Spiritual Discernment

[Jared]

I named this thread "spiritual discernment" to differentiate it from the sort of discernment that people usually talk about in reformed circles. It seems to me that most reformed people when they are talking about discernment they are talking about something that is based on scripture. For instance, if someone is teaching something that is contrary to scripture, and we are able to see that, then we would call that discernment.

The sort of discernment that I'm talking about is something different. It's more experiential and may not have anything to do with anything you can perceive with your intellect.

Have you ever had a strange feeling about a preacher or a Christian author or a Christian musician? Is there a place for that kind of thing? If so, what does that mean?

Sometimes I get a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach when I'm listening to someone preach or sing, and it seems like something is just not right. Everything may look okay on the outside, but I just don't feel right about them somehow.

In the past, I have felt that way about some people and I found out later on why I felt that way because it was revealed that the person was living in open willful sin.

Other times, the person has already died, and it's unlikely if anything was amiss that it will be revealed.

Has anyone else experienced this? I know that I could be wrong sometimes, but it really seems as though, at least with the people who it is revealed that they are living in sin, that there was a reason that I felt that way.

 

[moselle]

I too sometimes get that "off" feeling about something or someone. Maybe I am hearing something that is not right but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe a person is giving non-verbal cues that indicate that something isn't quite right. BUT, as Josh indicated above, I have to remember that mysticism is VERY appealing to my flesh. All my thoughts and feelings are tainted with sin and must be brought under submission to Christ and evaluated in light of scripture. The more "authority" I give to my own feelings and experience, the further I will stray from the true authority of Christ.

An appropriate response, I think, can always be to pray for your own heart and pray for that person you are thinking about - that all will be captured by the truth of the Gospel and a love for our Savior.

 

[jjraby]

Have you ever had a strange feeling about a preacher or a Christian author or a Christian musician?

Yes.

Is there a place for that kind of thing?

Yes, because you can't keep a feeling from happening. But if you mean is there a place for it as a valid measurement of someone's intellect, integrity, etc., NO, because it could easily have been something you ate for breakfast earlier.

If so, what does that mean?

Nothing. Other than prophets who were given divine revelation, there is no indication in Scripture that we ought to be moved by "promptings," feelings, or the like. In fact, to doubt someone, or even to revere someone, because of a feeling is presumption.

Sometimes I get a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach when I'm listening to someone preach or sing, and it seems like something is just not right. Everything may look okay on the outside, but I just don't feel right about them somehow.

In the past, I have felt that way about some people and I found out later on why I felt that way because it was revealed that the person was living in open willful sin.

Your experience, while I won't deny it, is not the validation of truth.

Has anyone else experienced this? I know that I could be wrong sometimes, but it really seems as though, at least with the people who it is revealed that they are living in sin, that there was a reason that I felt that way.

You should be very careful not to respond or presume things about people because of a feeling, prompting, or otherwise inner indication, regardless of your past experience or "track record," if you will. In fact, one should even go beyond that and understand that one part of keeping the ninth commandment is placing the best construction on matters that appear to be questionable, etc. Not everything is as it appears.

Just my

my is that i completely agree.

 

[Jack K]

I too agree with Josh. Hard to add to that. He said forcefully some things that need to be said forcefully. Don't harbor suspicion of a person because of an inner prompting you can't explain.

I might allow for this: that sometimes as we get to know a person we see that something about them is not quite right even though we can't put a finger on what it is. This is due to the fact that as people who live by the Spirit we're able to sniff out, if you will, his work. And it's due to the fact that underlying sin in a person's life does show itself at the surface, sometimes in very subtle ways. But this discernment is not any special spiritual revelation that's otherwise unexplainable. It's simply the ordinary discernment we all have that would be explainable if we took the time to figure out why something feels wrong.

We must be careful NOT to attribute to the Spirit promptings which cannot be explained. Although he does work in strange ways and provides remarkable insights, his ways are not contrary to ordinary godly wisdom or the Scriptures. He is the author of these things and he never contradicts them. He's also the Spirit we all share. So unless other believers are getting the same sense I am, I need to be wary of attributing my "discernment" to the Spirit.

Finally, even if we do, rightly, sniff out sin in a fellow believer's life we must be charitable and humble about it. If we fellowship with each other the way we ought to, we will get to know each other's sin quite well. I will see theirs and they will see mine as it comes to the surface now and again. We rebuke gently and lovingly, always aware first and foremost of our own sin and our forgiveness in Christ, finding great joy the repentant lives we are each able to lead by the Spirit.