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Discernment in Scripture is the skill that enables us to
differentiate. It is the ability to see issues clearly. We
desperately need to cultivate this spiritual skill that will
enable us to know right from wrong. We must be prepared to
distinguish light from darkness, truth from error, best from
better, righteousness from unrighteousness, purity from
defilement, and principles from pragmatics.
— J. Stowell, Fan The Flame, Moody, 1986, p. 44
Godly discernment is discernment approved by God (cf. Ps
37:3-6), of which an exhortation of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
will provide us with a good foundation.
1. Godly personal practice
Verse 16: Rejoice evermore. Of God’s grace. Keep on trusting
the Lord for all is well with our soul, that even in death,
absence in the body is presence with the Lord. Learn from
Nehemiah, despite the frustrations you may be facing in
life; rejoice, for the joy of the LORD is your strength (Neh
8:10).
Verse 17: Pray without ceasing. Have communion with God
regularly. It is to our disadvantage if we do not seek God;
and to our discredit if we are inconsistent in our prayers.
Be honest with ourselves, praying not only when we are in
trouble.
Verse 18: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (cf. Rom 8:28).
Instead of complaining of seeming unfairness in life and
drawing ourselves further away from God, acknowledge Him in
everything. We should see life as a continuous walk with God
and see worldly things that come our way as interruptions,
instead of the other way round.
2. The corporate assistance: helping one another.
Verse 19. Quench not the Spirit (cf. Matt 3:11 and Acts
2:3-4). Allow the Holy Spirit to set the fire within us,
convict us of our sins, empowering us and helping us
rekindle our passion and relationship with God.
Verse 20: Despise not prophesying. This should not be seen
as accepting new prophesies and revelations. The epistle was
written in a time when the Bible was not completed yet. But
since we have the completed Bible with us now, we should
accept God’s Word fully. Whereas in matters when the Bible
is silent, we should be silent too, for anything new apart
from what is in God’s Word causes confusion and throws our
discernment off track.
Verse 21a: Prove all things. Maintain and exercise
discernment by proving it with the Word of God. Bankers
train themselves to recognise counterfeits not by looking at
different forgeries, but by their regular contact with real
ones. At times when they encounter a counterfeit, they can
recognise it immediately — precisely because they know the
real notes too well (cf. Eph 5:10; 2 Tim 3:16). Our problem
does not lie with us rejecting too much, but rather with us
accepting too much. We need to study diligently, to help us
recognise false teachings.
Verse 21b: Hold fast that which is good. Hold on to the
Truth and do not let go. When we hold fast to the Word of
God, we will be held fast too. Seek to develop strong
foundation in the Word, and when faced with insurmountable
trials, be assured — we are held fast by God.
Verse 22: Abstain from all appearance of evil. Evil is
anything that is outside what God has said. Fear the Lord.
Sieve through the things in life, retaining only the good.
We are like different pianos, and instead of tuning
ourselves with reference to one another, we should be doing
it with the same tuning fork: God’s Word. Anchor ourselves
in His Word; praying for, trusting and following the
leadership of God’s appointed: to know them which labor
among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s
sake. And be at peace among yourselves (1 Thess 5:12-13).
Amen. |
