Pastor-Teacher
John Farley
Sunday,
September 9, 2012
Spiritual Gifts Part 306:
Discernment is the ability to determine the source of things.
The Doctrine of Spiritual Gifts
Point 4.
Developing the capacity you need to function effectively in your spiritual gift.
He is training us to see with spiritual eyes instead of fleshly eyes.
All of the major New Testament passages on spiritual gifts speak of the importance of discernment and mature thinking.
Spiritual discernment is the ability to be able to consistently see or read a situation accurately according to the standards of the word of God.
δοκιμάςω
dokimazo
to test (literally or figuratively); by implication, to approve:
dokimazo refers to something being tested to determine whether it is genuine or not. It is sometimes used of testing metals.
1Th 5:21
But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.
The ability and practice of examining everything carefully is discernment.
Wisdom and discernment are needed to function properly no matter what your spiritual gift is.
Don’t be concerned with operating in your spiritual gift until you have a heart full of doctrine that has matured into wisdom by regular use.