Monday, September 19, 2016
I am by no means an expert on the issue of spiritual discernment but this is what I know: According to the Bible, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit which means that some of God’s children have it. (See I Corinthians 12:10) Nevertheless, since God’s Spirit dwells in the hearts and also directs the steps of all His faithful children, I believe we all have a certain level of it. It is one more way for the Lord to protect His people. Speaking to them about the end times, Jesus told His Disciples: “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matthew 24:24) Sadly, many children of God today are not very spiritually perceptive but I take this verse to mean that even though they may be fooled by false prophets, their eternal salvation is secure. It is not possible, because of God’s grace and mercy, that they be deceived to the point of losing their salvation.
The reason I was led to write on this subject today is because yesterday morning, on the way to church, I heard a new radio program replace the one we have heard for sometime, one which was led by a very solid teacher of the Word of God. This new minister said all the right things and I detected no doctrinal errors. Even so, I sensed that something was not right about it and was left with the impression that something was missing in his message. To me, it lacked love and compassion. An old saint of God told me this a long time ago: “I have heard many preachers preach about Hell, but watch out for those who, in their message, give you the impression that they actually want people to go there.”
Back to the issue of spiritual discernment, the reason I won’t tell you the name of yesterday’s radio preacher is because, (1) I’m not sure I have “the gift” and (2) the Bible forbids it. Romans 14:4 says: “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” If the preacher in question is a servant of God, I have no right to judge him. One day God will judge all His servants, whether good or bad, you and I included. Therefore, even though I think I was right, I could be wrong, so I’ll mostly keep this to myself. However, I encourage you to ask God to increase your spiritual wisdom. The next time you hear a servant of God say something that just doesn’t sound right, research the matter as diligently as you can. God is faithful. Besides shielding you from the effects of false teachings, He will help you grow in spiritual discernment. And this is one thing that is very much needed nowadays.
God’s promise for today: (John 10:10) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they(God’s sheep) may have life, and have it to the full.”
