Discernment isn’t stating the obvious.

It is not simply recognizing the difference between right and wrong. Most people can identify what is clearly evil. That does not require much discernment.

Real discernment is recognizing the difference between what is right and what is almost right.

Our culture has a saying that captures this well. “Same, same, but different.”

Look at the graphic above. The clear soda and the dark soda require no discernment. Anyone can immediately see they are different.

The three dark sodas are another story.

They all look the same. One is regular cola. One is diet. One is Dr. Pepper. You cannot know the difference by looking at them. You have to test them.

That is discernment.

This is also the crisis facing the Church today.

Many things that are spiritually dangerous do not look dangerous. They sound biblical. They appear sincere. They stir our emotions. They come wrapped in confidence, charisma, and passion. On the surface, everything looks the same.

But appearances can be deceiving.

This is why Paul prayed such a remarkable prayer for the believers in Philippi.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.”
Philippians 1:9

Notice what Paul did not pray.

He did not simply pray that their love would grow. He prayed that their love would grow in knowledge and all discernment.

Why?

Because the Philippians were living under pressure. They faced persecution from the outside. They were experiencing conflict within the church. False teachers were also beginning to influence believers. Paul knew they would need more than sincere hearts. They would need the ability to distinguish truth from subtle error.

Later in the letter he warns them to watch out for false teachers. His prayer in chapter one prepared them for the warning in chapter three.

Paul understood something we desperately need to recover today.

Love without knowledge becomes naive.

Love without discernment becomes vulnerable.

Biblical love is never separated from truth.

Unfortunately, much of the modern Church has confused discernment with being critical. If someone asks questions, tests a teaching, or examines what is being said against Scripture, they are often labeled judgmental, divisive, or even “the accuser.”

Yet Scripture commands us to test everything.

Testing is not a lack of love.

Testing is one of the ways love protects.

Today, if someone claims to be a Christian or says they have a word from the Lord, many believers simply accept it without examination. We have confused charisma with anointing. We mistake emotional passion for spiritual maturity. We assume that someone with a large following, an engaging personality, or a persuasive voice must be speaking for God.

None of those things prove spiritual authority.

Some of the most anointed people you will ever meet may never stand on a platform. They quietly pray. They faithfully obey. They know the Scriptures. They shepherd people without seeking recognition. Their lives bear fruit, even if they never become well known.

Meanwhile, gifted communicators who know how to move emotions often receive the microphone because they are compelling. Influence has become more valuable than character. Presentation has become more important than faithfulness.

That should grieve us.

In many ways, we have recreated the environment that allowed Simon the Sorcerer to amaze the crowds. We continue to be fascinated by what impresses us instead of asking whether it is true.

Part of the problem is a lack of Biblical literacy.

How can we discern truth if we do not know the truth?

Every counterfeit is recognized by comparing it to the genuine article. If we do not know God’s Word, we will not recognize when it is subtly twisted, selectively quoted, or taken out of context.

Even Satan quoted Scripture when he tempted Jesus.

The issue was never whether Scripture was being used.

The issue was whether it was being used truthfully.

If the enemy knows enough Scripture to distort it, then believers should know Scripture well enough to recognize the distortion.

The writer of Hebrews says that mature believers have their senses trained to distinguish good from evil. Discernment is not automatic. It is developed. It grows as we spend time in God’s Word, submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, and consistently practice recognizing truth.

The Church does not need more personalities.

It needs more believers who know the Scriptures, love the truth, and have the courage to test everything they hear against God’s Word.

Because deception doesn’t announce itself as deception.

It usually looks almost right.

And that is why discernment matters.

<3 Jen