1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
— 1 John 4:1-3 (ESV)
One of the many blessings afforded us through the Holy Spirit as believers is the gift of discernment. Essentially, it is our access portal to knowledge and the wisdom to use it properly.
Discernment is actually a form of communication between you and God and opens an avenue for you to grow in your spiritual giftings.
One of the greatest tools in discerning what is true and false, both spiritually and naturally, is the proper use of the Word of God. Not filtering the information that comes our way through the Holy Spirit is both foolish and dangerous. Trust the Holy Spirit, He will not and cannot lead you wrong.
The more you apply spiritual discernment to your daily life, the more you will grow in it. As you begin to walk deeper in the gifting of discernment and begin to gain information, you will then need to deal with it properly.
Remember, you don’t have to share everything God reveals to you. But, you must do all that He instructs you to do. There is a HUGE and IMPORTANT difference in these two things.
Discernment without knowledge and wisdom can be dangerous. In other words, knowing something is one thing, knowing how to use what you know is a totally different one.
After something is revealed to you, it is important to counsel with the Holy Spirit as to when to apply the information you have received or if you even should at this point.q
Sometimes what discernment provides you about a person is not just a warning to you about a situation, but showing you where you can help a person grow.
Treat the gift of discernment as precious, because it is. Misuse it and you can lose the opportunity to use it.
Austin Bishop has been a journalist for 50 years and is an ordained minister. Those wishing to receive his daily devotional/Bible study notes may sign up by texting 601-938-2471 and asking to be added to either the morning or afternoon list. He can be reached by e-mail at starsportsboss@yahoo.com.
