Discernment

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Living in Berea

The job I currently have requires that I test gold jewelry. In order to do that I have certain tools at my disposal. 

The first test I do is visual.You can tell a lot by just looking at a ring or necklace. I look for flaking and other tell tale signs.  

The second step in testing gold is the magnet test. If the item is attracted to a magnet, even slightly, it is not real.

These precious metals are non-ferrous, meaning they are not magnetic. If your item is magnetic it means it is fake and there is no reason to test any further.

If the piece of jewelry passes the first two tests, then I move onto test number three: the acid test. This is accomplished by scratching the item on a testing stone and dropping some nitric acid on the scratch mark. Depending on how the acid reacts will determine if the piece of jewelry is real or fake. 

I can’t just take a person’s word for it that the jewelry is real, I could unknowingly buy fake gold that has no value. If I don’t take the proper steps to determine that the gold is genuine, then I have not done my job correctly. I have an obligation to be discerning when it comes to deciding if that piece of jewelry is the real thing or counterfeit. When you have the right tools, there is no excuse for not using them.

The same is true for the Christian. We need to test what we are being taught and what we are willing to believe. We can’t just assume that all who say they are Christians are truly Christians. We can’t take for granted that everything spoken from the pulpit is correct.There are counterfeit doctrines in church, counterfeit christians, and it is imperative that every true Christian be discerning. 

Throughout Scripture there are warnings to Christians about false doctrine and a false Christ. If it was true then, it is true now. Even more so. 

In first John chapter 4:1-3 we read;

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

He is obviously writing to Christians, warning them not to believe everything they hear. He says, “Do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”. He goes on to tell them how they can know the spirit of God. So this begs the question, how do we test? The simple answer is that we test all that we hear by scripture. We are able, as Christians, to discern by knowing, studying, and understanding the Bible… God’s word.

When Paul and Silas left Thessalonica they went to the town of Berea. There they visited the synagogues, teaching the Jews about Jesus and reasoning from the scriptures proving that he was the Christ. And then we read this:

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Acts 17:11

These “noble Jews” used the Scriptures to determine if Paul was teaching truth or error. They did not receive it without scrutinizing it and comparing it to the word of God. We would do well to do the same. When was the last time you questioned what was said in the pulpit or any sermon that you heard on TV? When have you examined a doctrine from the denomination that you belong to? If it comes from those in authority do you just accept it as truth rather than search the Scriptures daily to see if it is so?

The other day I was watching a messianic Jewish rabbi on TBN and some of the things he said were not biblical. Yet he has a large enough following to support his television ministry. He talked about interpreting dreams given to him by God, opening the Scriptures and randomly pointing to a letter in the Bible in order to get an answer to a question. Then at the end of his 30 minute diatribe he used a scripture out of context to get the listeners to send him money.

Another warning is found in Matthew chapter 7:15

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

In this case the wolf came in Rabbi’s clothing rather than sheep’s clothing. I guess being dressed as a rabbi gives him some sort of credibility. What if Christians would simply examine the scriptures and compare them to what he said? 

Time and time again I hear scriptures used and taken out of context in a sermon to make a certain point. Why does it not bother the pastor that said it or the pew sitter who heard it? Why doesn’t somebody standup and question the way the word is being taught?

It is one of two reasons, I think. Either the person is intimidated by those who give out the word or they’re ignorant to the word and therefore don’t even recognize that error. Sometimes people don’t think it’s a big deal because it sounds right or seems to make sense. However they won’t bother to look up the verse and read it in its proper context.

Here are two simple examples where I have heard scripture used out of context on a regular basis. There are many more, but for the sake of time we will just look at these two because they are used incorrectly so often.

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Over the last 30+ years I have heard this verse used in evangelistic sermons prompting the hearer to open the door of their heart and let Jesus in. This verse has nothing to do with evangelism. It has nothing to do with accepting Christ, it has nothing to do with believing in Christ.

This verse is taken from a letter written to the church of Laodicea. The church had become lukewarm. The church was not functioning the way it should be. They said that they were rich, that they had prospered, and they needed nothing. But they didn’t realize that they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. This letter was a type of discipline because it says “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” It was a letter to a church, not a call to acceptance of Christ into your heart. It was a call to those who said they were Christians to return to their first love. Not a call to those who were not Christians to become Christians. 

This is very easy to look up and read in its proper context yet thousands upon thousands of people listen to this and accept it as a call for new believers.

 In Galatians 1:6-9 we read:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

This is another warning: If you preach a gospel that is not the true gospel, the gospel that the apostles preached, it says that you are to be cursed. This is a very serious matter. Unfortunately the pure gospel, the simple gospel, the gospel the apostles taught is not being clearly preached. Therefore, people are being led into a false assurance of their salvation and relationship to God.

Here is another verse that is misused on a regular basis

1 John 4:4

       Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

This is a reference to the Holy Spirit living within the believer. I have heard people use this verse in order to overcome something in their life, maybe a sin, maybe a worry, maybe a difficulty or a sickness. Within its proper context if one would just read all of chapter 4 they would see that it is a call to discernment. Because we have the Holy Spirit living within us we are able to discern truth from error and Godly thought from worldly thought.

Now at this point you might be thinking,”Wow… that’s the best you got?” Like I said, these are two simple examples. And if these were the only examples that could ever be found it would still be worth mentioning because it is still a misuse of scripture. 

We are called to be discerning. Like those living in Berea, we should be searching the scriptures daily to make sure that what we are being taught is true and accurate.

Turn on any Joel Osteen program for more examples of the misuse of scripture, the lack of discernment in those who listen.

He will quote a scripture, turn and twist it out of context, and force it into a teaching about you, your happiness, and your success. 

To him Jesus died to make you happy and prosperous. He won’t talk about sin, repentance, and the wrath of God suffered by Christ on the cross. The audience will bob their heads up and down and applaud, never questioning what he says and continuing to be willfully ignorant to what the scriptures truly teach.

Compare the teachings of Joel Osteen to this passage from Ephesians Chapter 5:6-11

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them

It says “Let no one deceive you with empty words.” Notice the word “let.” You have a choice and it’s your duty and obligation to rightly divide the word of truth. If you are deceived, you are letting it happen. This verse goes on to say “do not become partakers with them.” Why? Because “now you are light in the Lord walk as children of light.” If we are truly Christians, Christ followers, children of God, it is imperative that we understand what we believe and why. We cannot be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine and we can no longer idly sit by and accept every word that comes out of the mouths of men without comparing it to Gods word.

Paul exhorts Timothy with these words,

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,”

1 Tim 6:20

Also Paul says to Timothy,

…..But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.[c]13 Follow the pattern of the sound[d] words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

1 Tim 1:12-14

Just as instructed to Timothy, we too are to guard what has been entrusted to us. If we don’t, who will? 

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jude 3-4

I recently had lunch with three former Seventh-day Adventists. Even though their stories may have been different, there was one common thread they all shared: they all came out of SDA because they compared what they had been taught to scripture. When they took a honest look at the doctrines of their church and compared them to the teachings of God’s pure word, they realized they needed to leave the church they all had grown up in. These are not easy decisions to make. It divides families, it divides friends. But what choice did they have when they saw the truth? 

There can be no denying that within the Church there is false teaching and aberrant theology. It is up to the true Christian to stand against these false teaching and false teachers. Furthermore, it’s up to true Christians to exercise discernment as a means to expose those falsehoods. 

If you are a child of God, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you and you have the word of God at your fingertips. These are the tools you need to discern truth from error.

This small article is by no means meant to be exhaustive on this subject. That was never my intention. My hope is that whoever reads it will start asking the right questions and start to think about what they believe and why they believe it. Don’t be led astray or fall into complacency. Be like those in Berea and search the scriptures daily to make sure what you are hearing is true.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

1 Tim 4:1-4