By Bob Kirkland
(Pastor Kirkland is the author of the Lighthouse Trails book, Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy)
God offers no cheap discipleship program. In Luke chapter
fourteen, the Lord gave three reasons why we cannot be His
disciple. He warned His followers to “count the cost”:
- Christ said if family or even our own lives are more
important than truth, we cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:26). - If we refuse to bear the cross He gives us to bear, we
cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:27). - If we are not willing to forsake all that we have,
we cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:33).
Discernment only comes from God, and He will not give discernment to anyone who is not willing to pay the price to be His disciple. Therefore, the first thing one who wants discernment must do is decide if he or she is willing to pay the price. Beware—it is very expensive.
The First Step to Discernment Is to Earnestly Pray for Discernment
The phrase “teach me” occurs in fifteen prayers in the Word of God.
Fourteen of them were prayers from the “man after God’s own heart,”
and one time the words came from Job who was not talking to God
but was talking to one of his critics. Job was humble enough to learn
even from his critics. Discernment is costly. It begins with humility.
The Second Step to Discernment Is an Earnest Desire for the Truth
The only source of total truth is the Word of God. The only way to
discern the truth concerning the things we read in God’s Word is to
genuinely allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into “all truth” (John 16:13).
This means we are not looking for Scriptures to support what we
already think we know about any issue. It also means we will not be
concerned about what our peers think. We genuinely want the truth.
This will most likely cost you some friends; however, the gift of
discernment is costly.
The Third Step to Discernment Is Applying the Truth
The Psalmist prayed, “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth:
unite my heart to fear thy name” (Psalm 86:11). Notice that the prayer includes “I will walk in thy truth.” This might include that you will need to admit that you have been wrong about some issue.
Discernment is costly. Count the cost before you go seeking discernment. Discernment put Noah and his family against the entire world. Discernment totally changed the lifestyle of Abraham. It caused Enoch to walk alone and Joseph to be hated by his brothers, sold as a slave, and spend many years in a dungeon. It put Moses on the backside of the desert and the three Hebrew children in the furnace. Discernment caused all of the disciples to be hated and Paul to be lied about, whipped, imprisoned, and forsaken by most Christians.
This is why Christ took His disciples up on the mountain at the beginning of their ministry and explained the true cost of discipleship. He said being His disciples would take them on the narrow path and warned them ahead of time that “few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14).
God offers no cheap discipleship program.
Related Information:
Three Vital Questions on Navigating Discernment
Guest Commentary: Spiritual Discernment What It Is and How to Get It
(photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission; design by Lighthouse Trails; article from Fairhaven Baptist Church; used with permission)
Could you be specific please.
Lord help us to understand that our pain and suffering is never for nothing, for David it was training to be a king, for Joseph it was training to be the organizer of the worlds greatest food bank, no other training could have prepared them for what You had planed for the service they gave. Give us a bigger perspective along with our discernment so we can (go to school) with out grumbling and complaining as if it were all random misfortune you were heaping on us instead of a well planed education.
How true this is, and how sad! I have learned firsthand the truth of the statement which Christ Jesus made, “A man’s enemies will be those of his own household.”
Even families are divided these days because of the Truth of God’s Word which so often is not appreciated and received, even by professing Christians. Thankfully, the Lord leads me to pray and not give up, and that gives me hope. As long as there is life, there is hope.
People complain about our nation being divided politically; very often they insinuate (or outright state) that it’s the fault of conservatives. But this political reality is rooted in the spiritual reality which is revealed in Ephesians 6, which shows us who the real enemies are.
Spiritual Discernment begins by trusting The Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. We need The Holy Spirit of God in us to help guide our path. Praying for discernment is our first step. We should desire truth from praying and studying God’s Holy Word. The Bible is our only answer to Gods Truth. Applying Truth is very important. Is it costly? We all agree it is. Sometimes we lose friends and loved ones who think we are crazy or hate what we believe and never talk to us again. It is truly a narrow path. Discipleship is not cheap. The Apostle Paul forsook all he had to preach the Gospel to the world. Most friends around him forsook him. He was beaten and jailed yet praise God for that Philippian jailer who will be in Heaven because the gospel was preached by Paul to him in that jail. Paul gave His life for our Savior. Do we pray for Gods help to bear our cross to the end? America seems to have “hit the iceberg right ahead”. All of us need to pray for wisdom, guidance and Discernment in these corrupt days we live in. Preach the Gospel.
Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed this on quite a few occasions with an individual who refuses to acknowledge she has been and continues to be deceived. And, to make matters worse, recently discovered she’s also a “closest calvinist “.
VERY troubling!!!
Yes, I have contributed comments to LHT on this issue before. I have seen it first hand when it came in an took over at my C&MA church in Ontario in the year 2000. It was unbelievable and heart breaking. The compromise is great, being ecumenical and espousing and embracing Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven agenda, Seeker Friendly Church Growth principles, contemplative spirituality, and social justice. Its the whole ball of wax which constitutes the apostate church. Believers still in churches like this need to get out.
The Charismatic-Penetecostal movement has done great damage. I lost most of my family as far as relationship to that group. They are like the prodigal son who wanted his inheritance now. They have no understanding of Dispensational theology or the dividing of the Word. The 4Square Church, started by a Aimee Semple McPherson, has wreaked havoc in my family due to their destructive teachings.
No, it is not isolated. C&MA, in both the US and Canada, as well as so many other denominations, are falling into step with major deception and sadly have for quite some time.
I am wondering if their is a lack of discernment in C&MA Canada. Are there many congregations that are having issues with what is coming down from nation, district and pastors who have come out of Ambrose. Teaching and preaching is far from Biblical, it seems. But not sure if it is isolated or not. Can you enlighten me.
Thanks
With the gift of discernment, we learn to decrease as the Lord increases. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge and rightly applying what has been learned. I’ve been studying for years the infiltration of the NAR ideology into Western Christianity. A friend whom I have known for over 30 years, has been in an NAR church that is affiliated with Bethel school for sometime now. The beliefs come from quite the twisting of scripture; the most egregious I’ve heard is that after Jesus died He descended into Hell to get the ‘keys of the kingdom’!
Not my Jesus!!
Recently, I happened upon an article of someone who detailed their exit from an NAR church and so grateful the scales had fallen off of his eyes with the gaining of discernment. As I was reading it, this friend came to mind and the Holy Spirit just kept nudging me to send the article along to my friend. The backlash was immediate. I was told that I never knew this person at all and that I only study to be dangerous. Obviously, the words written by another hit a nerve!
I still pray for this person to SEE.
The friendship is gone now and the cost was great, But I was obedient to what the Lord wanted me to do. The seed of truth was planted, the Lord will water it as He provides and a harvester will come I pray. Open the eyes of the blind Lord.🙏🏽
Even solid believers can be led astray, just like the foolish Galatians. No one wants to readily admit that they have been duped. No one more so than the church elders. No matter how graciously you present the truth except blowback rather than appreciation. Just ask Stephen, Paul, Jeremiah just ask Jesus who was hated without a cause.
If you study to show yourself approved and also boldly defend the faith remember that you live for Christ’s approval not mans.
Don’t be surprised when those who have been duped are esteemed by the majority. This is yet another possible sign that the church is being tested by the great delusion. I look at big names with years of solid teaching that are stumbling off the narrow path. Tragically they have thousands blindly following them. Thus the warning that teachers will be judged more harshly.
Powerful and challenging