Discernment of Truth, Part 2

We began looking at what it means to discern the Truth in the July 14, 2022 post titled “Discernment of Truth, Part 1”. If you have not had a chance to read it yet, I strongly encourage you to read that post, prior to reading this post, Part 2.

I will start today’s post by sharing once again how we could read 1 Timothy 4:1 with the Greek meanings inserted. ‘The Spirit of God, distinctly says in latter times some will choose to withdraw themselves or fall away from the substance of what is believed by Christians. They also choose to apply, attach, or cleave themselves to those who are imposters or those who falsely claim to follow God and lead others into error. They cleave to teachings of devils or demons that seduce them from the truth to follow after destructive, malicious, wicked doctrines which will bring nothing but great harm, serious injury, or death to them.’

We shared about how we needed to be alert and on the look out for false teachers in the previous post.

Something you need to understand, is that we are not talking about events which will take place in the future - we are living in it now. Deceit and deception are rampant in our country, now. In 2008, according to the Pew Research Center Study, more that 50% of all American Christians say that non-Christian faiths can lead to salvation.

The following statistics were taken from an article on Christiantoday.com from May 23, 2018. “A 10,000 member church in New York is being taught that there is more than one way to heaven.

In 2018, 80% of all Americans surveyed, said they believe in God, of that 80%, only, 56% say the God they believe in is the one described in the Bible.

The Chicago Theological Seminary academic dean said, “multiple paths to God is the future of theological education.”

The minister at a 5,500 member church in Chicago does not believe Jesus is the only way to God.

Harvard, Yale, and Oxford are pluralistic schools. A research professor at the Dallas Theological Seminary stated, in an interview, that the shift away from traditional Bible-based teaching among Christians to a more pluralistic approach to faith in God is an agenda item of higher education institutions.

Then according to a Barna Research Report report, in 2021, only 6% of American adults have a Biblical worldview.

Yes, you see, we are living in the days of deceit, deception, and false teachers who lure believers away from Biblical based truth.

In this time of extensive deception, we need to discern the truth as never before. John 8:31 and 32 (NKJV), “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Many today are being deceived because they have abandoned the Word of God. They no longer study it to know the truth. Their Bibles collect dust because they are unused. Many would rather blindly follow the teaching of others. We see huge crowds of people waving signs, shouting slogans, happily following the crowd who are intentionally deceiving them. When I see that scenario, I can’t help but wonder how many of them actually researched what they claim to believe by joining and supporting that crowd?

We read in Acts 17:11 that the Berean Jews were of ‘more noble character than those in Thessalonica because they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true’.

Knowing that the epistle of Hebrews was written to wavering Jewish believers to encourage them in their faith helps us to understand the reason for the rather sharp chastisement given in Hebrews 5:11-14 (NIV), “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” The mature have trained themselves to distinguish between good and evil by studying the Word of God.

Isaiah 5:20 (NLT), “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.”

How do we acquire the discernment of truth? First, we need to recognize that God’s Word is the ultimate source of truth.

Read the following Scriptures with me:

2 Peter 1:16-21 (NLT), “For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes 17 when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." 18 We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place--until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”

John 14:6 (NLT), “Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

John 18:37 (NLT), “Pilate said, "So you are a king?" Jesus responded, "You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true."

Psalm 119:60 (NLT), “I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands.”

2 Timothy 3:16,17 (NLT), “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

Jesus promised He would send the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth.

John 14:15-17(NKJV), ”If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

John 16:13 (NKJV), “"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

Hebrews 4:12(NKJV), “For the word of God [is] living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

We started this study with Scriptures which indicated we needed to be cautious to not be deceived by false prophets. However, I have learned through years of experience that a certain fear of false prophets or prophecies causes many to reject those who do speak the Words of God. Not all prophets or prophecies are false. Remember, the office of the prophet is one of the five-fold ministry gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11 and 12. 1 Corinthians 14:29 when addressing what takes place in an assembly, “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge (discern, make a distinction).” This is a perfect example of why the gift of discernment is so important.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 (NKJV) tells us, “Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.”

1 John 4:1-6 (NKJV) reveals, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test (examine, prove, scrutinise to see whether or not a thing is genuine) the spirits, whether they are of God; because 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 of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

Deuteronomy 18:22 (ESV), “when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”

False prophets will appear as angels of light, just as satan did/does so, be sure to learn to hear the voice of the Spirit of God and test the spirits.

1 Corinthians 2:4 (NLT), “And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Finally, we learn in 1 Corinthians 12:10 that the Holy Spirit gives the ability to distinguish between spirits. In other words, the Holy Spirit enables us to discern which spirit we are dealing with. We need to fine tune that gift by reading the Word of God and communing with Him in prayer.

We see an example of the Spirit of God revealing the truth to Nehemiah 6:10-12, “Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, "Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight." 11 But I replied, "Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won't do it!" 12 I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.” The Spirit revealed a falsehood.

Read the Word. Pray. Rid yourself from sin. Learn to hear the voice of the Spirit.

God has made a way for us to discern Truth!

NLT New Living Translation

NKJV New King James Version

NIV New International Version

ESV Eastern Standard Version