelievers will go downhill in the same manner.

There will be unprecedented mergers of denominations into "religious conglomerates." This will occur for two reasons: first, most denominations were formed because of deep convictions about certain spiritual truths. As more of the truths are discarded as irrelevant because of unbelief in Biblical authority, there will be no reason to be divided. Unity is certainly important to have, but never, according to the teachings of Christ, at the expense of the crucial truths of Christianity.

Secondly, as ministers depart from the truths of the Bible they lose the authority and power that it has to meet real human needs, and as many ministers who are not truly born spiritually themselves and are consequently without the illumination of God's Spirit, they no longer will be able to hold their present congregations, much less attract others. So they resort to "social action gimmicks," super-organization, and elaborate programs as a substitute.

As Paul predicted concerning these ministers in the last days: holding to a form of godliness [literally religion] although they have denied it's power..... And again he says "they are always learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth (II Timothy 3:5,7)

The Late Great Planet Earth Pg. 182

Hal has had his share of ridicule, by his sceptics, since this book was published. However, regardless of one's view of the entire book, he seemed to have had a firm grasp on the direction and inevitable destination of the modern seeker friendly and emerging/emergent church movements.

We should all stay on guard,

Pastor Chris

http://www.calvarychapelcypress.net/

Regeneration: Pre or Post Faith?

A teaching that is not new but definitely popular today is commonly known as Calvinism. The unbiblical error (heresy) we will touch on is based on the promise of the Holy Spirit sealing us after faith therefor proving faith precedes regeneration (being born again). The Scriptures we go through are 1 Corinthians 15, John 3, John 16.

Before we begin with our video presentation, a few words. It is our conviction that Calvinism (more appropriately termed “Augustinism”), as summed up by the acronym “TULIP,” is one of the worst things that ever happened to the Church. We are non-Calvinist. This does not make us Arminian, nor does it make us semi-Pelagian, and it certainly doesn’t make us deny the complete sovereignty of God.


Over the years we have come to increasingly see Calvinism taking the form of a cult, and this is very serious. In contrast to being the mark of fidelity, it is the mark of error. Although most people who are Calvinists simply won’t consider anything else as being true to God. Before Jesus went to cross to suffer the penalty for our sins, He comforted His disciples telling them that He would send the Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Very similar to Roman Catholics who believe that they cannot read and interpret the scriptures apart from the papacy, Calvinists, are in reality doing the same thing. All scripture is filtered through John Calvin's interpretation of the scripture. I would ask, is that biblical? If Paul instructed us to BE AS THE BEREANS, SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES DAILY TO SEE WHETHER WHAT WAS BEING TAUGHT WAS IN FACT BIBLICAL, why do so many Calvinists look to men for interpretation, and not to God's Word? We are certainly not suggesting that Calvinists are not saved, nor are we making personal judgments upon those who have placed their trust in Calvin's theology. What we are doing is exposing the error of Calvinism, it's effect on the church, and biblical salvation.

Today, Calvinism has gone into a more advanced form where it is aggressively attacking true Christianity, and to even “offer the plan of salvation” is being attacked as “decisional regenerationism”, a horrible heresy in their eyes. While some aspects of Calvinism seem to fit with what the Scriptures teach, the hard-liners of today are taking things way far from any biblical norm that it must be denounced and attacked as a false! Ministers who are true to God and the Word of God have no other option here.

We denounce all 5 points and a lot more in Calvinism. Calvinism uses a bate and switch method, proclaiming one thing, and then redefining that to suit them, and if anybody attacks one of the 5 points of the Tulip (like Total Depravity), all of a sudden we drop total inability, and we are back to talking about no merit in the individual. This is a very subtle deceptive trick of Calvinists, and if you examine what they actually teach on each of the 5 points, a true biblical Christian CANNOT ACCEPT ANY OF THE FIVE FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES OF CALVINISM.

The entire Calvinist system drags people away from the truth of Scripture, and even though we can debate all this and never get to any definitive conclusion, we would appeal to Christ and the apostles. Christ witnessed to many a person, presenting himself as the key to eternal life, and ALWAYS the issue is pressed by Christ upon the human sinner, repent (change), and believe in the Messiah. Somehow today in modern Calvinism, that is a great heresy. How? Being like Christ is wrong? This shows you the truth of God against the black heresy of Calvinism. Calvinism drags people into a form of life, conduct, and doctrine that is not Christ-like.

Calvinism is very adapt at twisting, turning, and redefining concepts and biblical words to suit their teaching and doctrines. When the Jehovah’s Witness twists and turns the word “God” in John 1 to make it mean anything but the true and singular real God of heaven, we all attack them for twisting the obvious and most common sense of Scripture to mean something that obviously it doesn’t mean. They (the Jehovah’s Witnesses) themselves denounce a plurality of gods as unbiblical, and yet they propose that God the Father (Jehovah) is somehow different in essence than Jesus, which they denominate “the son of God” as being inferior to Jehovah. This kind of twisting and turning we reject with the cults. So why is it now acceptable when the Calvinist does it?

We have read arguments on why the word “all” doesn’t mean all when it refers to Christ dying for all the world. Salvation for the Calvinist is not for everybody, it is only for the elect.

Galatians 1:6-9 "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."

Thanks for joining us to go through God's Word!


Transcript Notes:




Regeneration: Pre or Post Faith?



Let’s Pray!

• Thank you for the opportunity
• Praise you above all names
• We ask that you would make your word clear
• Thank you for a trustworthy word that is above all else and surpasses reason and logic illustrating how perfect you are

Go ahead and turn to John 3, mark your spot, then John 16, put a bookmark or something to save that spot and then turn to 1 Corinthians 15 and while your turning there I’d like you to think about the gospel… think about the Gospel and what it is?


You hopefully hear churches speaking of it, mentioning it, praising God for it and yet majority in the church don’t know what it is.


You may have heard it said that it’s the 4 books in the Bible meaning Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John.


Well we’re getting close but those books are not specifically the Gospel more so what they present is the Gospel.


Strong’s Concordance tells us that the word Gospel original is “yü-än-ge'-lē-on” and it means “good tidings or as some know it as good news


Verse 1 in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says, “I declare unto you the gospel”
So more than just something in those 4 books we’re talking about an actual presentation or proclamation, something to be declared.


Keep going in verse 1, Paul says “I preached unto you, which also ye have received”
Now we’re talking about two perspectives. One case in which the proclamation is being preached and on the opposite end we see it to be received. Two perspectives, One message.


Now this is where it gets interesting, keep going with me.
Verse 2 says, “By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,UNLESS YE HAVE BELIEVED in vain.”
You see, so clearly Paul presents that he is going to give a message, that upon reception and belief, then you are saved. Saved by what? Well lets keep going. We’re gonna fly through the next couple verses here:


Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-8


That’s the Gospel. It’s that Christ died for our sins fulfilling the Scriptures, that He was buried and rose again on the third day fulfilling prophecy. That He was seen by the twelve disciples and then of 500 brethren all at once! We are given so clearly the message by which we are saved. You know, that’s it.


This same message is what our Lord was talking about in John 3. Go ahead and turn there now and start with me in verse 1. We’re going to read down to verse 8.


Read John 3:1-8


Here we are seeing the reaction to the message by which we are saved in 1 Cor. This is where we get the word REGENERATION. It’s the process that takes place upon reception of that message which was preached by Paul and all of the other disciples.
Let’s take a side step and understand what regeneration itself is.


Regeneration alone means – rebirth or recreation.


A couple verses come to play in defining this term so for you note takers go ahead and write these down:


Titus 3:5 – “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”


Ephesians 1:13 – “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,”


2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”


The process itself that we see is that when a man believes in the Lord, and receives that precious news of the Gospel, then the person died to self and is remade and born again through the renewing of the Holy Spirit. This is so key so keep this in mind as we continue today.


You see, back to John 3, Nicodemus was a Pharisee which means he was well rounded in the knowledge of the Old Testament. It’s interesting that Christ brings up a conditional event that must take place and yet Nicodemus had no idea what He was talking about. This is where I’m heading into the topic for today.


We have the Gospel, its very core is that Christ lived a perfect life, then dying on the cross for our sins, completing the work by resurrecting on the third day. We read that upon belief of this message we are saved. No where do we read in Scripture that the process afterwards is what saves us and what I mean by that is regeneration. You see we are not saved by regeneration, we are regenerated because we have been saved and we are saved by the finished work upon the cross.

This issue is that there is a very popular teaching going around infecting the church today that is deceiving many and confusing the rest to the point that it’s causing much division.


A popular preacher of his time and quoted among many today including myself is Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon was very gifted in executing verse by verse teachings, exhorting the truth in love to many thousands of people weekly and served his community all to Christ glory. I respect and appreciate his love for scripture, but one thing we must remember is Charles Spurgeon was a man. He had the curse of sin in his blood and had to fight the flesh daily.


The reason I bring him up is because he is so influential and there’s a very dangerous teaching that he supported and taught. This of course is what we know today as the teachings of Calvinism.


Take a minute and listen to this very specific quote from Spurgeon:


“I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.”


You think. Woe, hold on a second now. When I read a few minutes ago 1 Corinthians 15, Spurgeon is now stating that what we read is in fact Calvinism? This is such a bold proclamation and I have an eager conviction to spread light on this because quite frankly this is heresy.


We learned earlier that the word Gospel itself means good news so that is very specific in Scripture. But if any of you are familiar with Calvinism then you know that it is very specific in the conditions of salvation. I’m not going to go down the list of TULIP and identify all the issues but based on the topic of regeneration we are at a conflict because here we are reading from Scripture itself that upon belief in the Good News that was presented, then we are saved and thereby regenerated.


Now, you see, Calvinism’s foundational teaching is that man, in general does not have the ability to come to God because they are dead in their sins so what God does is, without any special choosing or anything, randomly picks different people and regenerates them first, bringing them to life, and then by giving them a new heart they now will come to receive His Gospel and be saved.


But that’s not what we read just now is it. We read that the message Paul preached was received and then believed. That’s it. So we must examine this with a fine tooth brush because people are listening to these very popular preachers today claim that the message of the Gospel, the very Good News that Christ gives us is in fact Calvinism, which I stand here boldly on the authority of Scripture and say, NO IT ISN’T!


Let me say something before I explain. How could this message that is such good news be called a glad tiding like the angel said they brought in Luke 2:10. Listen to this and for context sake, this is the angel coming to the shepherds in the field speaking of the messiah that has been born.


The angels says:


“ I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”


This message of Calvinism is not good news. Not if it’s not to all people like this Angel says. The way I see it, if Calvinism were true, this angel would be a liar and so would God in several times throughout Scripture for stating that He died for all men and desires all to be saved, if they should choose, seek, or find Him!


Now to get to our text, let’s go to the last place we have bookmarked which is John 16.


Let’s go ahead and read verses 5-16 -


You see, as we’ve read for you that took notes earlier, Ephesians 1:13 states that upon belief, then we are sealed.


This is what Jesus is emphasizing on here. It wasn’t until the Lord left and ascended to His throne that we as believers were sealed with the Holy Spirit. So as we bring it all together I hope you all see the connection that my point to this giant rabbit trail is that if we are not given the Holy Spirit until Christ left and He was given to us, how on earth could we come to belief in Him before Christ, speaking of the whole Old Testament. We’re talking about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and everyone else. If they were not made into a new man because that could not be done until the Holy Spirit was given then we really have a conflict of teachings here.


I mean, write these down because we’d be here all day if I read them all but on your own time check out:Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:3 & 22, Galatians 3:6, & James 2:23


These all state that upon Abraham and his faith, upon his belief, it was credited to him righteousness. That doesn’t sound like being saved by regeneration. That sounds like he was saved by faith!


You see, Old Testament Saints were never born again. That’s why I read John 3 to you. Nicodemus was confused because he had never heard this teaching. The hero’s we read about and see their lives unfold, that was their belief in the Messiah to come. They never fully understood the death of Christ, just the promise of the Christ that will come and free them.


That’s why we see so often in the Old Testament that saints were continually back and forth, walking in sin, then the Lord would correct them, and they would cry out. In the New Testament we see men like Peter and Paul, walking steadfast in the Lord, proclaiming His truth, being sealed by the Holy Spirit after Pentecost. Not that we don’t see them struggle, Paul was very upfront about having to die daily and the war between the spirit and the flesh. But we see a resistance to obey God’s direction from the Old Testament Prophets that we do not see in the Apostles. It’s only by the Spirit are we made new and are no longer slaves to the flesh.

Even further more to land this plane, write down John 7:37-39 down and read that later. Jesus gives us a very important insight on what was to come but how necessary it was for him to complete His work.John 7, starting in verse 37 reads:


“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”


To wrap this up and bring it all together we have some important points to clarify:


The Gospel is clear. It’s that Christ lived a perfect life (1 Peter 2:22), He willingly gave up His life (John 10:18) as a sacrifice for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2), and resurrected on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4)
Upon belief in the Gospel, we are saved from our judgment and then given a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26), thereby being born again which is also called regeneration.
Old Testament Saints are not born again (John 7:37) but are credited righteous upon belief in the Messiah to come

That’s it you guys. I hope I presented that clearly and if not, the most common verse used by Calvinists today is Ephesians 2:8-9 which states:


“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”


Regarding that I’d like to finish with a quote by Dave Hunt that explains this beautifully.


“Faith there is not the gift—salvation (the subject of the entire passage) is the gift of God. Faith is a feminine noun, while the demonstrative pronoun that ( “ it is ” is not in the Greek) is neuter and could not refer to faith. The Greek will not permit “faith” to be the gift. Moreover, “your faith” (“according to your faith ” - Mt 9:29; Rom:1:8; 1 Cor:15:17, etc.) is found 24 times; “thy faith” 11 times; and the disciples are rebuked for not having faith, etc. These are odd expressions, if faith is not one's own but only from God.”


Faith is something required of us. It is God’s work that has paved the way of salvation and that is Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility to believe it.


Open for discussion before prayer!

Let’s pray:

• Thank you for the opportunity to preach your Word today.

• I ask that you would minister to every individual in here today and those that may watch later on the recording.

• I ask that we would stand firm on your Word, and hold it closer than any other person’s opinion whether popular or logical. That we would hold fast strictly to scripture, and not base our doctrine off of a couple verses but off of the whole council of God completely lead by your Spirit

• We thank you for your Holy Spirit, that we can trust that it is you who seals us, preserves us and sets us apart from this nasty world. May we be available to your Spirit and walk worthy to your call to share these truths in love.

Growing and Going Q & A: What is Justification?

Question: What is this word "Justification" that Christians keep using?

Answer: Basically speaking, justification means "right" and it is something we all spend a lifetime struggling to attain; justification for our actions, our beliefs, and our decisions. We endlessly seek justification from a variety of people, but the problem is that even when our decisions are justified, they're only derived from other people. We are too often content to be justified before men when in fact, what we really need is to be justified or right before God.

According to God and simple observation, men are naturally rebellious against the Creator and because of our guilt, we can never do or say enough right things to make up for the bad we've already done in our lives. In other words, our good deeds will not and cannot justify the evil we've already willfully done. This is not good news! In fact, if this was the only news we had, we'd be most assuredly hopeless. Thankfully there is more to the story. The rest of the story is great news, however it does not center around us rather it focuses on God. Almost 2,000 years ago, God stepped into history, was born of a virgin, grew up walking a faultless life, died upon a Roman cross, and rose on the third day just as the Old Testament Scriptures said He would. (See Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 53, and Psalm 22.)

Jesus did all this to perfectly display His heartfelt obedience to His Father in Heaven, obedience even unto death. Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection were perfect, making Jesus perfectly right, perfectly just. And since He is perfectly just, He can legally be the One Who justifies sinful mankind before our Heavenly Judge. Let's say I stand guilty before a judge and the bailiff hands him a note. The note is written by a man offering to take my place in jail. Here's the problem. The man who wrote the note is already serving a double life sentence for his own crimes. If he's already serving his own sentence, it is impossible to take my place. If Jesus would not have lived a perfect life, He couldn't have been justified to pay the penalty for others. Therefore the Bible calls Jesus both the Just and the Justifier of our souls. "To declare, I say, at this time [Jesus'] righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus" Romans 3:26.

"Okay," you say, "but how do I get this justification?" 

There are only two possible options to receive God's forgiveness. Option 1: We can work hard enough in an attempt to impress God. Option 2: We must simply turn from our pride, humbly asking God to forgive us based on the life, death, and resurrection of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Many have accurately said we are either forgiven by works or forgiven by faith. While true, it is also accurate to say that both options involve works. Either we are forgiven by our work or we are cleansed by Jesus' finished work on the cross. Since all people are already serving life sentences due to our previous sins, it's simply foolish to believe we can somehow be good enough in the future to get an early release. Following the law perfectly is what the law requires. We get no bonus points for that, and since we've sinned against the eternal God, our penalty is eternal. Option 1 is simply not a credible or reasonable choice. Throughout time, men have been willing to be deceived into this option only to discover the truth after it's too late. God reminds us, "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" Hebrews 9:27. There are also many who believe they are Christians, but have trusted their efforts, not God's work upon the cross. They too will sadly stand unjustified before Him. Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 7:22-23, "Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in Your name have cast out devils? and in Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity."

The only way to access the full and free forgiveness of God is through placing our faith in the finished work of Christ. By doing this we are admitting several things. First, we are admitting we are sinners and deserving of Hell, not Heaven. We are also saying we are, at the core, helpless and hopeless, in desperate need of not only the Savior's forgiveness, but also of handing over the full reins of our hearts and minds. If God truly reigns, and He does, then we should have no problem handing over the reins. The Apostle Paul reminds us, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20. We must also admit that even after receiving God's forgiveness that we are daily dependent upon our Lord and Savior. After receiving the Lord's forgiveness yes, we are justified, but never because of our own decisions or our own actions. The realization that our need for Jesus is total and complete shouldn't decrease over time, but rather increases more and more until we fully embrace the truth that God really is our all in all.

Once a sinner is born again by the power of God from the Gospel of God, he is justified to stand before the Judge of the universe, guiltless and faultless before His throne. This justification is not only a biblical reality, but an absolute necessity for every soul of every man. Justification before God by faith in Jesus Christ alone is not a religious preference. It is the truth with eternal significance!

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith." Galatians 3:10-11

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in [God's] sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" Romans 3:20-24.

Growing and Going Q & A: What is Biblical Discernment?

Question: What is Biblical discernment and how is it applied to a Christian's life?

Answer: 

Unfortunately there are those within today's Christianity who consider discernment as almost a "dirty word". Discernment discussions can be viewed as problem causing and sometimes seen as divisive within a body of believers.  It's ironic, however, that whether we go to the doctor for a prognosis of a persistent problem or to the mechanic for an unfamiliar sound under the hood, one of the top requirements should be to find a professional with a high level of discernment. A good doctor is a discerning doctor.  A qualified mechanic is one that can quickly and accurately discern and diagnose the problem at hand. Why then is it when it comes to the things of eternal life, the things that will endure forever, discernment is often not even on the radar?  

Discernment is invaluable in the earthly sense. How much more so in the heavenly?  It is this Christian's conviction that it's only to the enemy's benefit that biblical discernment is rarely embraced or even correctly discussed within many churches. Sadly this leaves the flock vulnerable to every wind of doctrine, causing them to be tossed to and fro as they attempt to safely sail through the tempests of this world.

Generally speaking, what is discernment?  

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines discernment as "the ability to see and understand people, things, or situations clearly and intelligently." In our generation, both Christians and non-Christians alike are being sold the incorrect idea that our "heart", that is to say our feelings are our most crucial guide and rarely lead us astray. Many today have allowed the intellect to be governed by feelings, instead of the other way around. Contrarily, a discerning heart and mind will take into account ones feeling, but these feelings have been carefully trained through the intellect, not one's previous emotional highs and lows. The mind, even within many Christian circles is not essential today, rather how one feels is key.  Even meditating on God's Word has been popularly redefined to embrace eastern non-thinking meditative practices instead of the biblical concept of careful consideration concerning God's Word. Sadly, once emotions take center stage, true discernment becomes crippled, unable to navigate the soul.  

Biblically speaking, what is discernment?  

The King James Version (KJV) often translates discernment as taste, judgment,understanding, reason, knowledge, and wisdom. The Greek use in Philippians 1:9 is aisthēsis and is translated "perception, not only by the senses but by the intellect". The word "discern" is used 15 times in the KJV Bible. Discernment is used 4 times in the New King Javmes Version (NKJV) Bible and the word "discerning" is used 7 times in the NKJV.  The KJV often uses the words knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and judgment in place of the NKJV's use of the word discernment. 

Regardless of whether the actual word "discernment" is used, the idea that Christians should be careful thinkers, desiring the understanding and wisdom of God to safely navigate one's walk as well as rescue others, is prevalent throughout Scripture. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding"Proverbs 4:7.

Spiritually speaking, what is discernment? 

Spiritual discernment comes exclusively from the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth, as born again believers humbly study and obey God's Word. When the Lord Jesus enters the forgiven sinner, He illuminates our understanding and renews our minds, giving us a new heart now pumping with the power and love of Christ. Much like a seasoned ship's captain's dependence upon his compass, Biblical discernment is crucial to navigating the dark waters of this world. 

The spiritual senses that are directly connected to discernment, i.e. Godly wisdom, understanding, knowledge, faith, etc. actually need continual exercise so we can safely grow in the direction of the Son. If, instead of choosing to walk (exercise) by faith, we embrace walking by sight, our fleshly senses will grow strong, causing our spiritual eyes to dim and our ears to grow dull. We must daily choose to walk in the Spirit, abiding in Christ, not the god of this world. 

What are Born Again Believers Called to Discern? 

Here are a few examples repeated throughout Scripture-

· The righteous and the wicked, as well as those who serve God and those who don't: "Then shall you return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that serves him not" Malachi 3:18.

· Good and evil: "But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" Hebrews 5:14.

· The holy and the profane, the unclean and the clean: "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean" Ezekiel 44:23.

Isn't it obvious?  

How hard is it to tell the difference between good and evil? Well, if it were that simple, why has the Lord put so many warnings and exhortations in His Word, warnings to be on guard and exercise our senses in order to discern these things? It isn't always that obvious to discern truth from error.  After all, any good lie is mixed with much truth and the more truth a lie has, the more difficult it becomes to separate the two.  Godly discernment is necessary especially in the times in which we live. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Improving Our Spiritual Palates: 

"How sweet are Your words to my taste" Psalm 119:103. When talking about a top chef or food critic one thing is for sure, he must have a discerning palate. It is rightly said the number one tool for any chef is not his cutlery set, but his palate. This heightened sense of taste and texture is usually a trait he was born with and then later mixed with years of training and development. The same is true for the Christian. Psalm 34:8 instructs us,"O taste and see that the LORD is good."  We are to hunger and thirst for righteousness, not this unrighteous world. Job asked his so-called counseling friends, "Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern the unsavory?" Job 6:30.

The Gift of Discernment:  

God gives His body many gifts for the edification of the saints, to keep us pure and clean so His light can brightly shine forth in this dark and dying world. Some have taught that there is no gift of discernment revealed in the pages of Scripture, however I would argue that 1 Corinthians 12:10 tells a rather different story.  

In 1 Corinthians, Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reveals the role of spiritual gifts within the church.  In the first part of verse 10 he says, "to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits."  Paul was very clear that false doctrines never have their origin in the hearts or minds of men, but rather originate from the devils. (1 Timothy 4:1) "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" 1John 4:1. The gift of discerning spirits is simply the spiritual wisdom and understanding to separate the truth from error, acknowledging the truth is from the Spirit of God and all lies, whether in word or in signs and wonders are from the enemy of our souls. As with all the gifts, the gift of discernment is crucial to the body of Christ. 

Note of warning- Just as in all gifts from the Lord, there is a danger in taking what God has given in the Spirit and using it in the flesh. The church at Corinth is a perfect example. 

God Gets the Glory! 

Discernment is the spiritually given ability to divide truth from error, to both see and help illuminate the many layers of lies that are spoon fed to the body of Christ. Being spiritually discerning means keeping in step with the Spirit both in word and in deed. No Christian, washed in the blood of the Lamb can claim that he has the ability to attain or grow in discernment apart from the mind and power of Christ. 

God gives as He sees fit, not based on our worthiness, but according to His will. Just as the gift of healing, tongues, etc. are abused in the flesh, so it is with the gift of discernment. Some are quick to speak the truth, but are devoid of God's mercy and love. Discernment by very definition assists the teacher to understand when, how, and where it is best to speak and act. Much more could be said on this. See below for a few excellent related articles.

The Discerning King: 

So often Christians will hold to the promise that our Heavenly Father has made us kings and priests, yet often we misunderstand the promise. We are not called to be kings who make our own rules, foolishly going where even angels fear to tread. Instead, let us consider one of the key roles of any good king. It's the major duty of every king throughout time to lovingly protect his people both through having a good military and laws that benefit the people. To do both, the king must be discerning. Consider 2 Samuel 14:17, "Then your handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with you."

"King Solomon, honestly doubting his ability to correctly discern the Israelite people, prayed for gift of wisdom and discernment to rightly divide between good and evil. (1 Kings 3:9-10) His selfless desire was to receive from God the wisdom, judgment, and discernment for the edification of the people.  If one of the key characteristics to an earthly king is discernment, how much greater for those who are spiritual kings entrusted with the eternal Word of God?"

Discernment and Understanding:  

To truly understanding something we must plumb the depths of its meaning and functionality. Understanding someone means taking time to listen and observe that person.  Discernment both helps us reach the goal and itself grows as we patiently and persistently pursue understanding. When I consider discernment I can't help but think of law enforcement.  Detectives must discern truth from lies, dealing with many "professional" liars. They must learn to detect their lies by understanding the difference between someone telling the truth and someone spewing out lies. 

Biblically speaking, our greatest goal as Christians might arguably be to first and foremost grow in our understanding of Jesus Christ. 1 John 5:20 reminds us, "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." In Jeremiah 9:24, the Lord says, "Let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD..."  

If understanding the Lord is our most important goal, then discernment should play a central role.  God's Word, illuminated by the Spirit of God, should produce discernment in every believer.  This "spiritual sword" of discernment then helps us understand aright by teaching us how to divide truth from lies, good from evil, the holy from the profane, and the sheep in wolves clothing from the sheep speaking the truth. May we never forget that discernment and understanding are inextricably linked.  

Discernment and Truth: 

Another area worth briefly examining is that of truth and discernment. In 2 Thessalonians it says that all those who have not received the love of the truth will receive a strong delusion to believe a lie.  I've often wondered why some within the church seem so sorely lacking in discernment. Granted, as mentioned above, discernment is a gift from the Lord, however as with all gifts, every believer should desire to grow in each area of their Christian walk. Just because some have the gift of helps doesn't mean the rest should not be helpful.  Just because some are specifically given the gift of giving does not excuse the rest of the saints from being generous with their time and money. The same is true for the gift of discernment.  We all should desire to abound in the knowledge and discernment of our Lord Jesus, both for our own sanctification and for the edification of the entire body.  

So why is this area of Christianity so lacking today? Perhaps for the simple reason that the love for the truth has grown cold.  May we never forget that although God's love is amazing and His grace unmerited, Jesus teaches that it is His truth found exclusively in God's Word that sets men free. (John 8:31-32)  His truth not only sets us free, but it also sanctifies us day by day. (John 17:17)  

Embracing God's truth is essential if we are to grow in the knowledge and understanding of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.  Even earthly speaking, facts/created truth is essential for growing in knowledge of God's creation. Could you imagine if when students entered fourth grade math, they started their year by being taught that nothing is true?  How much could a student who embraced this lie actually learn?  After all, if nothing is true then it doesn't matter how she solves the problems presented before her. If the entire world actually lived this lie out consistently, we would most likely destroy ourselves in a day.  

Without truth there is no thinking, and without thinking there is really no ability to discern anything.  In fact, without truth, there is really no need to discern anything because nothing would be real.  I personally believe that one's level of spiritual discernment will be directly proportionate to his love for God's truth.   

"The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-14

Abounding in Discernment:  

Finally, let's not simply grow in some areas of our faith. Let's abound in every area! So often we desire to grow in mercy and grace. However, as good as this is, may we never neglect our growth in biblical discernment. Without love all things are useless, but without discernment all things meaningless. "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ..." Phil 1:9-10 (NKJV). 

May we carefully consider our own hunger and thirst for God and His righteousness.  May we sincerely taste and see that God is good, once and for all turning from the lusts and pride of this world. May we realize with a renewed mind and transformed heart that our citizenship is truly in Heaven. Be patient. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Abound more and more in knowledge and discernment, knowing our redemption draws nigh. Allow God to be the One who fights your battles. Give Him all the glory and seek His face continually. His transforming power to testify of His glorious Gospel will only come as we make Him our wholehearted pursuit both now and forever! Amen!  

A Few Discernment Articles for Further Study: 

· The Upcoming Psychologized Generation by T.A. McMahon

· Being a Berean by Dave Hunt

· The Cult of "Do Not Judge" by Let Us Reason Ministries

Several Helpful Discernment Websites:

· The Berean Call

· Always Be Ready

· Crossroad

· Herescope

· Psychoheresy-Aware

· Lighthouse Trails Research

· Understanding the Times

A Few Helpful Radio Programs: 

· Search the Scriptures 24/7

· SAID (Saints Abounding in Discernment) Radio 

· Stand Up for the Truth

Growing and Going Q & A: Blind Faith Part 2 "Just trust in Jesus?"

Question: Is it perfectly acceptable to have what most today call "blind faith"? I speak to so many Christians today and most say, "Just trust in Jesus and you'll be fine."

Answer: This week we'll examine the second part of this question - "Trust in Jesus and you'll be fine." I couldn't agree more that if we do truly trust in Jesus we will be fine, however we need to look at what it means to trust and what the word "fine" really means from a biblical perspective.

Trust - I can't help but think of the old hymn that reminds us, "Trust and obey, there's no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey." In order to trust someone, you really have to first know who it is you're trusting in. Jesus said there would be many false Christs (anointed ones) who would come and say "follow me". (Matthew 24:24) So simply saying we need to trust in Jesus, although true, demands a careful and clear explanation to every hearer.

It is only reasonable that we let Jesus define who He is and what His actual role is in Heaven, in this created universe, and in eternity. Throughout Scripture Jesus defines Himself as God in the flesh. (John 14:6, John 10:30,John 10:33, etc.) The Bible also declares plainly that Jesus washed all our sins away. He paid our sin price in full, once for all. (Hebrews 10:10) Once forgiven we do not need to go to a church or man to access that forgiveness. To say that we trust in Jesus, but do not believe what He says about Himself really means we do not trust Him at all. It is easy to be deceived even partially. However if we allow God's Word speak for itself, letting the Holy Spirit reveal Jesus to us, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. 

So to say we need to "trust Jesus" is true, but the person telling others to trust in Him has the moral and biblical obligation to carefully explain who Jesus is and what He has actually done according to His Word and His Word alone. Granted, using analogies, stories, and examples can be helpful, but in the end we need to point people back to God's Word. After all, Jesus is the Word of God. (John 1:1)

Clarity - Also, to tell someone who doesn't know the biblical Gospel that he simply needs to "trust in Jesus" is more than a bit confusing. The Gospel of God is not simply trusting in Jesus.  We must first understand we are sinful creatures, openly rebelling against the Almighty God. We must understand our works cannot save us, in fact they are filthy rags to God. We must understand the need to turn from our prideful state and humbly embrace God through the full and free forgiveness offered to all through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:1-4) The Apostle Paul understood the power of the pure Gospel and was very careful to preach the perfectly Good News of God.  Only the true Gospel of Christ is the power of salvation. (Romans 1:16) Any other message is useless and in the end eternally destructive. 

"Fine" - Regarding Jesus making our lives fine, God's Word does promise that all born-again believers are safe and secure in Jesus, (2 Cor. 1:22, Eph. 1:13, Eph. 4:30, 1 John 5:13) so ultimately and eternally speaking we are "fine". However, while on earth, Jesus promised this world will bring us trouble. Jesus said this broken world will bring us tribulation and trials, but we are to be of good cheer for He has overcome this world. (John 16:33)

Sadly, too many sinners are simply looking for a Jesus that will make their present lives better, never realizing true life is eternal in the heavens, not this world. "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life" 1 John 5:11-12. Jesus did not die on the cross, raise from the grave, and send His Holy Spirit so we could have more comfortable, selfish, and rebellious lives, but that we should be freed from Satan, self, and sin to finally understand, know, love, and obey the One True God.  

So, yes we should trust in Jesus and yes, He will make things fine, but there's more to the story. May we be extremely cautious and careful to receive and preach the true Jesus Christ, realizing it is His life in us that makes us overcomers in our temporal trials and tribulations. And it is His life that seals us for eternity. Nothing less will do! 

"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1 John 5:4-5