Mission Venture Ministries

For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.  (1 Corinthians 2:11-16)

Spiritual discernment is the ability to determine the difference between truth and error. It means to have wisdom. The Word of God itself says:  it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). 

A discerning mind demonstrates wisdom and insight that go beyond what is seen and heard. For example, God’s Word is spiritually discerned. “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:14). As we see, it is the Spirit who gives us spiritual discernment. 

With so much deception in the world, every believer needs spiritual discernment. Although we have access to God’s wisdom, it’s not something we automatically possess. Rather, it must be diligently sought. And His Word is the place to start, because spiritual discernment comes only when we know the truth and use scripture in every situation we encounter. 

It’s foolish to think that our own wisdom is sufficient to guide us. The human mind, while rational, is incapable of seeing the true nature of many situations and events. What is good may not always be best, and what is presented as truth is sometimes a lie. We need to remember that pride in our own judgment hinders access to godly wisdom. 

In contrast, regularly reading of God’s Word develops our insight. As the Holy Spirit of truth illuminates our mind and interprets the Scriptures, we increasingly see life from God’s perspective. Through the Spirit and the Word, we have a direct link to the very mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). From Genesis to Revelation, God is revealing His thoughts, principles, and wisdom so we can live accordingly in any situation. 

We need to understand that the Lord doesn’t simply pour knowledge into our head after we’re saved. It’s important to daily seek His will and study the Word in order to know Him better. We should also ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand Scripture and obey what it says. 

A good Bible teaching church is another means of instruction. As the Bible is taught and explained, we gain a foundation of truth on which to build our life. But let’s not be satisfied with simply knowing the basics of the faith. As we delve into the Word and grapple with more important issues, we will gain a broader understanding of what the Lord wants and expects of His saints. 

But no matter how much information we accumulate, discernment is produced only by putting into practice what we’ve learned. It does no good to sit in church week after week without ever applying the biblical principles taught in Scripture.  

Spiritual maturity is measured not by what we know but by how faithful we are to apply what we know. It’s through our obedience that God trains us to discern good and evil, then we can live wisely and righteously. Spiritual discernment takes time and increases as we study the Word and put into practice what we learn. 

We must know the truth of Scripture so the Holy Spirit can help us discern how to apply it to our life.

We are commanded to “hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). But, unless we have true discernment, how can we determine what is “evil” and what is “good”? In order to maintain the purity of the gospel, each believer must know how to distinguish truth from heresy. 

Discernment has many benefits. “My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet” (Proverbs 3:21-24). 

Just as Solomon sought discernment and wisdom (Proverbs 1:2; 1 Kings 3:9-12) to explore the handiwork of God (Ecclesiastes 1:13) and seek the meaning of life (Ecclesiastes 12:13), so should believers seek “the wisdom that comes from heaven” (James 3:17). We must study the Scriptures which are “able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). 

So, how does one increase spiritual discernment? First, recognizing that God is the only one who can increase wisdom, second, pray for it, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). And Philippians 1:9-11 tells us: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” As we see, having wisdom to distinguish good from evil comes by training and practice, we need to go to the Bible to learn the truth and meditate on the Word to reinforce the truth. 

When a bank hires an employee, he is trained to recognize counterfeit bills. One would think that the best way to recognize a counterfeit would be to study various counterfeits. The problem is that new counterfeits are being created every day. The best way to recognize a counterfeit bill is to have an intimate knowledge of the real thing. Having studied authentic bills, bank cashiers are not fooled when a counterfeit comes along. Knowledge of the true helps them identify the false. 

This is what Christians must do to develop spiritual discernment. We must know the authentic so well that, when the false appears, we can recognize it. By knowing and obeying the Word of God, we will be “trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). We will know God’s character and will. This is the heart of spiritual discernment – being able to distinguish the voice of the world from the voice of God, and of having the sense that “this is right” or “this is wrong.” 

May our request to God be: “I am Your servant; give me discernment that I may understand Your statutes” (Psalm 119:125).

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