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"The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment" Blog Tour (Day 11)
- 01/21/08
- 5
Today marks the end of The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment blog tour. This was meant to be only a two week tour, but events conspired to keep me from visiting SharperIron on the scheduled date. We decided we would add one date to the tour so I could make that stop.
The guys at SharperIron focused on the common belief that discernment is intuitive rather than something that requires dedicated thought and practice. How does Scripture tell us to view discernment as a step of rational thought guided by the Holy Spirit, rather than a supra-rational sixth sense? After that opening question, they asked several questions that furthered application. For example, If I use my knowledge of Scripture to judge some action as evil, and this discernment seems clear, how should I view my brother who does not make the same discernment? These were surprisingly difficult questions that I struggled with for quite some time.
I am grateful for all of the bloggers who chose to participate in this tour:
| January 7 | Evangelical Outpost |
| January 8 | Tall Skinny Kiwi |
| January 9 | A-Team |
| January 10 | Adrian Warnock |
| January 11 | Gender Blog |
| January 14 | Jollyblogger |
| January 15 | Between Two Worlds |
| January 16 | TeamPyro |
| January 17 | Michael Spencer |
| January 18 | Church Matters |
| January 21 | SharperIron |
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I write books and blogs for fun while doing web design and consulting for a living. I worship and serve at 
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Comments (5)
Re: Blog Tour:
Tim, you said: “Instead, discernment is examining the revelation God has already given us and, from there, determining what we are to believe about Him and how He requires we live. We do not expect the Spirit to say within us a “Yes” or “No.” Rather, we turn to God’s Words in the Bible and there find what He would have us believe and have us do.”
It seems that you have omitted our dependence on the Holy Spirit in “determining what we are to believe”. When you say, “we don not expect the Spirit to say within us a “Yes” or a “No” I am not sure what you mean by that.This is long, but important, and I hope you will indulge me by reading it and responding to it, so that I do not misunderstand your position.
John Owen said:There are three errors to avoid. Some pretend to be guided by the Spirit and neglect the written Word. Some despise the teaching of the Spirit and trust to their own understanding of the Word. Others reject both the Spirit and the Word and go after another rule and guide.To none of these is the promise of the Spirit given. They are left to their foolish, corrupt imaginations.
Scripture is the believer’s rule and the Holy Spirit is his guide.
It is not an external guidance into all truth by the objective revelation of truth that is meant, for this kind of revelation is not granted to all believers, nor are believers to look for such revelations. And the revelation of truth by the preaching of the gospel is not what is meant, since this is common to all the world and not subject to any special promise.
So it is the internal teaching of the Holy Spirit, giving an understanding of the mind of God and of all revealed sacred truths, which is intended. It is the same as the promise, ‘They shall all be taught of God’ (John 6:45), for this is how we are taught of God, and in no other way. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth by giving us that understanding of it which we ourselves are not able to arrive at (see Acts 8:31).
All spiritual, divine, supernatural truth is revealed in Scripture. To come to know and to rightly understand this truth in Scripture is the duty of all, according to the means which each enjoys and the duties which are required from them. To make this possible the Holy Spirit is promised to them.
Of ourselves, without his special assistance and guidance we cannot arrive at a true knowledge or a right understanding of the truth revealed in Scripture.The Holy Spirit does this work by teaching ‘The unction teaches you.’ This does not refer to his direct inspiration, that is, his bringing new sacred truths from God directly to the minds of men. This is how he taught the apostles and prophets (1 Pet. 1:11-12; 2 Pet. 1:21). Nor does God grant new revelations to preserve his people from error. God has made sufficient provision in his Word for that (Isa. 8:20; 2 Pet. 1:19).
The teaching referred to is his enabling us to discern, know and understand the mind and will of God as revealed in the Scriptures.
It is not enough simply to know the truth. We must also be assured in our minds that we do really know it (Eph. 4:14; Col. 2:2). This assurance is given by the Holy Spirit ‘who is truth and is not a lie’. There is no possibility of anyone being deceived in what he is taught by this ‘unction’. The Holy Spirit gives to believers a secret witness to what he teaches, along with his teachings (1 John 5:6). There is a special power accompanying the teaching of God by his Spirit (Job 36:22; John 6:45). So whoever is taught in this way certainly believes the things he is taught, having the evidence of the truth of them in himself (1 John 5:10).Spiritual sense and judgment are able to discern the divine evidences in the things the Holy Spirit teaches (Heb. 5:14). This is what gives the mind the highest assurance of the truth that it is able to have in this world.
The testimonies we have considered are sufficient to establish this first general assertion: It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to understand aright the mind and will of God in the Scripture. Without his aid we could never do this usefully and profitably to our souls.
The great promise of the New Testament is that all believers shall be ‘taught by God’ (John 6:45; see also 1 Thess. 4:9). No man is self-taught in sacred things.Who will the Holy Spirit teach? He will teach those who are meek and humble, those who give themselves to continual prayer, meditation and study in God’s Word day and night, and those who strive to conform their lives to the truths he instructs them in. Because these are hard conditions to flesh and blood, there are few who apply to study in the school of God, while many will apply to other teachers, especially to the church of Rome, where no cost in self-denial need be involved.
Many seem to attain to great knowledge in Scripture without the inward illumination of the Spirit. However, there is a difference between the Greek ‘gnosis’, meaning knowledge, and ‘epignosis’, meaning acknowledgement. The former, on its own, affects only the speculative part of the mind. It does little good and much harm. It is the knowledge that puffs up (1 Cor 8:1).
Men may have a knowledge of words and the meaning of propositions in the Scripture without a knowledge of the things themselves (2 Cor. 3). This knowledge only informs the mind but does not really illuminate and enlighten it. So theology has been turned into an art or science instead of a spiritual wisdom and understanding of divine mysteries (Rom. 12:2).
Do we continue in prayer, and abound in prayer, as we ought, for that Spirit who alone can lead us into all truth? For that unction which teaches us all things with assurance and experience? There is no duty in this world more acceptable to God than fervent prayers for a right understanding of his mind and will in his Word. On this, everything else depends.
Tim - This post confused me. Will you comment. How much we must depend upon the Spirit when it comes to "spritual discernment". It appears that there may be a be difference between "discernment" based on one's own understanding and "spiriual discernment". I havn't read your book. Does your book you into this in any detail?
Thanks - Denise
I do not speak for Challies, only for myself.
Scripture is sufficient to accomplish all of its intended purposes. If one could come to Scripture with a perfect mind and heart, one would understand it, for it lacks nothing.
The deficiency, then, is in the receivers whose minds are marred by sin. We insert our presuppositions into Scripture. We refuse to draw conclusions from it that are distasteful to us. We twist its words into an image more comfortable to us. We are lazy when we ought to diligently think through problems. Our problem understanding is a sin problem.
The Holy Spirit teaches and sanctifies us, and these are united actions. He does not teach us the Scripture apart from the rational understanding of the Word, but rather He cleans up our sin problem - prejudices, apathy, rebellion, pride - so that we properly read and obey what is already there.
So, I would say that Scripture is rational, and therefore could theoretically be understood by a purely rational mind, but no one is that way because sin has marred our ability to think and perceive rightly. Thus, we do not choose reason instead of reliance on the Spirit; we choose reliance on the Spirit as our only hope to reason rightly.
Thank you Charlie for your effort to clarify. In 2006, Tim wrote:
"So let’s make this practical. What does the concept of illumination really mean to me and to you?
First, it gives me assurance that God can and will speak to me through His word. I do not need to rely on my own intellect and ability, but can have confidence that God Himself is working in and through me to bring light to the words of the Scripture. Neither do I need an expert to mediate God’s Word to me. Rather, I can rely on God Himself to reveal the meaning of Scripture.
Second, I must seek the Spirit’s illumination when I study the Scripture. I should invite Him to guide me as I read and continually turn to Him, asking Him to help me when I am stuck or perplexed. I should not be tempted to rely on my own efforts.
Third, I must be diligent in my studies. The Spirit works through my efforts, not apart from them. If I am not properly engaged in studying the word, I can not expect Him to help me. It is one of God’s mysteries that our study becomes more rewarding, more meaningful, as we dedicate greater effort to it. While we must rely on the Spirit, He expects us to be diligent." end quote
The above quote seems to clarify Tim's understanding and position regarding our dependence on the Spirit of God. However, as I read over the Blog Tour answers (unless I missed something) I don't recall Tim specifically mentioning this critical and important aspect of "discernment".
Perhaps he does in his book? I think that was D.L.'s concern. Perhaps D.L. was just looking for Tim to re-emphasize (for his reader's) how important that aspect of discernment is.
Just my take on things.
Yes - That was my concern. I would have been more comfortable and less concerned if Tim would have said:
“Instead, discernment is examining the revelation God has already given us and, from there, determining what we are to believe about Him and how He requires we live. We do not expect the Spirit to say within us a “Yes” or “No” (apart from His Word) Rather, we turn to God’s Words in the Bible (praying for, yielded to, and aided by His Holy Spirit) and there find what He would have us believe and have us do.”
Hope this clarifies my concern.