“I look back upon him with awe, as on the saints and martyrs of old. A holy man, in spite of all his delusions and errors. He is now with his God and Saviour, whom he wronged so much, yet, I am persuaded, loved so sincerely.” So said Robert Murray McCheyne of Edward Irving. And in those words McCheyne aptly summarizes the legacy of Irving, a man of unusual ability, a man who by so many appearances genuinely loved the Lord. And yet he was a man who had some very strange and dangerous beliefs and a man who was fascinated with spectacular manifestations of spiritual gifts. He was the forerunner of the contemporary charismatic movement.

Born in 1792, Edward Irving was a Scottish preacher, a man who had inherited the legacy of a deeply theological faith. Licensed to preach in the Presbyterian churches, he quickly became noted as a speaker and preacher for his intellectual and eloquent sermons. But he was also known as a kind and attentive pastor who found great joy in visiting the homes of the people in his care. He loved these people deeply and was committed to them. He was at times shockingly arrogant and at other times deeply humble.

In 1822, after several years of ministry in Scotland, Irving was invited to take the pastorate at Caledonian Church in London. His eloquent speech was soon noticed by many of the London elite and Irving’s star rose quickly until his church was one of the most popular in the city. In these years Irving became interested in, and then obsessed with, prophecy and the charismatic gifts. And it was not long before these emphases dominated his ministry and dominated his church. Services became a cacophony of tongues, of prophecy, of elements that began to overtake the preaching of the Word.

In recent days I have received several emails dealing with spiritual gifts. Unfortunately, due to constraints on my time, I’ve been unable to spend a lot of time answering these. Today I want to spend just a few moments at least sharing some basic biblical teaching on the spiritual gifts. Much of this is drawn from my book The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment where I have an entire chapter dealing with gifts in general and the gift of discernment in particular.

Often when I hear people speak of spiritual gifts they do so in this manner. “I have the gift of [insert gift here] and my church has no way for me to serve in that way.” Or “I know what my gift is and I am looking for ways to use it.” To these people I would suggest that they may have an inaccurate or incomplete understanding of the way the gifts work. The way to properly exercise spiritual gifts is not to be willing only to do what you’ve determined is your gifting, but to do anything that the church needs to have done, and to do it with joy and excellence. And as you do that, you may find that God gifts and equips you for something far outside your comfort zone.

The Bible seems to indicate that Christians will typically know how they have been gifted. There is certainly nothing that would hint at the modern methods of discovering gifts through surveys or assessments. And yet, while most Christians know that the gifts of the Spirit are given to God’s people, they continue to struggle with identifying the ways in which God has gifted them.

Because gifts are given for the benefit of the body, it seems likely that where there is a need, there will be someone with the gifting to fill that need. If a church has a desperate need for a person with the gift of teaching, it seems likely that someone within the church has been given such a gift and may fill the need, at least for a season. Similarly, if a person is a member of a church where there is no opportunity to exercise a certain gift, it may be that this church needs to create opportunities for that; in extreme cases, the person needs to seek a church where his gifts can be of service to others. The leaders of churches should seek to ensure that they are providing opportunities for members to exercise the full spectrum of gifts.

Wayne Grudem writes, “Though the lists of gifts given in the New Testament are not exhaustive, they certainly provide a good starting point for churches to ask whether at least there is opportunity for these gifts to be used.”

For those who continue to struggle with identifying how they have been gifted, here are five principles that will prove helpful:

Begin with Prayer
God promises to give wisdom to any who ask for it. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). Thus we should begin our search for gifting by asking God to make it plain to us how he has gifted us and how he desires that we serve him by serving others. We must ask for wisdom in seeing how God has gifted us and in opening our eyes to opportunities to serve him.

Look for Passion
Where God has given a gift, we can expect that he will also give passion. A good place to begin when considering spiritual gifts is to see where God has given desire and passion. A person who is passionate about having people into her home may well have a gift of hospitality; a person who loves to organize events may be gifted with a kind of leadership; a person who is passionate about the truth of God may be gifted with discernment. Those who look for their gifting should look to what interests them and what makes them feel passionate. As they look to their passions they may just find their gifts.

Ask Others
Another way of seeking gifting is to ask other believers, especially those in spiritual leadership over you. Simply ask other Christians, those who know you best and who lead and guide you, where they feel you should serve within the church. Ask them to prayerfully consider your gifting. Their wisdom and guidance may surprise you.

Try Them!
Christians should try different opportunities to serve within the church. As we attempt different things and do so in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can expect that he will reveal passion and gifting in ways we may not expect. There is a danger in doing only those things that we are comfortable with or serving only in the ways we think we are most talented. Think of Moses, a frightened and timid man being called to lead a nation, or the apostle Paul with a thorn in his flesh being called to take the gospel to all the nations. God does not always gift us in ways we are comfortable with or in ways we might expect. By attempting different gifts we can look to those where God brings blessing and success and perhaps see that we have a special gifting in these areas.

Keep Trying!
The Bible does not tell us that all spiritual gifts are given at the time of conversion or that, once given, they are given permanently. As we grow in our knowledge and love of the Lord, we should continue to seek ways of serving him. We may be surprised to find that our gifting changes along with the needs of our local church. We may find that God wishes us to emphasize different gifts now from those we emphasized in the past. So keep serving God and keep searching for his gifting in your life. If confusion continues, take heart, wait patiently for God’s wisdom and guidance, and serve him whenever and wherever possible. He will answer your prayers.

"This book deals with a question that no twenty-first-century Christian can afford to ignore: does God-given prophecy continue in today's church, or doesn't it? And, if it does, can those who announce such prophecies sometimes get things wrong?" So says Stuart Olyott in his Foreword to Prophecy Today. In this brief book, Jim Thompson lays out his argument against contemporary prophecy. He does so in three chapters, presenting a logical argument that is both simple to understand and easy to follow.

Today The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment blog tour moves to Adrian Warnock’s blog. In case you've missed it on previous days, the tour works like this: the owner of another blog poses a question about discernment and my answer is posted on his or her blog on an appointed day. I follow the comments made on the blog, addressing them as they arise. It has become, I hope, a chance to facilitate a productive and God-glorifying conversation about the issue of discernment through a series of exchanges with others. It allows me to attempt to address questions other people may have about discernment and potentially to address questions that are of particular importance to readers of other blogs. This is an unexpected stop on the tour as there was somehow a mix-up and we had to adapt on the fly. So thanks to Adrian for stepping in.

Today I answer a question that seems to come up whenever I discuss this topic and in just about every interview I’ve done recently: Isn’t spiritual discernment a gift of the Holy Spirit?

Read my answer here

Here is where the tour will go tomorrow and next week:

What do I do with the gift of discernment? What if I want it? What if I don’t have it?

This is the third and final entry in this brief series dealing with the gift of spiritual discernment. The first part is available here: The Gift of Spiritual Discernment. In this first article we looked at the question of "What is the gift of discernment?" and concluded that "Men and women with the gift of discernment are specially gifted in distinguishing between those words, deeds and appearances that are true and those that are false." In the second article (which is available here: The Gift of Spiritual Discernment Part 2) we saw how you can know that you have been gifted in this way (or in another way). We paused briefly to look at how we can understand how we've been gifted. In this final part we’ll look at what we can do with the spiritual gift of discernment, what we can do if we want it, and what we should do if we don’t have it.

What do I do with the gift of discernment?

In his commentary on 1 Corinthians, John MacArthur makes the important point that the gift of discernment is especially necessary and especially valuable during those times that Christianity is considered acceptable in society. When the church is enduring an era of persecution, there are bound to be few false teachers for not many people are willing to risk their very lives for something they believe to be false. The stakes are simply too high for such false teachers. But, as church history can attest, when Christianity is accepted and tolerated, false teachers arise quickly and soon fill the church. Those of us who are privileged to live in a nation that allows us freedom to worship must be particularly cautious. The truth is under attack more today than at any other time in history and this should not be surprising in a culture that so values religious freedom and tolerance. Add to such an accepting culture unparalleled speed of communication and the ability to publish books and other writings quickly and easily, and we can rightly conclude that error is being spread with startling speed and efficiency. What the church needs today is a class of believers who are identified as the experts in discernment and as those who have special ability in this area.

If we believe, as the Bible teaches, that spiritual gifts are given for the benefit of other believers, it seems clear that the purpose of the gift discernment is primarily to protect other believers and to protect the local church. Where evangelism is a gift that is offensive in nature, taking the battle to new regions, discernment is a defensive gift that protects the ground that has already been taken.

In general, those with the gift of discernment should be able to Identify and expose the spirit of Satan. While all believers are exhorted that they must "not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 John 4:1), those with the gift of discernment have been given special ability and responsibility. They are equipped by the Spirit to expose the lies of Satan in the teaching of men. They are able to see to the heart of the issues and to see Satan's shadow behind what does not accord with the Word of God.

Here are some specific and practical ways in which this gift can be exercised in the church today.

Separating truth from error. The theme of separating truth from error is a constant one in any discussion of discernment. The primary task in discernment, as we have seen repeatedly in this book, is to separate what is true from what is false. Thus the primary way a person with the gift of discernment can serve the church is to be a student of the Word and to use his understanding of Scripture to distinguish between what is true and what is false. It is the discerning person who will be comparing the words of the preacher with Scripture and who will lead the way in warning others of false teaching.

Discerning the will of God. We have learned already that discernment concerns first the truth of God and then the will of God. A person with the gift of discernment can assist others in seeking and finding the will of God. (See my book for more information on the will of God!)

Identifying the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. People with the gift of discernment are finely tuned to the presence and the work of the Holy Spirit. They are able, based once again on their knowledge of God and the truths He has revealed about Himself, to understand how He works and where He is working. They are also gifted in being able to tell where the Spirit is not present and warning others of counterfeit teaching or counterfeit Christians.

Identifying worldliness. Because the spirit of Satan breeds worldliness rather than godliness, men and women with the gift of spiritual discernment are able to see worldliness for what it is. Many Christians, and especially young Christians, confuse carnality for godliness, man-made rules for God-ordained holiness. Discerning Christians will be able to distinguish between what is truly holy and what is simply a manufactured holiness that leads only to failure and discouragement.

Overseeing the exercise of spiritual gifts. People with the gift of discernment are able to oversee the exercise of other gifts, ensuring that they are done in a way that will bring honor to God and serve other believers. They are able to see when the exercise of gifts is inconsistent with Scripture.

Deciding disputes. 1 Corinthians 6 finds Paul criticizing the church at Corinth for taking disputes between believers before the world. "Can it be," he asks, "that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers" (1 Corinthians 6:5b)? What has been translated "settle a dispute" is the word diakrino. Most other translations say something like "judge a dispute between believers" or "judge between fellow believers." It may be that Paul indicates that believers who are gifted in discernment should lead in settling such disputes, using their knowledge of God's truth to judge or distinguish between what is right and wrong.

Protecting new Christians. Because discernment depends so much on knowledge of God's truth, Christians with the gift of discernment should place particular emphasis on protecting the young and the immature believers who have not had time and opportunity to grow in their understanding of the Bible. Those with the gift are able to surround and protect them, shepherding them by ensuring they are not led astray and leading them to greater understanding of what the Bible teaches.

Those Christians who are gifted in discernment have endless opportunities to serve God by serving the church. What I have listed here is only the beginning. Opportunities will be as wide and as diverse as the church itself.

What if I want it?

The Bible tells us not only that we have spiritual gifts, but also that we are to desire spiritual gifts. There is no shame in desiring the gift of discernment or any other gift, as long as it is desired that we may use it to manifest the Spirit and to serve the body of Christ. However, we must be prepared that God may not see fit to answer this prayer. God may choose to gift us in ways other than what we would prefer and we know that He will gift in ways that fill needs throughout the church.

If you desire this gift, ask God for it. Ask with expectation, but with humility, knowing that God knows best and that He has so fitted the church together that you may need to be used in another way on the basis of another gift. And even if you are never convinced that you have been given this gift, practice discernment nevertheless!

What if I don't have it?

If you are certain that you have not been given the gift of discernment, find someone who does and ask that person for assistance when necessary. And no matter what, continue to seek to grow in discernment. Even if God has not specifically gifted you in this way, He still expects you to grow in discernment and to practice this discipline. Do so to His glory and for the benefit of the church.

How can I know how the Holy Spirit has gifted me?

This is the second part in what I anticipate will be a brief three-part series examining the spiritual gift of discernment. The first part is available here: The Gift of Spiritual Discernment. In this first article we looked at the question of “What is the gift of discernment?” and concluded that “Men and women with the gift of discernment are specially gifted in distinguishing between those words, deeds and appearances that are true and those that are false.” Today we move on to how you can know that you have been gifted in this way (or in another way). We pause briefly to look at how we can understand how we’ve been gifted.

How do I know if I have this gift?

The Bible seems to indicate that Christians will typically know how they have been gifted. There is certainly nothing that would hint at the modern methods of discovering gifts through surveys or assessments. And yet, while most Christians know that the gifts of the Spirit are given to God's people, they continue to struggle with identifying the ways in which God has gifted them.

Because gifts are given for the benefit of the body, it seems likely that where there is a need, there will be someone with the gifting to fill that need. If a church has a desperate need for a person with the gift of teaching, it seems likely that someone within the church has been given such a gift and may fill the need, at least for a season. Similarly, if a person is a member of a church where there is no opportunity to exercise a certain gift, it may be that this church needs to create opportunities or that, in extreme cases, the person needs to seek a church where he can be of service to others. The leaders of churches should seek to ensure that they are providing opportunities for members to exercise the full spectrum of gifts. Wayne Grudem writes, "Though the lists of gifts given in the New Testament are not exhaustive, they certainly provide a good starting point for churches to ask whether at least there is opportunity for these gifts to be used."

For those who continue to struggle with identifying how God has gifted them, here are a few principles that will prove helpful.

Begin with prayer. God promises to give wisdom to any who ask for it. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5). Thus we should begin our search for gifting by asking God to make it plain to us how He has gifted us and how He desires that we serve Him by serving others. We must ask for wisdom in seeing how God has gifted us and in opening our eyes to opportunities to serve Him.

Look for passion. Where God has given a gift, we can expect that He will also give passion. A good place to begin when considering spiritual gifts is to see where God has given desire and passion. A person who is passionate about having people into her home may well have a gift of hospitality; a person who loves to organize events may be gifted with a kind of leadership; a person who is passionate about the truth of God may be gifted with discernment. Those who look for their gifting should look to what interests them and what makes them feel passionate. As they look to their passions they may just find their gifts.

Ask others. Another way of seeking gifting is to ask other believers and especially those in spiritual leadership over you. Simply ask other Christians, those who know you best and who lead and guide you, where they feel you should serve within the church. Ask them to prayerfully consider your gifting. Their wisdom and guidance may surprise you.

Try them! Christians should try different opportunities to serve within the church. As we attempt different things and do so in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can expect that He will reveal passion and gifting in ways we may not expect. There is a danger in doing only those things that we are comfortable with or serving only in the ways we think we are most talented. Think of Moses, a frightened and timid man being called to lead a nation or the Apostle Paul with a thorn in his flesh being called to take the gospel to all the nations. God does not always gift us in ways we are comfortable with or in ways we might expect. By attempting different gifts we can look to those where God brings blessing and success and perhaps see that we have a special gifting in these areas.

Keep trying! The Bible does not tell us that all spiritual gifts are given at the time of conversion or that, once given, they are given permanently. As we grow in our knowledge and love of the Lord, we should continue to seek ways of serving Him. We may be surprised to find that our gifting changes along with the needs of our local church. We may find that God wishes us to emphasize different gifts now then in the past. So keep serving God and keep searching for His gifting in your life.

If confusion continues, take heart, wait patiently for God's wisdom and guidance, and serve Him whenever and wherever possible. He will answer your prayers.

In the final article of this series we’ll look at what you can do with the gift of discernment, what to do if you want it, and what to do if you don't have it.