The Gift of “Discerning of Spirits”
“to another discerning of spirits” 1Cor. 12: 10
Introduction:
I have decided to start our study of the gifts in a bit of an unorthodox way. Instead of taking the gifts and considering them in the order that they appear in Scripture, I am going to present them in what I consider to be a “logical” order. This does not mean that I am trying to improve upon that order with which they appear in Scripture. I cannot do that. Nobody could do that. They appear the way that God wanted them to appear, and they appear that way for purposes which He Himself has ordained. I’m not trying to do that at all. What I am trying to do is to give some consideration to Paul’s words to “covet earnestly the best gifts” (1Cor. 12: 31). This phrase indicates that there is a “logical” order to the gifts as well as a “textual” order.
Logically, there are gifts which are considered to be “best” gifts, and these would be followed by “not so best” gifts. So some of the gifts are more important than others. “Prophecy” is an example of this concept (1Cor. 14: 1, 39). It is preferred above “tongues”, but that does not mean that we should forbid “tongues” (1Cor.14: 39). By the same token, people with the gift “tongues”, or any other gift for that matter, are to “despise not prophesying” ( 1Thess. 5: 20). These verses indicate that there are “logical” differences to be made in the importance of certain gifts over other gifts. There is a “hierarchy of importance”, and this does not necessarily follow the order that the gifts appear in the Bible.
Since this “hierarchy of importance” does not follow the “textual” order of the gifts, there will be differences between interpreters as to what are the “best” gifts and what are the “not so best” gifts. This is not a problem, if we understand that our own individual understandings at this point, are just our own individual human opinions. Perhaps someone will criticize me for starting with the gift of “discerning of spirits”. That’s OK, but I hope to show why I have chosen to start with this gift, and hopefully my reasoning at this point will justify my “logic” in choosing to start here. In any case, it does not really matter if you agree with me, since this is my own subjective understanding of the “hierarchy of importance”. Perhaps you will come to understand the “hierarchy” differently, and I will never criticize you for it, unless you are taking something that is clearly indicated to be a “not so best” gift (like “tongues“ 1Cor. 14: 19), and are trying to say that this is really one of the “best” gifts, or the most important gifts. That is not allowable. Some things are clear, and all interpreters have to abide by these clear things. That’s one of the first rules of hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation). Clear things, or passages; always take precedence over obscure things, or unclear passages. So, speaking in intelligible words is more important than speaking in an unknown tongue (1Cor. 14: 19; 14: 4-5; 14: 21-22), therefore “prophecy” is clearly a much more important gift than “tongues”. So even though our lists of “the hierarchy of importance” are subjective, in some points they will all be alike. I will try to point these areas of agreement out as we go through these studies.
1. Why “Discerning of Spirits” First?
There are several reasons why I have chosen to start with this gift. I will try to list them, and present my understanding as to why I think that this gift should “logically” be first on my list of “the hierarchy of importance”.
Different Gifts Gain in Importance During Different Times.
God is able to fit the churches gifts to the times in which she lives. For instance: during the first century, before the canon of the Scriptures was complete, there was a Divine emphasis upon the “revelatory gifts”. These include, prophecy, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, word of wisdom and word of knowledge. But history bears out the fact that following the first century, many of these gifts all but vanished from the church. “Discerning of Spirits” likewise has had historical periods when it was more prevalent then other gifts. “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” (© 2002 - 2009 Tim Challies). In other words, there is reason to believe that the gift of “discerning of spirits” (which MacArthur wrongly calls “discernment”) will be more prominent in times such as ours, because God needs it to function in an age when Christianity is more “accepted and tolerated”, a time when false teaching mushrooms and flourishes.
This is a Protective Gift for the Church.
All of the gifts serve the church in one way or another. But this gift is especially important because when it is functioning it helps to inoculate the immature Christians, the babes in Christ, and other sheep who lack the gift, against the direct attacks of Satan through false and lying spirits. False teachers, false prophets, false doctrines, false notions and hurtful ideas are all clearly exposed for the benefit of the whole body, when this gift is functioning. It is thus a unique “shepherding” gift. Those with the gift are able to surround and protect the immature and weak of the flock, shepherding them, by ensuring they are not led astray and leading them to a greater understanding of the Bible truths.
This is an Illuminating Gift for the Church.
People who possess this this gift, are able to use it to shed Divine, supernatural light upon the words, deeds and appearances of evil spirits. We live and move in a “spiritual dimension”. But in the realm of “spirits” not everyone can see them, identify their influences, rightly ascertain their words, (false speech, false doctrines), clearly illuminate their workings, and expose them by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a very important gift, especially in dark “perilous” times. It is illuminating in at least three areas.
1) It illuminates the “Words” of Satan and his “spirits”. Satan, like all sentient beings, communicates with “words”. (He can also use pictures as in hallucinations, dreams and entertainment images on screens and TV’s; but images are actually part of “words” i.e. “a picture is worth a thousand words”). Since thoughts are transferred by words, Satan is quite adept at using this medium of communication. This was the whole thrust of his attack on Eve in the Garden of Eden. It appears that Eve was not able to “discern his spirit” as he spoke his blasphemous and ruinous “words” to her. Jesus illustrated this gift in the case of Peter (Matt. 16: 23; Mk. 8: 33) Peter verbally rebuked Jesus for saying that he would be killed “Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee”. This was speech that was not from God. Jesus immediately recognized the source of these “words” and he said: “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men”.
2) It illuminates the “Deeds” of Satan and his “spirits”. Not everyone can recognize what Satan is doing. The book of Revelation gives many instances of this. People will follow the beast and the false prophet because they cannot discern what Satan is doing. They will gladly be identified with Satanic thinking (symbolized by the mark of the beast in the forehead), because they cannot see what the Devil is doing. But when the gift of discerning of spirits is operating Paul's words will be true: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2Cor. 2: 11).“Discerning of spirits” is one way that God keeps the church from being ignorant about Satan's “devices” or his “deeds”.
3) It illuminates the appearances of Satan and his “spirits”. He appears as an “angel of light” (2Cor. 11: 14). This means that nobody would be able to recognize him for what he really is. This also enters into an understanding of what transpired in the Garden of Eden. Eve did not recognize Satan because he was obviously in disguise. The “discerning of spirits” is vitally important in this regard. Without people who are endowed with this gift, all of us would be following the Prince of Darkness, because he is a master at disguise. This is one of the reasons why I put selected videos on my website. I use them as “discerning of spirits” tools. Since I have this gift, I recognize immediately those things which are valuable in helping God’s people to discern between what’s true and what’s false.
This is a Gift Which I Will be Using Repeatedly During This Teaching Series on the Holy Spirit.
I have put this gift first on my list of “the hierarchy of importance” because I am using this gift actively in the preparation and presentation of these important Holy Spirit Doctrines. I make no apology for the presence and use of the gift in my life. It is very significant, very important, and very real. This means that my teachings and findings may be different than what you might think or expect. I use this gift both defensively, to protect the sheep; and offensively to overthrow false teachings and false teachers. I am not neutral or passive in the use of this gift. It works, and I intend to let it work.
Let me give you an example of just how effective this gift is. A person who is closely related to me brought me a book that he said was just great. A book which he wanted me to read, but a book which I had never heard of or seen before. I touched the book and the gift of “discerning of spirits” began immediately working. I opened to page 15 and read the passage talking about the author being possessed by a demon. Then I turned to page 75 and read the paragraph about the author having an “out of body” experience. Next we turned to page 225, and God immediately pointed out the author’s use of fortune tellers and seers who “channel” the dead. Within ten minutes, The Holy Spirit led both of us through the entire book, and I was able to clearly point out every error to this loved one. Now, I had never seen the book before in my life. But in an instant I knew where all the lies were, and I was able to point them out, without ever having read the book before.
God knows that I’m not saying this to brag or anything, I’m simply citing this example as a supernatural instance of this gift in operation. It happens like this all the time. Sometimes I’ll be teaching and a person will ask a question, and the Holy Spirit will explain the “spirit” behind the question rather than the question itself. It is as though I can read their thoughts. When this happens, I give them an answer which they usually would never have expected, but it is an answer designed to answer the real question, the underlying issue, and not the question which the person has actually verbalized. I know instantaneously what the “real” question or issue is, and the “words”; which are just a smokescreen; cannot and do not, fool me. The gift operates like this regularly, and I cannot control it. It controls me when this happens.
I have over 4000, books in my library, and I am constantly needing to look things up for reference. But I have never read most of the books. It would be physically impossible for me to have done that. But the gift operates constantly in helping me to go straight for the proper passage in the proper book, even though I have never read the book in my life. I can touch a book, a tape, a DVD or a movie, and instantly tell if it is of God or of the Devil, if it is good or bad, if it is profitable or unprofitable, and in most cases I can instantaneously know what the thing is all about, and I also know exactly where the deviant passages are within it. When the gift functions like this, it keeps me from wasting any of the Lord’s precious time. The discernment happens in an instant. And I have learned to trust this gift implicitly. It is never wrong. I did not learn this skill, it was given to me from the Holy Spirit. And I consider this to be one of the most important gifts from the Spirit in my life. People will often hand me a book because they want to know what I think about it, and they are often amazed when I open it up and read them passages out of the book that are clear lies, heresy or non-biblical mumbo jumbo. I do this even though I have never read the book in my life. It happens quite a lot, and it seems to amaze people that I can tell them all about the book, and even show them why they should or should not read it, turning directly to specific pages without ever having seen the book in my life. You may think I am pulling your leg, or that this is wacky, and I don't really care. It happens all the time, and I know that it is because of this special gift operating in me.
Unfortunately, I have to often stop and explain it to people when it is operating, because they have never seen anything like this, and they oftentimes think that I’m just being bigoted, judgmental, critical, dogmatic, or insensitive because the gift operates so quickly. People who have been around me, and who have seen it operating, know when it’s working, and know that it goes way beyond the general concept of simple “discernment”. All Christians have some general level of “discernment” or the ability to know right from wrong, truth from error (1Jn. 4: 1; 1Jn. 3: 24; Acts 17: 11). But this gift is much more than that…It is supernatural. It is not a natural mental process. It is not the result of reasoning. It is a Divine gift. It can reveal a persons deepest thoughts in an instant, or it can point out the forces of darkness with no difficulty whatsoever. It also can send me to the exact portion of scripture dealing with the issue. Many times passages and verses pop to mind which I would have never thought of applying to the situation. But they always perfectly fit, and perfectly work to expose the truth and to destroy the falsehood.
There is another part of the function of this gift which is also quite scary to the average person. This involves being actually able to actually SEE angels, demons and other “spirit” phenomenon. Sometimes when this happens, (when I actually SEE demon presences, as it recently happened while I was preaching in Holyoke, Massachusetts); the whole congregation also experienced the presence. In this instance, everyone in the congregation saw the locked, side door of the church unlock and open, when the spirit entity entered the church. The door then closed behind the entity. The entire congregation saw it, and not just me. Anybody who was there that day could testify to this. But as far as I know, I was the only one who could actually see the dark form of the demon who was involved, and who entered the church. This is part of the gift, and it is scary to most people, therefore I don‘t usually say much about this aspect. People just do not understand, and it’s too time consuming to have to detail what’s transpiring every time it happens, so usually I say little or nothing about it. Knowing that no one else could see him, I simply said: “It looks like we have an evil spirit visiting here today, but let me assure you that it’s not the Holy Ghost”. Everyone laughed, but I was dead serious, because I could see the demon.
The other thing that you need to know, is that God doesn’t give these gifts in partial increments. He gives all of the gift when He bestows it. There is no such thing as partially having the gift of “discerning of spirits”, or partially having the gift of “prophecy” , or partially having the gift of “tongues”, or partial “healing” etc. Many groups teach this heretical idea, that the gifts come in increments. That is false. If you have the gift, you have all of it, and all of it can, and should, function.
This Gift Separates Truth From Error.
This is part of the nature of this gift, and one of the reasons it is so important. In general, those with the gift of “discerning of spirits” should be able to identify and expose the spirit of Satan. It is true that all believers are exhorted to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1), Those with the gift of “discerning of spirits”, on the other hand, have a special ability and responsibility. They are equipped by the Holy Spirit to expose the lies of Satan, the false teachings of men, the heresies of false doctrine, the heretics within the church, and the allures of the world. They are able to see to the heart of the real issues and not just see the glitz and smoke which Satan often throws up. They see Satan’s shadow behind everything that does not accord with the clear teachings of the Word of God. 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 person with this gift who will be constantly comparing the words of preachers and teachers with the words of Scripture, and who will be leading the way in warning others and identifying wolves in sheep’s clothing” and all kinds of false teachings and doctrines of devils.
2. The Relationship of This Gift to the Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
This is one of the most important parts of this study. “Discerning of spirits” is the only gift which is “supervisory” over all the other gifts. The gift of prophecy also has a supervisory function, but it extends only to other prophets “And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1Cor. 14: 32). “Discerning of spirits”, on the other hand, is always identifying the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. People with the gift of spirit discernment are finely tuned to the presence and the work of the Holy Spirit. They are able to instantly know how He is working, where He is working, and when He is working. They are also fitted to tell where the Spirit is not present or working. The gift brings forth clear warnings to others of counterfeit teachings or counterfeit Christians.
The gift also functions in the location and identification of demons requiring exorcism or expulsion from people, animals, buildings or places. Not much is said about this, but people with this gift are often called upon to be involved in exorcisms and cleansing where demons need to be identified and driven out of people, homes, church buildings etc. This is a sanctifying ministry, and not much talked about today, but it is becoming increasingly more important as demons are invading new places in the final turmoil of these last days.
It is the gift of discerning of spirits which can identify, the world, the flesh or the Devil, if they are operating in the church. I have attended Pentecostal meetings where the entire spirit of the meetings was one of the operation of “the flesh”. There was nothing of the Holy Spirit present. The falling down, the convulsions, the rolling on the floor, women with dresses pulled up so you could see their panties, the clucking like chickens, the barking like dogs, tongues that consisted of one or two syllables, and people babbling all together at once, no interpretation, on and on it goes; this gift can instantly detect phony gifts of the “Spirit”, because all of the gifts are inspected by this gift. This is a supervisory gift, which instantaneously identifies false gifts, or the misuses of genuine gifts.
There is “nothing that is hidden that is not revealed” when this gift is operating. “Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops” (Matt. 10: 26-27). Being supervisory, it is always overseeing the exercise of the spiritual gifts within the church. People with this gift of “discerning of spirits” are able to oversee the exercise of the other gifts, ensuring that they are done in a way that will bring glory and honor to God, and will serve other believers in the important function of “edification” (1Cor. 14: 12). They are able to see when the exercise of gifts is inconsistent with Scripture. This is a sort of “spiritual policing” . It can instantly spot abuses, corruption, falsehood and worldliness. And if needed, it can expose these things and put a stop to them in the church. I have been fortunate, in that I have never had to actually interrupt a service, and expose a charlatan or stop the misuse of gifts. But I could do this if needed, and I certainly would do it if the Holy Spirit impressed upon me to do it. It is simply another part of the gift. And when it functions like this, it has a cleansing effect on the church.
3. Biblical Examples of This Gift
The gift is found operating in the New Testament Church, and I’d like to give you some examples of it, over and above the ones that I have already cited. It is important to understand, that God does not actually state that “this is the gift of discerning of spirits” right in the passages where it is occurring. I am pointing these passages out through the use of the gift, and I am telling you that this is what was happening on the basis that I know this stuff experimentally, and I immediately recognize these true functions of the gift when I see it in the Bible.
1. The gift operating in Jesus Christ
Some people might consider it blasphemy for me to say that Jesus used, and illustrated, the gift of“discerning of spirits” since He was God and He really didn’t need any of the gifts because He possessed everything innately by virtue of His Divinity. But this is an error in judgment, since it can be shown over and over again, that Jesus functioned fully in the Holy Spirit, that the Holy Spirit was never absent from Christ, and that all of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit were operative in Him, all the time.
Matt. 12: 25 “And Jesus knew their thoughts”. This is also stated in Mk 2: 8; Jn. 2: 24-25 and Jn. 21: 17. These passages are not all the same occasions. They show how Jesus used this gift. These are not simply a cases of the omniscience of Jesus, although they are that. They are cases of “discerning of spirits”. He knew what kind of spirits were operating in His hearers, and He could immediately discern the thoughts that originated from them. Nobody had to tell Jesus what men were thinking. He could look directly into their hearts and see all of the operations of their souls.
2. Acts 5: 1-11 The case of Ananias and Sapphira
Everyone is probably familiar with the case of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. They conspired together to lie to the Holy Spirit. Peter, using the gift of “discerning of spirits” was able to look into their minds and immediately know the evil thoughts with which they conspired. “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things” (Acts 5: 3-5).
This reminds use that “nothing is hid” from the eyes of God (Mk 4: 22; Lk. 8: 17). “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4: 13).
3. Acts 8: 18-24 The case of Simon Magus (the magician or sorcerer)
This is the same Simon whom some believe went to Rome, founded the Roman Catholic Church, and became it’s first Pope. He was intent on buying the gift of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps this is where the Catholic Church came up with their buying of “indulgences”. Who knows? It is an interesting theory, but it is certainly not possible to deduce this from the pages of the Bible. But what we can deduce from this passage in Acts is that Peter and John easily discerned the spirit that was within Simon…a spirit of anti-Christ. “But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity(Acts 8: 20-23).
It is important to also note that the speech that occurs when this gift is operational might be considered judgmental and condemnatory by people who use a worldly standard of judgment. That’s because it is. There is nothing pandering or sissified about this gift. It is not intended to make people feel good about themselves. It is intended to make them feel terrible, sinful and in need of repentance. This gift exposes the true condition of men’s souls. And it never caudles men with kind words, sweet speeches or flattering embellishments. People with this gift, speak the truth uncompromisingly and clearly. So get used to hearing this kind of speech when you are around someone with this gift.
4. Acts 13: 8-12 Elymas The Sorcerer
This sorcerer sought to use his magic to turn a man (the deputy vs. 7-8) away from the faith. Paul used the gift of “discerning of spirits” and His Spirit inspired words on this occasion are recorded to show exactly how this gift works. “Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand” (Acts 13: 9-11). The power of this event directly resulted in one man getting saved: “Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord” (Acts 13: 12).
The display of this gift was such that it completely “astonished” this man and woke him from his spiritual slumber and awakened Him to belief in Christ. So there is an evangelistic component in the use of the gift of “discerning of spirits”. This is something we seldom hear about, but it is an important aspect of the gift. When unbelievers witness how this gift exposes unbelief and chicanery, it can be a powerful converting influence on the lost. The demonstration of this gift can turn unbelievers into children of God, so this gift should be taken very seriously by the church. If there was more of it, there would surely be more conversions in our churches.
I have often heard criticism which goes something like this: “If you want to win men to Christ, then you have to be more loving and kind when you are speaking to them. You don’t want to offend anyone. You want to win them, and to do that you have to use honey and not vinegar”. I have heard this a hundred times or more, and there is an element of truth in it. But we are living in a day and age bombarded by media and secularism as never before. Shock language is often necessary in order to reach people today. I’m not saying that we ought to approach men with the attitude that we are going to offend them. I am saying that we need to be uncompromising in the Biblical use of this gift if we have it. This gift always speaks pointedly and directly to people when it is operating. There is no dilly-dallying or pussy-footing around when it come to this gift. It sees the truth and it speaks the truth without compromise. You can be sure that someone does not have this gift if they are always looking for the nice way to say things. The nice way, is not always the right way. The right way is to simply speak the truth; no matter who’s feet it steps on, no matter who’s chip on the shoulder it knocks off, no matter who it might offend. We are trying to awaken men from the stupor of spiritual death, the slumber of spiritual alienation from God. It takes powerful words to do this. Compromising speech, is soul damning speech, because it allows people to feel comfortable about themselves. This is not what people need to hear. They hear that sort of stuff constantly in our self-esteem, self-worth oriented society. That is the message of the world, and not the message lost sinners need to hear. They need to be told that they are not OK! They need to be told that they are of their father the Devil. They are rotten to the core. They are sinners of the worst sort. They do not need self-affirmation, they need Regeneration! They do not need to hear fluff and candy, they need to hear the sinfulness of sin, and the absolute need for radical repentance. “Discerning of spirits” will never allow you to sidestep the truly important matters of the truth. The truth is the truth, and that is what this gift is always rooting out and displaying. Every error is crushed in the process, and the words we speak are what God uses to do it. The words we speak, when this Holy Spirit gift is operating, “they are spirit and they are life” (Jn 6: 63).
4. Concluding Thoughts
“Discerning of spirits” is a gift which causes it’s recipients to see into the dimension of “spirits”. This is generally the unseen and closed world that we only imagine. But to a person with this gift, it is an opened realm, a seen dimension, a dimension where Truth, Light, Darkness and Error are clearly visible and rightly understood. Where angels, archangels, seraphim and cherubim are visitors, as well as demons and fallen angels, spirits of darkness and the Devil himself. This gift is not for the faint hearted. It is an illuminating gift, but many teachers are in the dark concerning it. It is a penetrating gift, but many churches try to forbid it because it exposes them. It is a cleansing gift, but most people want the status quo. It is a gospel oriented gift, but most so-called evangelists lack it. It is a sanctifying gift, but it requires holiness, which men naturally rebel against. It is a supervisory gift, but many churches are unwilling to submit to it‘s authority. They think committees and boards are better way to supervise God‘s house. It is a powerful speech gift, but most preachers don‘t have it so their speech is pacified and sissified. It is a correcting and nurturing gift, but most people resist correction and only want nurture that makes them feel good. It is a leadership gift, but many leaders never get it and their lack of it is evident in the corrupt churches that they are in charge of. It is a spiritual gift, so it cannot be learned or duplicated by any other means. It is a living gift, so it moves and functions on it’s own at the discretion of the Holy Spirit who gives and uses it. It is a careful and thorough gift, paying attention to every detail of truth and light. It is a perennial gift, needed in every generation, but especially in times of religious complacency like our time. It is a gift that greatly honors God, because it is always enamored with his Glory, His message, and is busy keeping His people on the straight and narrow way. It is a gift which bears a lot of responsibility. It exposes, enlightens, condemns, directs and expostulates. It is always busy with the truth of God, and is always active in the spiritual warfare of the church. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. This gift reveals exactly who we wrestle against, and what we must do to defeat the enemy.
It is my prayer that the correct understanding of this gift, which we have attempted to show you in this study, will open the door to the correct understanding of all the gifts from the Holy Spirit. We will study them all, and by God’s grace we will try to make them all crystal clear, so that God’s people will desire them, seek them, and when the receive them will use them correctly and for His honor and glory. Like all the other gifts. This one also has Christ as its prime object. The Spirit reminds us of Jesus. The Spirit points us to Jesus. The Spirit never glorifies Himself, but always Jesus. May He be your King of Kings and your Lord of Lords, because this is the revealed will of God. God Bless you, dear readers.
©2010 Earl Jackson All Rights Reserved
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“to another discerning of spirits” 1Cor. 12: 10
Introduction:
I have decided to start our study of the gifts in a bit of an unorthodox way. Instead of taking the gifts and considering them in the order that they appear in Scripture, I am going to present them in what I consider to be a “logical” order. This does not mean that I am trying to improve upon that order with which they appear in Scripture. I cannot do that. Nobody could do that. They appear the way that God wanted them to appear, and they appear that way for purposes which He Himself has ordained. I’m not trying to do that at all. What I am trying to do is to give some consideration to Paul’s words to “covet earnestly the best gifts” (1Cor. 12: 31). This phrase indicates that there is a “logical” order to the gifts as well as a “textual” order.
Logically, there are gifts which are considered to be “best” gifts, and these would be followed by “not so best” gifts. So some of the gifts are more important than others. “Prophecy” is an example of this concept (1Cor. 14: 1, 39). It is preferred above “tongues”, but that does not mean that we should forbid “tongues” (1Cor.14: 39). By the same token, people with the gift “tongues”, or any other gift for that matter, are to “despise not prophesying” ( 1Thess. 5: 20). These verses indicate that there are “logical” differences to be made in the importance of certain gifts over other gifts. There is a “hierarchy of importance”, and this does not necessarily follow the order that the gifts appear in the Bible.
Since this “hierarchy of importance” does not follow the “textual” order of the gifts, there will be differences between interpreters as to what are the “best” gifts and what are the “not so best” gifts. This is not a problem, if we understand that our own individual understandings at this point, are just our own individual human opinions. Perhaps someone will criticize me for starting with the gift of “discerning of spirits”. That’s OK, but I hope to show why I have chosen to start with this gift, and hopefully my reasoning at this point will justify my “logic” in choosing to start here. In any case, it does not really matter if you agree with me, since this is my own subjective understanding of the “hierarchy of importance”. Perhaps you will come to understand the “hierarchy” differently, and I will never criticize you for it, unless you are taking something that is clearly indicated to be a “not so best” gift (like “tongues“ 1Cor. 14: 19), and are trying to say that this is really one of the “best” gifts, or the most important gifts. That is not allowable. Some things are clear, and all interpreters have to abide by these clear things. That’s one of the first rules of hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation). Clear things, or passages; always take precedence over obscure things, or unclear passages. So, speaking in intelligible words is more important than speaking in an unknown tongue (1Cor. 14: 19; 14: 4-5; 14: 21-22), therefore “prophecy” is clearly a much more important gift than “tongues”. So even though our lists of “the hierarchy of importance” are subjective, in some points they will all be alike. I will try to point these areas of agreement out as we go through these studies.
1. Why “Discerning of Spirits” First?
There are several reasons why I have chosen to start with this gift. I will try to list them, and present my understanding as to why I think that this gift should “logically” be first on my list of “the hierarchy of importance”.
Different Gifts Gain in Importance During Different Times.
God is able to fit the churches gifts to the times in which she lives. For instance: during the first century, before the canon of the Scriptures was complete, there was a Divine emphasis upon the “revelatory gifts”. These include, prophecy, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, word of wisdom and word of knowledge. But history bears out the fact that following the first century, many of these gifts all but vanished from the church. “Discerning of Spirits” likewise has had historical periods when it was more prevalent then other gifts. “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” (© 2002 - 2009 Tim Challies). In other words, there is reason to believe that the gift of “discerning of spirits” (which MacArthur wrongly calls “discernment”) will be more prominent in times such as ours, because God needs it to function in an age when Christianity is more “accepted and tolerated”, a time when false teaching mushrooms and flourishes.
This is a Protective Gift for the Church.
All of the gifts serve the church in one way or another. But this gift is especially important because when it is functioning it helps to inoculate the immature Christians, the babes in Christ, and other sheep who lack the gift, against the direct attacks of Satan through false and lying spirits. False teachers, false prophets, false doctrines, false notions and hurtful ideas are all clearly exposed for the benefit of the whole body, when this gift is functioning. It is thus a unique “shepherding” gift. Those with the gift are able to surround and protect the immature and weak of the flock, shepherding them, by ensuring they are not led astray and leading them to a greater understanding of the Bible truths.
This is an Illuminating Gift for the Church.
People who possess this this gift, are able to use it to shed Divine, supernatural light upon the words, deeds and appearances of evil spirits. We live and move in a “spiritual dimension”. But in the realm of “spirits” not everyone can see them, identify their influences, rightly ascertain their words, (false speech, false doctrines), clearly illuminate their workings, and expose them by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a very important gift, especially in dark “perilous” times. It is illuminating in at least three areas.
1) It illuminates the “Words” of Satan and his “spirits”. Satan, like all sentient beings, communicates with “words”. (He can also use pictures as in hallucinations, dreams and entertainment images on screens and TV’s; but images are actually part of “words” i.e. “a picture is worth a thousand words”). Since thoughts are transferred by words, Satan is quite adept at using this medium of communication. This was the whole thrust of his attack on Eve in the Garden of Eden. It appears that Eve was not able to “discern his spirit” as he spoke his blasphemous and ruinous “words” to her. Jesus illustrated this gift in the case of Peter (Matt. 16: 23; Mk. 8: 33) Peter verbally rebuked Jesus for saying that he would be killed “Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee”. This was speech that was not from God. Jesus immediately recognized the source of these “words” and he said: “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men”.
2) It illuminates the “Deeds” of Satan and his “spirits”. Not everyone can recognize what Satan is doing. The book of Revelation gives many instances of this. People will follow the beast and the false prophet because they cannot discern what Satan is doing. They will gladly be identified with Satanic thinking (symbolized by the mark of the beast in the forehead), because they cannot see what the Devil is doing. But when the gift of discerning of spirits is operating Paul's words will be true: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2Cor. 2: 11).“Discerning of spirits” is one way that God keeps the church from being ignorant about Satan's “devices” or his “deeds”.
3) It illuminates the appearances of Satan and his “spirits”. He appears as an “angel of light” (2Cor. 11: 14). This means that nobody would be able to recognize him for what he really is. This also enters into an understanding of what transpired in the Garden of Eden. Eve did not recognize Satan because he was obviously in disguise. The “discerning of spirits” is vitally important in this regard. Without people who are endowed with this gift, all of us would be following the Prince of Darkness, because he is a master at disguise. This is one of the reasons why I put selected videos on my website. I use them as “discerning of spirits” tools. Since I have this gift, I recognize immediately those things which are valuable in helping God’s people to discern between what’s true and what’s false.
This is a Gift Which I Will be Using Repeatedly During This Teaching Series on the Holy Spirit.
I have put this gift first on my list of “the hierarchy of importance” because I am using this gift actively in the preparation and presentation of these important Holy Spirit Doctrines. I make no apology for the presence and use of the gift in my life. It is very significant, very important, and very real. This means that my teachings and findings may be different than what you might think or expect. I use this gift both defensively, to protect the sheep; and offensively to overthrow false teachings and false teachers. I am not neutral or passive in the use of this gift. It works, and I intend to let it work.
Let me give you an example of just how effective this gift is. A person who is closely related to me brought me a book that he said was just great. A book which he wanted me to read, but a book which I had never heard of or seen before. I touched the book and the gift of “discerning of spirits” began immediately working. I opened to page 15 and read the passage talking about the author being possessed by a demon. Then I turned to page 75 and read the paragraph about the author having an “out of body” experience. Next we turned to page 225, and God immediately pointed out the author’s use of fortune tellers and seers who “channel” the dead. Within ten minutes, The Holy Spirit led both of us through the entire book, and I was able to clearly point out every error to this loved one. Now, I had never seen the book before in my life. But in an instant I knew where all the lies were, and I was able to point them out, without ever having read the book before.
God knows that I’m not saying this to brag or anything, I’m simply citing this example as a supernatural instance of this gift in operation. It happens like this all the time. Sometimes I’ll be teaching and a person will ask a question, and the Holy Spirit will explain the “spirit” behind the question rather than the question itself. It is as though I can read their thoughts. When this happens, I give them an answer which they usually would never have expected, but it is an answer designed to answer the real question, the underlying issue, and not the question which the person has actually verbalized. I know instantaneously what the “real” question or issue is, and the “words”; which are just a smokescreen; cannot and do not, fool me. The gift operates like this regularly, and I cannot control it. It controls me when this happens.
I have over 4000, books in my library, and I am constantly needing to look things up for reference. But I have never read most of the books. It would be physically impossible for me to have done that. But the gift operates constantly in helping me to go straight for the proper passage in the proper book, even though I have never read the book in my life. I can touch a book, a tape, a DVD or a movie, and instantly tell if it is of God or of the Devil, if it is good or bad, if it is profitable or unprofitable, and in most cases I can instantaneously know what the thing is all about, and I also know exactly where the deviant passages are within it. When the gift functions like this, it keeps me from wasting any of the Lord’s precious time. The discernment happens in an instant. And I have learned to trust this gift implicitly. It is never wrong. I did not learn this skill, it was given to me from the Holy Spirit. And I consider this to be one of the most important gifts from the Spirit in my life. People will often hand me a book because they want to know what I think about it, and they are often amazed when I open it up and read them passages out of the book that are clear lies, heresy or non-biblical mumbo jumbo. I do this even though I have never read the book in my life. It happens quite a lot, and it seems to amaze people that I can tell them all about the book, and even show them why they should or should not read it, turning directly to specific pages without ever having seen the book in my life. You may think I am pulling your leg, or that this is wacky, and I don't really care. It happens all the time, and I know that it is because of this special gift operating in me.
Unfortunately, I have to often stop and explain it to people when it is operating, because they have never seen anything like this, and they oftentimes think that I’m just being bigoted, judgmental, critical, dogmatic, or insensitive because the gift operates so quickly. People who have been around me, and who have seen it operating, know when it’s working, and know that it goes way beyond the general concept of simple “discernment”. All Christians have some general level of “discernment” or the ability to know right from wrong, truth from error (1Jn. 4: 1; 1Jn. 3: 24; Acts 17: 11). But this gift is much more than that…It is supernatural. It is not a natural mental process. It is not the result of reasoning. It is a Divine gift. It can reveal a persons deepest thoughts in an instant, or it can point out the forces of darkness with no difficulty whatsoever. It also can send me to the exact portion of scripture dealing with the issue. Many times passages and verses pop to mind which I would have never thought of applying to the situation. But they always perfectly fit, and perfectly work to expose the truth and to destroy the falsehood.
There is another part of the function of this gift which is also quite scary to the average person. This involves being actually able to actually SEE angels, demons and other “spirit” phenomenon. Sometimes when this happens, (when I actually SEE demon presences, as it recently happened while I was preaching in Holyoke, Massachusetts); the whole congregation also experienced the presence. In this instance, everyone in the congregation saw the locked, side door of the church unlock and open, when the spirit entity entered the church. The door then closed behind the entity. The entire congregation saw it, and not just me. Anybody who was there that day could testify to this. But as far as I know, I was the only one who could actually see the dark form of the demon who was involved, and who entered the church. This is part of the gift, and it is scary to most people, therefore I don‘t usually say much about this aspect. People just do not understand, and it’s too time consuming to have to detail what’s transpiring every time it happens, so usually I say little or nothing about it. Knowing that no one else could see him, I simply said: “It looks like we have an evil spirit visiting here today, but let me assure you that it’s not the Holy Ghost”. Everyone laughed, but I was dead serious, because I could see the demon.
The other thing that you need to know, is that God doesn’t give these gifts in partial increments. He gives all of the gift when He bestows it. There is no such thing as partially having the gift of “discerning of spirits”, or partially having the gift of “prophecy” , or partially having the gift of “tongues”, or partial “healing” etc. Many groups teach this heretical idea, that the gifts come in increments. That is false. If you have the gift, you have all of it, and all of it can, and should, function.
This Gift Separates Truth From Error.
This is part of the nature of this gift, and one of the reasons it is so important. In general, those with the gift of “discerning of spirits” should be able to identify and expose the spirit of Satan. It is true that all believers are exhorted to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1), Those with the gift of “discerning of spirits”, on the other hand, have a special ability and responsibility. They are equipped by the Holy Spirit to expose the lies of Satan, the false teachings of men, the heresies of false doctrine, the heretics within the church, and the allures of the world. They are able to see to the heart of the real issues and not just see the glitz and smoke which Satan often throws up. They see Satan’s shadow behind everything that does not accord with the clear teachings of the Word of God. 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 person with this gift who will be constantly comparing the words of preachers and teachers with the words of Scripture, and who will be leading the way in warning others and identifying wolves in sheep’s clothing” and all kinds of false teachings and doctrines of devils.
2. The Relationship of This Gift to the Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
This is one of the most important parts of this study. “Discerning of spirits” is the only gift which is “supervisory” over all the other gifts. The gift of prophecy also has a supervisory function, but it extends only to other prophets “And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1Cor. 14: 32). “Discerning of spirits”, on the other hand, is always identifying the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. People with the gift of spirit discernment are finely tuned to the presence and the work of the Holy Spirit. They are able to instantly know how He is working, where He is working, and when He is working. They are also fitted to tell where the Spirit is not present or working. The gift brings forth clear warnings to others of counterfeit teachings or counterfeit Christians.
The gift also functions in the location and identification of demons requiring exorcism or expulsion from people, animals, buildings or places. Not much is said about this, but people with this gift are often called upon to be involved in exorcisms and cleansing where demons need to be identified and driven out of people, homes, church buildings etc. This is a sanctifying ministry, and not much talked about today, but it is becoming increasingly more important as demons are invading new places in the final turmoil of these last days.
It is the gift of discerning of spirits which can identify, the world, the flesh or the Devil, if they are operating in the church. I have attended Pentecostal meetings where the entire spirit of the meetings was one of the operation of “the flesh”. There was nothing of the Holy Spirit present. The falling down, the convulsions, the rolling on the floor, women with dresses pulled up so you could see their panties, the clucking like chickens, the barking like dogs, tongues that consisted of one or two syllables, and people babbling all together at once, no interpretation, on and on it goes; this gift can instantly detect phony gifts of the “Spirit”, because all of the gifts are inspected by this gift. This is a supervisory gift, which instantaneously identifies false gifts, or the misuses of genuine gifts.
There is “nothing that is hidden that is not revealed” when this gift is operating. “Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops” (Matt. 10: 26-27). Being supervisory, it is always overseeing the exercise of the spiritual gifts within the church. People with this gift of “discerning of spirits” are able to oversee the exercise of the other gifts, ensuring that they are done in a way that will bring glory and honor to God, and will serve other believers in the important function of “edification” (1Cor. 14: 12). They are able to see when the exercise of gifts is inconsistent with Scripture. This is a sort of “spiritual policing” . It can instantly spot abuses, corruption, falsehood and worldliness. And if needed, it can expose these things and put a stop to them in the church. I have been fortunate, in that I have never had to actually interrupt a service, and expose a charlatan or stop the misuse of gifts. But I could do this if needed, and I certainly would do it if the Holy Spirit impressed upon me to do it. It is simply another part of the gift. And when it functions like this, it has a cleansing effect on the church.
3. Biblical Examples of This Gift
The gift is found operating in the New Testament Church, and I’d like to give you some examples of it, over and above the ones that I have already cited. It is important to understand, that God does not actually state that “this is the gift of discerning of spirits” right in the passages where it is occurring. I am pointing these passages out through the use of the gift, and I am telling you that this is what was happening on the basis that I know this stuff experimentally, and I immediately recognize these true functions of the gift when I see it in the Bible.
1. The gift operating in Jesus Christ
Some people might consider it blasphemy for me to say that Jesus used, and illustrated, the gift of“discerning of spirits” since He was God and He really didn’t need any of the gifts because He possessed everything innately by virtue of His Divinity. But this is an error in judgment, since it can be shown over and over again, that Jesus functioned fully in the Holy Spirit, that the Holy Spirit was never absent from Christ, and that all of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit were operative in Him, all the time.
Matt. 12: 25 “And Jesus knew their thoughts”. This is also stated in Mk 2: 8; Jn. 2: 24-25 and Jn. 21: 17. These passages are not all the same occasions. They show how Jesus used this gift. These are not simply a cases of the omniscience of Jesus, although they are that. They are cases of “discerning of spirits”. He knew what kind of spirits were operating in His hearers, and He could immediately discern the thoughts that originated from them. Nobody had to tell Jesus what men were thinking. He could look directly into their hearts and see all of the operations of their souls.
2. Acts 5: 1-11 The case of Ananias and Sapphira
Everyone is probably familiar with the case of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. They conspired together to lie to the Holy Spirit. Peter, using the gift of “discerning of spirits” was able to look into their minds and immediately know the evil thoughts with which they conspired. “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things” (Acts 5: 3-5).
This reminds use that “nothing is hid” from the eyes of God (Mk 4: 22; Lk. 8: 17). “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4: 13).
3. Acts 8: 18-24 The case of Simon Magus (the magician or sorcerer)
This is the same Simon whom some believe went to Rome, founded the Roman Catholic Church, and became it’s first Pope. He was intent on buying the gift of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps this is where the Catholic Church came up with their buying of “indulgences”. Who knows? It is an interesting theory, but it is certainly not possible to deduce this from the pages of the Bible. But what we can deduce from this passage in Acts is that Peter and John easily discerned the spirit that was within Simon…a spirit of anti-Christ. “But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity(Acts 8: 20-23).
It is important to also note that the speech that occurs when this gift is operational might be considered judgmental and condemnatory by people who use a worldly standard of judgment. That’s because it is. There is nothing pandering or sissified about this gift. It is not intended to make people feel good about themselves. It is intended to make them feel terrible, sinful and in need of repentance. This gift exposes the true condition of men’s souls. And it never caudles men with kind words, sweet speeches or flattering embellishments. People with this gift, speak the truth uncompromisingly and clearly. So get used to hearing this kind of speech when you are around someone with this gift.
4. Acts 13: 8-12 Elymas The Sorcerer
This sorcerer sought to use his magic to turn a man (the deputy vs. 7-8) away from the faith. Paul used the gift of “discerning of spirits” and His Spirit inspired words on this occasion are recorded to show exactly how this gift works. “Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand” (Acts 13: 9-11). The power of this event directly resulted in one man getting saved: “Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord” (Acts 13: 12).
The display of this gift was such that it completely “astonished” this man and woke him from his spiritual slumber and awakened Him to belief in Christ. So there is an evangelistic component in the use of the gift of “discerning of spirits”. This is something we seldom hear about, but it is an important aspect of the gift. When unbelievers witness how this gift exposes unbelief and chicanery, it can be a powerful converting influence on the lost. The demonstration of this gift can turn unbelievers into children of God, so this gift should be taken very seriously by the church. If there was more of it, there would surely be more conversions in our churches.
I have often heard criticism which goes something like this: “If you want to win men to Christ, then you have to be more loving and kind when you are speaking to them. You don’t want to offend anyone. You want to win them, and to do that you have to use honey and not vinegar”. I have heard this a hundred times or more, and there is an element of truth in it. But we are living in a day and age bombarded by media and secularism as never before. Shock language is often necessary in order to reach people today. I’m not saying that we ought to approach men with the attitude that we are going to offend them. I am saying that we need to be uncompromising in the Biblical use of this gift if we have it. This gift always speaks pointedly and directly to people when it is operating. There is no dilly-dallying or pussy-footing around when it come to this gift. It sees the truth and it speaks the truth without compromise. You can be sure that someone does not have this gift if they are always looking for the nice way to say things. The nice way, is not always the right way. The right way is to simply speak the truth; no matter who’s feet it steps on, no matter who’s chip on the shoulder it knocks off, no matter who it might offend. We are trying to awaken men from the stupor of spiritual death, the slumber of spiritual alienation from God. It takes powerful words to do this. Compromising speech, is soul damning speech, because it allows people to feel comfortable about themselves. This is not what people need to hear. They hear that sort of stuff constantly in our self-esteem, self-worth oriented society. That is the message of the world, and not the message lost sinners need to hear. They need to be told that they are not OK! They need to be told that they are of their father the Devil. They are rotten to the core. They are sinners of the worst sort. They do not need self-affirmation, they need Regeneration! They do not need to hear fluff and candy, they need to hear the sinfulness of sin, and the absolute need for radical repentance. “Discerning of spirits” will never allow you to sidestep the truly important matters of the truth. The truth is the truth, and that is what this gift is always rooting out and displaying. Every error is crushed in the process, and the words we speak are what God uses to do it. The words we speak, when this Holy Spirit gift is operating, “they are spirit and they are life” (Jn 6: 63).
4. Concluding Thoughts
“Discerning of spirits” is a gift which causes it’s recipients to see into the dimension of “spirits”. This is generally the unseen and closed world that we only imagine. But to a person with this gift, it is an opened realm, a seen dimension, a dimension where Truth, Light, Darkness and Error are clearly visible and rightly understood. Where angels, archangels, seraphim and cherubim are visitors, as well as demons and fallen angels, spirits of darkness and the Devil himself. This gift is not for the faint hearted. It is an illuminating gift, but many teachers are in the dark concerning it. It is a penetrating gift, but many churches try to forbid it because it exposes them. It is a cleansing gift, but most people want the status quo. It is a gospel oriented gift, but most so-called evangelists lack it. It is a sanctifying gift, but it requires holiness, which men naturally rebel against. It is a supervisory gift, but many churches are unwilling to submit to it‘s authority. They think committees and boards are better way to supervise God‘s house. It is a powerful speech gift, but most preachers don‘t have it so their speech is pacified and sissified. It is a correcting and nurturing gift, but most people resist correction and only want nurture that makes them feel good. It is a leadership gift, but many leaders never get it and their lack of it is evident in the corrupt churches that they are in charge of. It is a spiritual gift, so it cannot be learned or duplicated by any other means. It is a living gift, so it moves and functions on it’s own at the discretion of the Holy Spirit who gives and uses it. It is a careful and thorough gift, paying attention to every detail of truth and light. It is a perennial gift, needed in every generation, but especially in times of religious complacency like our time. It is a gift that greatly honors God, because it is always enamored with his Glory, His message, and is busy keeping His people on the straight and narrow way. It is a gift which bears a lot of responsibility. It exposes, enlightens, condemns, directs and expostulates. It is always busy with the truth of God, and is always active in the spiritual warfare of the church. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. This gift reveals exactly who we wrestle against, and what we must do to defeat the enemy.
It is my prayer that the correct understanding of this gift, which we have attempted to show you in this study, will open the door to the correct understanding of all the gifts from the Holy Spirit. We will study them all, and by God’s grace we will try to make them all crystal clear, so that God’s people will desire them, seek them, and when the receive them will use them correctly and for His honor and glory. Like all the other gifts. This one also has Christ as its prime object. The Spirit reminds us of Jesus. The Spirit points us to Jesus. The Spirit never glorifies Himself, but always Jesus. May He be your King of Kings and your Lord of Lords, because this is the revealed will of God. God Bless you, dear readers.
©2010 Earl Jackson All Rights Reserved
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