The Nature and Purpose of Spiritual Discernment
Spiritual discernment is the action or leading of Holy Spirit to provide insight. It emphasizes its importance as a supernatural gift and developed skill provided by the Holy Spirit. This spiritual wisdom is given freely, and all believers are called to develop their discernment, which is essential for living a holy lifestyle. Spiritual discernment is indeed a REQUIREMENT for believers and is necessary in order to live a holy lifestyle.
Biblical Definitions and Strong’s Interpretations
To understand the depth of this concept, we must look to the original biblical terms and definitions. The text highlights various biblical teachings related to judgment, discernment, and the necessity for believers to cultivate this spiritual wisdom:
- H995: A primitive root; to separate mentally (or distinguish), that is, (generally) understand: attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, perceive, and be prudent.
- H3045: To know (properly to ascertain by seeing); used in observation, care, and recognition.
- H5234: Properly to scrutinize, that is, look intently at; hence to acknowledge, be acquainted with, or care for.
- H8085: A primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.).
- G1381 (dokimazō): To test (literally or figuratively); by implication to approve, allow, discern, examine, and try.
- G144 (aisthēsis): Perception, discernment, and judgment.
- G1253 (diakrisis): Judicial estimation, discern, and disputation.
Together, these words express discernment and discerning as testing, approving, allowing, examining, proving, trying, properly scrutinizing, investigating, interrogating, determining, questioning, judging, searching, perceiving, and judicially estimating.
The Gift of Discerning of Spirits
When discussing what is commonly called the “gift of discernment,” it is crucial to address a common misconception. The Bible specifically refers to this spiritual gift as the gift of discerning of spirits, which is distinct from general discernment or wisdom. While many people believe discernment involves distinguishing between right and wrong, the biblical gift of discerning of spirits has a far more precise function.
The gift of discerning of spirits involves recognizing the spiritual source or motivation behind an action, behavior, or event. This gift is unique because it operates in the realm of the unseen, providing believers with supernatural insight into the spiritual realm. It equips them to distinguish between divine, human, and demonic influences in ways that are not possible through natural reasoning or perception alone.
Identifying Sources of Influence
The biblical gift of discerning of spirits helps believers identify the source of spiritual influence as follows:
| Source of Spirit | Characteristics and Evidence |
|---|---|
| The Holy Spirit | Characterized by fruit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. |
| The Human Spirit | Reveals itself through self-centeredness, ego, or personal ambition; the self-driven motivations and emotions of individuals. |
| Demonic Spirits | Deceptive and destructive forces that operate through deception, fear, and confusion, seeking to disrupt God’s plans. |
How to Cultivate Spiritual Discernment
Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Believers must develop their discernment through several key avenues:
- Experience: Gaining maturity through constant practice (Heb 5:14).
- Desire: A sincere desire to do God’s will (John 7:17).
- Training from the Holy Spirit: Relying on the Spirit of truth for instruction (John 16:13; 1 John 2:27).
- Training through the Scriptures: Utilizing the Word of God to separate truth from error (Heb 4:12; 2 Tim 3:15).
We cannot just rely on a gut feeling as a final answer. We need to allow ourselves to feel our emotions, examine those emotions, scrutinize them, determine why we are feeling them, and perceive what is truly happening. Discernment requires emotional awareness and clarity of thought.
Biblical Standards for Judgment
Believers are instructed on the proper way to exercise their judgment and spiritual insight:
- Do not judge appearances (John 7:24).
- Discernment reaches deeper than the surface (2 Cor 10:7).
- The wise don’t judge with the eyes (Isa 11:2-3).
- Do not judge by human (natural, worldly) standards (John 8:15-16).
- Use judgment and withhold what is good (1 Thess 5:21).
Finally, we must identify false influences by their fruits (Matt 7:15-20). Indicators of a lack of spiritual truth include a refusal to acknowledge Christ, glorifying self, unfulfilled prophecy, enticing strange worship, and preaching “another gospel” that is contrary to the Word of God.