I did cover discernment a bit in my blog about how we lost the biblical concept of what church is, so that’s good to check out, as well. But I’m going to dig a bit deeper into the importance of discernment!
Who Can We Trust to Tell us the Truth About ETERNAL LIFE??
Consider this…
The 12 disciples (in this context 11, as we know Judas betrayed Jesus) were with Jesus all the time, and they still were confused as to the things he was saying. BUT what happened? They obtained the Holy Spirit and everything clicked, they had wisdom about what Jesus said, they were confident, they were on fire to share the Gospel truth! So, we see they needed Christ in them, they needed a spiritual transformation to understand the spiritual things that Jesus shared.
Jesus said that would be true:
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. – John 14:26
The Pharisees were considered experts on the first 5 books of the bible (Torah). They taught it, studied, dedicated their lives to it, and ended up being the ones to murder Jesus. Note: religious people killed Jesus not atheists.
So, what does this tell us? People can study the bible all their lives and still miss what the scripture is actually saying! Today, many teachers and preachers believe in Jesus but are still sharing the Gospel based on what they studied with no real spiritual transformation. They don’t have the Holy Spirit, so they are teaching religion!
Religion has you working for your salvation, not repenting/surrendering to obtain it, not relying on God’s miraculous grace. Not being fully secure that you are saved!!
So, who are you listening to: People who have been blinded by Today’s Pharisees? (Please Note: many preachers and teachers are decent people, just blinded. I’m not saying they are all out to deceive people). OR someone born again, transformed by the power of God?
We ALL Need Discernment – ONLY the Holy Spirit can provide it!
Discernment is: the ability to judge well, see what is hidden, and tell the difference between truth and falsehood, or right and wrong.
There is a lot of deception in this world, but with God helping you, you can become very aware of what is truth and what is deception.
The Holy Spirit is your ultimate guide on how to navigate this life. When you are born again you gain discernment (we all need it)! No pastor, teacher, preacher, not I or your parent can replace discernment from the Holy Spirit. You need it! No church pastor, friend, or even your own spouse, can hold your hand through everything you read, experience, and face in your life and tell you if you are being deceived or receiving truth. That’s the job of the Holy Spirit – to tell you, give you a sign, or a feeling when something is wrong.
DISCERNING the FOUR TYPES OF PEOPLE TEACHING THE BIBLE:
- FIRST: There are people like me who have the Holy Spirit are BORN AGAIN following Jesus free from religion. It took a while, but I got free from religion. I’m very confident in what I’m sharing, as I feel the Holy Spirit leading me. It surprises me that I know so much, as I had no spiritual wisdom before I was born again (so I know it is a gift). It doesn’t mean I can’t mess up in my explanations on biblical things. However, I don’t try and make up answers to things I don’t understand to look smart. I admit I don’t know, and seek answers from someone who does. I’ve seen people with the Holy Spirit way longer than me mess things up. Not one Christian is perfect. I’ve found many great teachers to learn from as well, as there are many born-again Christians who have a heart to share truth no matter what the cost.
- SECOND: People who are born again but still have religious mindsets. They teach legalism for example: may have you dress up fancy for church on Sunday, tell you that you need to tithe a certain amount, tell you just say this prayer and you are now officially saved! Some of them get stuck still in the system of religion, so they will tell you how to be born again, but it will be simplified, even though they clearly have the Holy Spirit. I’ve seen this! I’m not sure if these pastors forget the truth, they start to see dollar signs, get brainwashed by religious training, or what?This could also look like they push fear vs trust in God. A certain level of fear is healthy when you are not saved, if you are saved – fear is not your best friend. Scripture repeatedly says “not to fear” after you have the Holy Spirit.
- THIRD (unfortunately seen in most churches today): People who have NOT been born again teaching religion. They share the bible from studying it, learning it from others, only teaching theology, and not the power of the Holy Spirit. Many are not out to deceive you, they just don’t know the truth, they are blinded. They may share the bible with lots of charisma and confidence. They certainly had me deceived for most of my life. But I always felt like something was missing.
- FOURTH (probably the most dangerous): People who have huge spiritual gifts that appear to be doing God’s work, but are not walking in alignment with God! They have not truly been born again, still slaves to sin. They will teach things NOT at all biblical. (This could be like a false prophet or antichrist) OR this could be someone simply who was born again, but fell deep into dangerous habitual sins. This person could be on the road to losing their salvation.
The Holy Spirit can help you, identity these preachers, teachers, leaders, or just the people around you where they fit.
You Can Also Ask the Holy Spirit to Help you Discern
“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.” – 1 John 4:1
You also can pray and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on whether you are receiving truth from God, or being deceived by a person or spirit. Pray “Father, I ask in Jesus’ name…….?” (John 14:13–14). Pray in the secret place, a place of silence with no distractions. Silence your mind and listen for a soft whisper as you ask in your head.
The Holy Spirit is Your Ultimate Teacher
27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. – 1 John 2:27
The anointing is the Holy Spirit teaching you. Christ is in you – you are part of the body of Christ when you are born again. Catching that? The Holy Spirit is your ultimate teacher!
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, – Philippians 1:9–10
Scripture grows you. The Holy Spirit grows you. You gain knowledge and insight, and grow from reading, prayer, and listening to the Holy Spirit, obeying.
You Need to Read Scripture to Grow Your Discernment!
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. – Matthew 4:4
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: – 1 Peter 2:2
Spiritual milk is reading and studying the scripture. When you are born again, you are considered a newborn babe and need milk – which is the word. Someone pointed me to this verse when I was born again and that’s exactly what I did, I read and I read. Now I’m on solid food (see below), I can discern pretty well good from evil. But I still need the word, as now I’m consuming the word on a deeper level.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. – Hebrews 5:14
As I said in an earlier blog, the bible is: “The INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR LIFE.”
When You Grow in Discernment You Can Learn A LOT from Others
We can learn a lot from others, but the Holy Spirit helps us know who to trust and what to trust when we listen to others (discernment). My blogs have been mostly focused on helping people to repent and receive the Holy Spirit. But I do have a lot to share on living a born-again life (I was given a book to write in the future), to help people, but never to take away from the Holy Spirit as being their ultimate guide. Most of what I have to share is how to rely on the Holy Spirit and build upon a relationship with God.
HOLY SPIRIT Points Out SIN You Can’t Find on Your Own!
You need the Holy Spirit to point you to sin in your life. I was sinning in ways I didn’t know I was sinning until the Holy Spirit made me aware. No teacher or preacher can help you find all your sin! AND willpower won’t be enough to keep yourself from all the sins. Christ in you makes it happen (Holy Spirit)!
Truth comes from the HOLY SPIRIT. This is Jesus speaking about the Holy Spirit:
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” – John 16:13–15
The Holy Spirit gives us certain things to do that are just for us to do. The Holy Spirit can teach us things in the bible as we read that are specifically for us. You can read the bible over and over again and learn different things every time, because the bible is so deep. The Holy Spirit will teach you different things every time you read.
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 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. 12 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. – 1 Corinthians 2:10-12
God Doesn’t Allow Sinners into Heaven
Here are some scriptures on this: 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, Galatians 5:19–21, Ephesians 5:5–6
WOULDN’T Heaven be like another Earth if God let all the sinners in???
To not be a sinner by your own efforts alone is to do the impossible! But with Christ in you, nothing is impossible!
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”- Mark 10:27
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:1–2
13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. – Romans 8:13–14
Before I was born again, I didn’t see myself as a huge sinner. I felt I was doing a rather decent job. As my heart was if I sinned, it better not hurt someone else. If I did, knew of it, I was quick to apologize. But I repented for all the sins I could think of. And after being born again, the Holy Spirit pointed me to sins and pagan things I didn’t even know I was doing. I could have carried a list of sins in my pocket, referred to it daily, and I would still have never found all my sins.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. – Ezekiel 36:26–27
GOD CHANGES YOUR HEART & YOUR MIND when you are BORN AGAIN!
I know now, it didn’t matter how much of a sinner I was compared to anyone else, because my identity was still “sinner.” But now I receive power to resist sin on a level I could have never done on my own! All my shame is gone. I no longer have the identity “sinner,” I have the identity “Child of God.”
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. – Romans 8:14
I’m Here to Help NOT Confuse
My goal is to bring truth and clarity. If for some reason something confuses you, please let me know. There are enough people making the bible confusing, my goal is to do the opposite.
I stumbled a lot after I was saved. I was confused in so many different ways, and so I sincerely want to help people to have less confusion than I did before and after being born again. I want you to be filled with the Holy Spirit, secure in your salvation, and on a path of joy, peace, and love that overflows.
BLESSINGS,
Jena
I have a Wellness Coach Certificate, I'm an entrepreneur, an innovator, writer, and artist. My expertise includes over 7 years of marketing, research, and developing content for holistic health businesses. Plus, my own personal journey of becoming chronically sick: understanding what went wrong, and finding a way to heal and live a healthier life. I have a passion for wellness with a wealth of knowledge surrounding: wellness, flaws in healthcare, root causes for chronic illnesses, and alternative treatments.