Victory in Discernment
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How well do you judge? One of the things that people say about Christianity is that you can’t judge them. They quote Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” However, the ability to judge can help you immensely. What John is saying is that being able to judge will help. Here is an example, you guys who are going to college, are in the process of judging the schools. On a multiple choice question you guys judge a good answer versus a bad answer. For everything you judge and try to make right choices. Discernment is the ability to judge well. It the same thing spiritually, as you need to be able to discern who is speaking truth and who is not. The reason we need to have discernment is that there are many antichrists in the world. Yet we overcome through the Spirit. Because The Spirit indwells us Ephesians 1:13-14 “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, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” The Spirit lets us know we are of God Romans 8:16 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” The Spirit will guide us into the truth 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” So the Holy Spirit will cause us to understand the things of God. What John is saying that the Christians reading the letter, and us as well is that we will be able to know what is true and what is false. It is through the Holy Spirit, who He teaches us what is true, and what is false. However, we all if saved, have the Holy Spirit, yet not all of us have discernment.
How can you have discernment?
Test the spirits
You cannot believe everything you hear
Many false prophets are around, meaning there are many messed up doctrines
This is the 3rd book we have gone through, and all three were written about false teaching
How do you test the spirits?
Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
The hard part is people will try to claim experience that contradicts the Scriptures, (I joked with my wife, when she had a dream that Rise and Roll did not have any donuts, she goes the next day, and they ran out of donuts, and it was still early)
Peter himself says something interesting
2 Peter 1:16-21 “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
How many of you ever remember something different than your siblings do? You might need a tie breaker. Well it is the same thing with the Word of God.