Discernment – Old Testament
(The Old Testament type of discerning was only given to the prophets and certain Kings, who were obedient to God.)
I Ki 3:9
9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
I Ki 3:12
12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
(He could discern by wisdom and understanding.)
Eccl 8:5
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
Mal 3:18
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
Three Main Senses Used In Discernment
(The three main senses used in discernment: seeing, hearing, and the understanding heart.)
Acts 28:27
27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
I Cor 12:10
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
I Cor 2:11-16
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
(To discern ask of God.)
(The carnal man will try to discern others by divinations and things of science; by suspicions and fault findings; here it says God has given us the Spirit to help us discern. The Spirit will quicken our spirit, will show us, and will cause us to feel another’s spirit when we come in contact with them.)
The Word Of God Is Part Of Discernment
Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
(The Holy Spirit knows man’s thoughts and intents of the heart and at times will even reveal them to you, if it is to God’s advantage to help you to know how to best help that person or to warn you of them.)
Heb 5:14
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
(God wants us to be deep in the Word; to know the true Word and use all our senses to discern.)
I Thes 5:21
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
I Jn 4:1-3
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
(Our knowledge of the Word will help our discernment of spirits to be stronger, as we grow in the Word and exercise our senses; God will show us more.)
Type Of Spirits
Mark 7:21-23
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Rom 1:28-32
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Gal 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Definitions
Discern
Strong’s Concordance, Greek: To perceive, see clearly, distinguish, recognize, to separate thoroughly, to discriminate.
Discernment
Strong’s Concordance, Greek: Keenness in perceiving and understanding, good judgment, shrewdness, judicial estimation.