In 1 Corinthians 12:10 it is written that the Holy Spirit gives to some individuals the discerning of spirits: the wisdom in making keen judgments, the ability to discriminate and perceive with insight, and to recognize or identify good and evil in a separate and distinct way.
Spiritual discernment is a subjective and experiential ability to understand and interpret a religious experience and spiritual condition.
The seeker of God, in humility and love, desires to be led by the Spirit in all ways (Gal.
5:18; Rom.
8:14).
This religious experience strengthens the awareness of believers as "the children of God" (Rom.
8:14-17), forming a dependency and interactive communication with God through prayer and action.
Closely connected to spiritual discernment, especially when the community and its life are involved, is the spirit of prophecy.
The Christian community is warned in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 to take care not to quench the Spirit or despise prophesyings.
In all matters, refraining from all evil and testing or proving of everything to ensure that it is good (i.
e.
, of God) is essential.
When individuals depend on their own fallible knowledge and abilities, failing to recognize that all power comes from God, they are led into falsehood, temptation, false pride, and a breach in communication with God and divine will.
Only constant reliance upon God can make possible the understanding of good and evil, should God choose to imbue an individual with such a gift or experience.
Slipping on the rocks of pride and independence from God, even momentarily, caused one as devout as Moses to lose his spiritual balance and to forfeit entering the promised land with his people.
Peter, momentarily taking his eyes off of Jesus and focusing instead on the boisterous wind and his fear of slipping, lost his footing in the water and began to sink.
Only when he once again looked to Jesus was he connected to the divine and able to discern the good (strong faith in God) and evil (doubting God's salvific grace; Matt.
14:27-31).
Although the Old Testament does not speak of spiritual discernment in that terminology, it describes the intervention of prophetic interpretation and the presence of God in directing the Jewish community and its daily life.
Guidelines were set by which people might judge the validity of what prophets spoke (Deut.
18:21-23).
Discriminating between the Spirit of God and a counterfeit, evil spirit involves a judgment by discerners of their fruits or what their actions bring about.
Where the true Spirit is present, the spiritual discerner has taken much care, through the help of God, to be pure, moral, a devout believer, trustworthy, loving of others, generous, loyal, temperate, and peace-loving.
For the Christian, acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior comes from the teaching and guidance of the Spirit (1 Cor.
3:3).
Then, choosing to live in the Spirit and to follow the leading of the Spirit, certain individuals are able to discern the direction in which the Spirit guides.
Paul, speaking of the transforming power of the Spirit to renew the mind so that the person might discern the will of God, what is good, pleasing, and perfect (Rom.
12:2), describes the development of a Christian into a spiritual person who is then able to judge all things.
In this way people who are given the gift or awareness by the Spirit are allowed to share in God's wisdom on some matters.
Extreme humility is required, since in no way is the created ever to equate ability to discern with being equal to the Creator.
This was the grievous sin of Lucifer.
Discernment of evil could come about through sincere prayer, a dedicated spiritual life, and a strong desire to stay close to God and under divine protection from evil.
Focusing so much on the good and thus on God allows the individual to see the contrast of good and evil.
However, where there is sin and self-seeking, there will be distortion of purpose and thinking.
Satan will be able to deceive, making the ungodly appear acceptable and attractive to the superficially righteous.
A possible serious error that some religious leaders may make concerns not only correctly discerning spiritual gifts of other believers, including spiritual discernment, but also encouraging such gifts and their sharing and not envying those with keen insight in detecting good from evil.
Scripture tells us that in the last days women and children will prophesy and that, if God's people do not bear witness for Christ as Savior, the very rocks would speak out for him.
Such prophesying and witnessing require spiritual discernment of good and evil and of the sacred and the secular.
The survival of the community of believers depends on at least some of its members remaining in close relationship with God to discern and instruct others in the divine life and holy goals.
Spiritual discernment is a subjective and experiential ability to understand and interpret a religious experience and spiritual condition.
The seeker of God, in humility and love, desires to be led by the Spirit in all ways (Gal.
5:18; Rom.
8:14).
This religious experience strengthens the awareness of believers as "the children of God" (Rom.
8:14-17), forming a dependency and interactive communication with God through prayer and action.
Closely connected to spiritual discernment, especially when the community and its life are involved, is the spirit of prophecy.
The Christian community is warned in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 to take care not to quench the Spirit or despise prophesyings.
In all matters, refraining from all evil and testing or proving of everything to ensure that it is good (i.
e.
, of God) is essential.
When individuals depend on their own fallible knowledge and abilities, failing to recognize that all power comes from God, they are led into falsehood, temptation, false pride, and a breach in communication with God and divine will.
Only constant reliance upon God can make possible the understanding of good and evil, should God choose to imbue an individual with such a gift or experience.
Slipping on the rocks of pride and independence from God, even momentarily, caused one as devout as Moses to lose his spiritual balance and to forfeit entering the promised land with his people.
Peter, momentarily taking his eyes off of Jesus and focusing instead on the boisterous wind and his fear of slipping, lost his footing in the water and began to sink.
Only when he once again looked to Jesus was he connected to the divine and able to discern the good (strong faith in God) and evil (doubting God's salvific grace; Matt.
14:27-31).
Although the Old Testament does not speak of spiritual discernment in that terminology, it describes the intervention of prophetic interpretation and the presence of God in directing the Jewish community and its daily life.
Guidelines were set by which people might judge the validity of what prophets spoke (Deut.
18:21-23).
Discriminating between the Spirit of God and a counterfeit, evil spirit involves a judgment by discerners of their fruits or what their actions bring about.
Where the true Spirit is present, the spiritual discerner has taken much care, through the help of God, to be pure, moral, a devout believer, trustworthy, loving of others, generous, loyal, temperate, and peace-loving.
For the Christian, acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior comes from the teaching and guidance of the Spirit (1 Cor.
3:3).
Then, choosing to live in the Spirit and to follow the leading of the Spirit, certain individuals are able to discern the direction in which the Spirit guides.
Paul, speaking of the transforming power of the Spirit to renew the mind so that the person might discern the will of God, what is good, pleasing, and perfect (Rom.
12:2), describes the development of a Christian into a spiritual person who is then able to judge all things.
In this way people who are given the gift or awareness by the Spirit are allowed to share in God's wisdom on some matters.
Extreme humility is required, since in no way is the created ever to equate ability to discern with being equal to the Creator.
This was the grievous sin of Lucifer.
Discernment of evil could come about through sincere prayer, a dedicated spiritual life, and a strong desire to stay close to God and under divine protection from evil.
Focusing so much on the good and thus on God allows the individual to see the contrast of good and evil.
However, where there is sin and self-seeking, there will be distortion of purpose and thinking.
Satan will be able to deceive, making the ungodly appear acceptable and attractive to the superficially righteous.
A possible serious error that some religious leaders may make concerns not only correctly discerning spiritual gifts of other believers, including spiritual discernment, but also encouraging such gifts and their sharing and not envying those with keen insight in detecting good from evil.
Scripture tells us that in the last days women and children will prophesy and that, if God's people do not bear witness for Christ as Savior, the very rocks would speak out for him.
Such prophesying and witnessing require spiritual discernment of good and evil and of the sacred and the secular.
The survival of the community of believers depends on at least some of its members remaining in close relationship with God to discern and instruct others in the divine life and holy goals.