Heb. 5:14
 Discern: “for deciding between” (A. T. Robertson)
 Discern: “to separate, discriminate” (W. E. Vine)
 Discern: “a distinguishing, discerning, judging” (Thayer)
Heb. 5:14
But solid food belongs to those who are
of full age, that is, those who by reason of
use have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil.
Live in a Society that Can’t
Discern
Ezra 3:13
so that the people could not discern the noise of the
shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the
people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and
the sound was heard afar off.
Isa 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who
put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who
put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
• Question we all face – in making decisions (do,
participate, go..?)
• Temptation - demands immediate answer
• Times a conflict between what is the wise, safe
and what I want to do
• Some questions hard to answer – are many
specifics and ramifications
• Difficult questions – wherein hard to be consistent
 Fail to draw distinctions – are necessary
 Hard to “force” the answer I want
 Hard to know when – actions is endorsing sin
Watching
Pornography
Is Sinful
(Gal. 5:19-21)
Making /
Producing
Pornography?
Selling
Pornography?
Go to Theater,
Bookstore, etc.
That sells
Pornography?
Right
Wrong
Good
Bad
Wise
Unwise
Good
Better
Heb. 5:14
I. Discernment Must Be Understood
I. Discernment Must Be
Understood
A. To Distinguish Between
1. Discern: “for deciding between” (A. T. Robertson)
2. Discern: “to separate, discriminate” (W. E. Vine)
3. Discern: “a distinguishing, discerning, judging” (Thayer)
I. Discernment Must Be
Understood
A. To Distinguish Between
B. To Clearly See the Difference (Phil. 1:9-10)
Phil 1:9-10
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound
still more and more in knowledge and all
discernment,
10 that you may approve the things that are
excellent, that you may be sincere and without
offense till the day of Christ,
Phil 1:10
“ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you
may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,”
“distinguish things that differ”
(fn: KJV; ASV)
“The margin here more correctly expresses the sense of the
Greek word. The idea is, that he wished them to be able to
distinguish between things that differed from each other; to have
an intelligent apprehension of what was right and wrong-of what
was good and evil.”
(Barnes)
“Distinguish”
“The word used here denotes the kind of trial to which metals are
exposed in order to test their nature.”
(Barnes)
Marriage
Faith
Sin
Individual
Bond
Opinion
Bad Judgment
Church
Weak
Unruly
Social
Spiritual
Committing Sin
Continuing in it
Marriage
Faith
Sin
Individual
Bond
Opinion
Bad Judgment
Church
Weak
Unruly
Social
Spiritual
Committing Sin
Continuing in it
Marriage
Faith
Sin
Individual
Bond
Opinion
Bad Judgment
Church
Weak
Unruly
Social
Spiritual
Committing Sin
Continuing in it
Marriage
Faith
Sin
Individual
Bond
Opinion
Bad Judgment
Church
Weak
Unruly
Social
Spiritual
Committing Sin
Continuing in it
Marriage
Faith
Sin
Individual
Bond
Opinion
Bad Judgment
Church
Weak
Unruly
Social
Spiritual
Committing Sin
Continuing in it
I. Discernment Must Be
Understood
A. To Distinguish Between
B. To Clearly See the Difference (Phil. 1:9-10)
C. To Have the Wisdom to Choose – Best (Col. 1:9)
Colossians 1:9
For this reason we also, since the day we
heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to
ask that you may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding;
Wisdom & Understanding
“He will do only that which is in his spiritual interest, or
what is good for him on a spiritual level. Some things
even right in themselves are not best for the Christian. It
does not necessarily take all wisdom and spiritual
understanding to know the difference between right and
wrong, or the good and the bad. But it does require such
wisdom and understanding to know the better over the
good, and the best over the better, and having
recognized the difference to then make the best choice
rather than just refuse the bad.” - Weaver
Sin
Good / Right
Decision /
Action
Since it is not sinful –
no problem at all!
Sin
Bad
Better
Best
Decision /
Action
Though not sinful – may
not be good at all!
“Discernment is not knowing
the difference between right
and wrong.
It is knowing the difference
between right and almost right.”
Charles H. Spurgeon
Heb. 5:14
I. Discernment Must Be Understood
II. Discernment Must Be Sought
II. Discernment Must Be Sought
A. Discernment Doesn’t Come Automatically
1. Don’t have it just because you are a Christian
2. Don’t have it just because you are older
3. Don’t have it just because you are smart - educated
II. Discernment Must Be Sought
A. Discernment Doesn’t Come Automatically
B. Must Seek it & Search it Out
1. Must cry for it (Prov. 2:1-4)
2. Comes with maturity (Heb. 5:12-14)
3. Comes with growth (Phil. 1:9-10)
If you are lacking in discernment
It could be that you haven’t been
working to have it!
Heb. 5:14
I. Discernment Must Be Understood
II. Discernment Must Be Sought
III. Discernment Must Be Valued
III. Discernment Must Be Valued
A. If Value is Not Placed Upon it – Will Not Seek it
B. Without it:
1. Behavior is foolish (Prov. 15:21)
2. Cannot distinguish the basics (Jonah 4:11)
3. Young prophet couldn’t distinguish truth & error (1 Kings
13)
4. Rich fool couldn’t distinguish material & spiritual (Luke
12:16-21)
5. Martha couldn’t distinguish good & better (Luke 10:3842)
III. Discernment Must Be Valued
A. If Value is Not Placed Upon it – Will Not Seek it
B. Without it:
C. With it:
1. Easily see –things that differ (Phil. 1:9)
2. Know difference in good and evil (Heb. 5:14)
3. See bad judgment, better and the best.
Heb. 5:14
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Discernment Must Be Understood
Discernment Must Be Sought
Discernment Must Be Valued
Discernment Must Be Applied
IV. Discernment Must Be Applied
A. Is it in agreement with your faith?
Is it in agreement with your faith?
a. You believe the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Acts 27:25)
b. Does it agree with Bible principles?
1. Violate a plain prohibition or command (1 John 3:4)?
2. Does it violate a principle (i.e. Matt. 7:12)?
3. Are you having trouble harmonizing it with Bible?
c. Would others see some inconsistency?
IV. Discernment Must Be Applied
A. Is it in agreement with your faith?
B. Does it violate your conscience?
Does it violate your conscience?
a. Conscience is not to be your guide (Acts 23:1)
b. Conscience is to be shaped and educated by word
1. Prov. 16:25; Jer. 10:23
2. May not have time to study at the moment
c. Violate conscience is a sin (Rom. 14:23)
1. Can I conscientiously do this?
2. Will my conscience bother me later?
3. Even if right within self (i.e. eating meat)
IV. Discernment Must Be Applied
A. Is it in agreement with your faith?
B. Does it violate your conscience?
C. Does it hamper your influence?
Does it hamper your influence?
a. We all have influence on those around us (Tit. 2:10)
1. May be our own children
2. May be fellow workers
3. May be other Christians
b. Should do best – be the greatest influence (Matt.
5:13-16; 1 Tim. 4:12)
c. Influence can lead others to do wrong (Matt. 18:6;
Rom. 2:14)
d. Even things right – encourage others to violate their
conscience (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 8)
IV. Discernment Must Be Applied
A.
B.
C.
D.
Is it in agreement with your faith?
Does it violate your conscience?
Does it hamper your influence?
Is it against what you know you ought to do?
Is it against what you know you ought to do?
a. Not always a matter of what is prohibited – neglecting
is sinful (Jas. 4:17)
b. Will this cause me to neglect some requirement?
1.
2.
3.
4.
As parent?
As husband / wife?
As a Christian?
As an employee / worker?
c. Is my difficultly – simply not doing what I know I ought
to do (Matt. 26:41; Rom. 7:15-ff)?
IV. Discernment Must Be Applied
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Is it in agreement with your faith?
Does it violate your conscience?
Does it hamper your influence?
Is it against what you know you ought to do?
Will it weaken you spiritually?
Will it weaken you spiritually?
a. Hamper your growth and progress (1 Tim. 4:15)?
b. Is it in your physical or spiritual interest (Rom. 8)?
c. Will it begin to breakdown resistance?
1. Psa. 1:1-3 – progression into sin
2. Heb. 2:1 – slowly drift away
IV. Discernment Must Be Applied
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Is it in agreement with your faith?
Does it violate your conscience?
Does it hamper your influence?
Is it against what you know you ought to do?
Will it weaken you spiritually?
What would Christ have done?
What would Christ have done?
a. Christ left us an example (1 Pet. 2:21)
b. What would Jesus do under the same circumstance?
1. Would this be consistent with his life and example?
2. If you read that he did this – would it surprise you?
c. His example says there are times of great sacrifice
(Phil. 2: 5-11; cf. 3:7-8)
d. What about other great Bible characters (Paul, Moses,
Abraham, etc.)?
IV. Discernment Must Be Applied
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Is it in agreement with your faith?
Does it violate your conscience?
Does it hamper your influence?
Is it against what you know you ought to do?
Will it weaken you spiritually?
What would Christ have done?
Will you be ashamed and want only a few to know?
Will you be ashamed and want few to know?
a. When I decide – do what I’ve decided – how will I feel
afterwards?
1. “Made right decision”
2. Better spiritually
3. Ashamed to tell others what I did?
b. Will you want few, if any, to know?
c. If ashamed – may tell you something (1 Jno. 3:19, 22)
d. Always before the eyes of God (Heb. 4:13)
IV. Discernment Must Be Applied
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Is it in agreement with your faith?
Does it violate your conscience?
Does it hamper your influence?
Is it against what you know you ought to do?
Will it weaken you spiritually?
What would Christ have done?
Will you be ashamed and want only a few to know?
Does it violate civil law?
Does it violate civil law?
a. Must obey civil law
a. Rom. 13:1-7
b. Titus 3:1-ff
c. 1 Pet. 2:13-17
b. Exception – when conflict with God’s law (Acts 5:29)
c. Is this against federal, state or local law?
IV. Discernment Must Be Applied
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
Is it in agreement with your faith?
Does it violate your conscience?
Does it hamper your influence?
Is it against what you know you ought to do?
Will it weaken you spiritually?
What would Christ have done?
Will you be ashamed and want only a few to know?
Does it violate civil law?
Is it poor, good or better judgment?
Is this poor, good or better judgment?
a. Wisdom / judgment involves:
1. See good over the bad – best over the better (Col. 1:9)
2. See beyond the present (Jas. 1:5)
b. Some can be right (not sinful) – and yet:
1. Show poor judgment
2. Have implications – not good
Heb. 5:14
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Discernment Must Be Understood
Discernment Must Be Sought
Discernment Must Be Valued
Discernment Must Be Applied