Discernment between good and evil hardly exists in the world in these last days where everyone does what is right in their own eyes. It is displayed by the choices the leaders in the world make nearly every day. For example, the condemning of Israel or Arizona for practicing self defense.
I guess these thing can be expected because we are told these things will happen in these last days. But, even in our churches the lack of spiritual discernment has become quite evident. One has to wonder how so many that claim to be born of the Spirit show no spiritual discernment about anything?
Some of the largest churches in America are led by pastors with the least biblical understanding and discernment in Christianity?
Whole denominations like the UCC have departed from the faith to embrace a social liberation theology and the denial of any consequences for sin. Most people still in these denominations obviously were born into a religion but they were never born into Christ.
The most popular movement in “Christianity” in America is the prosperity gospel of lust and greed.
The most popular movement with young evangelical Christians is the Emergent Church with its heretical postmodern leadership that redefines foundational truths of Christianity and inserts self induced mystical experiences. (Take a trip with the Jesus created in your own mind”).
The top selling Christian book is the heretical “The Shack”
The Seeker Friendly gospel light movement is still the model for about half of the churches in America.
Millions of Christians are buying into the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement each year (hard Dominionism). The Kingdom Now Word Faith heretics leading this movement keep changing the name and the cover, but the heretical package is still the same.
How do most misguided teachers and heretics get their following? Mainly through Christian TV networks that also display that they do not have an ounce of discernment. Why can’t Christians distinguish teachers of the gospel from heretics? Because they so not know or understand the scriptures themselves. They just follow those that tell their fleshly ears what it wants to hear.
Why is it that Christians have no discernment? That is one of the great mysteries of the Church. Could it be that most Christians are really into a religion rather than being in Christ, or is it that most never learned the core doctrines of Christianity and thus they are blown about by every new wind of doctrine? I think both are the case.
We know from surveys that most Christians do not have a Christian worldview and it is more than obvious that most Christians do not know the scriptures. Most Christians cannot even tell you what they believe or why they believe and if you think I blowing it out of proportion read this report by Josh McDowel on the inability of most Christians to explain their faith.
I lay the blame for Christians not knowing the scriptures on parents, the churches, our educational system, and self. Most parents do not teach their children the Bible at home anymore. Most Sunday schools teach from magazines with selected views about the Bible rather than teaching the Bible. Even Christian grade schools really just teach a secular education with a little Christian history thrown in. Christian higher education often departs from teaching sound doctrine but instead clones a new crop of false teachers. If that is not bad enough, media like the TV and Internet makes it just too easy for Christians to pick and choose what they want to believe and form their own designer Christianity, (Your truth is not my truth). There is so much information overload from extra-biblical sources that without being rooted in sound foundational doctrines of the Bible the students become programed and regurgitate popular arguments of popular heretics. I say self is also to blame because anyone can study the scriptures for themselves.
The answer for the near death of Christian discernment is repentance. Parents and educators need to start treat the Bible like it actually contained the words of God for man to believe and live by. It does. But, we all know that this generation is too enlightened by the world to believe absolute truth from the Bible exists. The consequences for departing from the Word are spelled out in several books of the Bible but first you need to read them and believe them. The outcome in these days will be just as stated, Here is but one example and it already fits our time.
2 Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
“Why is it that Christians have no discernment? That is one of the great mysteries of the Church.”
Could it, perhaps, be as simple an answer as found in John chapter 10? The “religious” people of his day actually had to ask Christ Jesus HIMSELF, “If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.” What a bunch of dopes. And Jesus had to tell them, “I told you, and ye believed not…”
But to me the more telling statement followed, “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep…” Interesting, to me at least, that he didn’t say it the other way around, but ye are not of my sheep, because ye beleive not.
If you can’t hear the Shepherd, how can you be obedient?
You touched on it for sure. Clearly it is because people are not truly born again of the Holy Spirit and they don’t read the whole Bible and they don’t keep in the Word daily. They pick and choose what they want to believe. I know people in my church that say they are Christians but then live a totally worldly lifestyle. They look good on the outside but then I see their Facebook posts and they are out on the lake in the weekends kicking back brewskis with everyone. Its a total contradiction. Now my church does preach the Word but it amazes me that they can sit under teaching and it does not really impact their lives all that much. 45 mins of preaching on Sunday then 6 days of immersion in this world makes a person “of the flesh”. Attending Church, irregardless of what Church, is NOT enough. If its just a “check mark” on that person’s calendar then its not a part of their lives Mon thru Sat. I struggle with this myself I have to admit. Don, this post is a good reminder that the Christian life is not about attending Church on Sunday, its about what you do to stay close to Jesus during the week. I have to constantly work at it, the flesh is weak but the Spirit is willing.
Let me clarify what I mean about attending Church as I realized what I said about “irregardless” might be misinterpreted.
Bottom line, we must choose to attend a solid Bible teaching Church. Attending just any Church is obviously flawed. I have seen sheep and goats intermingled within a good Bible based church, so it does not seem to discriminate regardless of that Church.
It is more about the person and what they do during the week to maintain their closeness to the Lord. I was once in a Bible Study 2yrs ago and it amazed me that there were a few families who would just not even bother to show up (for 2 hrs, its not like we were asking them to come for the day!) because they were “too tired” or they were going to some event, or they would make all kinds of excuses not to attend. It eventually tore the core group up that was committed. People need to stop making excuses.
Our society seems to perpetuate the whole “Sunday Church” thing. People think they are saved because they go to church on Sunday. The original ACTS Church did not have this ritual of Sunday service, its more of trend in the last few hundred years. The original Christians 2000 yrs ago met constantly, it wasn’t a Sunday service event. I believe we have lost our way because of this and then we don’t stay in fellowship during the week.
This is why our leaders attend churches but the decisions they make are so Godless.
Brother Don, my best spiritual gift is encouragement and with that I encourage you to keep digging deep to teach.
One of my gifts is discerning of spirits. It is really bad to tell this but there have been times that spiritual leaders have refused to acknowledge this gift I have from the Lord. It is a money game for them.
Christians need to look to Jesus.
Mr. Wagner is not my apostle.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Maybe we should look at Bible translations that are being used today. I’m sure all kinds of criticism will rain down upon my head, but with the NIV or NKJV Bibles as their only tool, how can they possibly discern anything? Just a thought.
The New King James is probably the best Bible version in English today. Do you really think that some word differences between the translations is the real problem? Now that view in my mind does take a lack of discernment.
When people don’t even read the NIV or NKJV, that IS the problem. Similar to my example of the small group bible study I was in. When people can’t even carve out 2 hours during the week (not Sunday) to study and dig deep, that is the issue in my opinion.
I agree that the NKJV is very good. Many people are down on the NIV but I have received much spiritual wisdom from both versions. I do think that these loose translations like the NLT, TNIV, or The Message are versions that should not be read. These are inaccurate.
Don, the other issue in my opinion about discernment is where are people getting their information?
I think its a combination of not reading/study The Word AND they listen to the mainstream media (tv and internet) sources that contain completely godless perspective. They do not search and pursue other places to find info on what is actually happening in our society. (blogs like this one or others that dissect the news from a Christian and Conservative perspective)
They take info from CNBC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN etc and believe the garbage that is coming from these sources. Almost regularly I talk to people and when I try to discuss the real issues and topics, its like a deer in headlights. They have no clue what I am saying. For example “the economy”, now this is financial in nature but money problems are a symptom of spiritual problems. People still think we are in a recession or coming out of one. We all know this is the beginning of a deflationary depression but nobody wants to look at the facts and data. They just listen to the fools on tv or the net.
Same with politics. People are without a clue. They don’t realize that the reason politics are so messed up is because peoples hearts/souls are lost and without God. They vote for these godless people and now we are seeing the consequences. Or some people don’t vote at all. The people get the leaders they deserve. Obama, Pelosi, Reed and the like are but a symptom of an godless society and moral cancer. And then people wonder why there are huge problems that come from the policies that politicians pass.
So its a combination of things. What do you think Don?
I think putting band-aids on cancer cannot cure the disease. The only solution to people choosing evil is for them to repent and choose Jesus so they can start living their lives for God. American’s that claim they have Jesus but live like the unbelieving world will certainly reap the consequences.
That is why I say it does not matter if their is a right wing political revolution in this country. If the coin is filthy just flipping it will not cleanse it. There must be a national movement to obey God for this nation to survive.
Yes, people need to obey God.
1. Christians don’t read their Bibles.
2. Denominational leaders have to trash their extra bible doctrine.2 Tim 1:13, 2:4,5,12,14,15,16-18,22,23,24 Context: Ch. 1-2