Tag Archives: discernment

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Pursuing Excellence

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“So that you may approve the things that are excellent” (Phil. 1:10).

In a world of mediocrity and confusion, God calls you to excellence and discernment.

There’s the story of a pilot who came on the loudspeaker mid flight and said, “I have some good news and bad news. The bad news is we’ve lost all our instrumentation and don’t know where we are. The good news is we have a strong tail wind and are making great time.” That’s an accurate picture of how many people live: they have no direction in life but they’re getting there fast!

We as Christians are to be different because we have divine guidance and eternal goals. Our lives are to be marked by a confident trust in God and a pursuit of spiritual excellence.

“Excellent” in Philippians 1:10 speaks of things that are worthwhile and vital. Approving what is excellent refers to testing things as one would test a precious metal to determine its purity and value. It goes beyond knowing good from evil. It distinguishes between better and best. It involves thinking biblically and focusing your time and energy on what really counts. It involves cultivating spiritual discipline and not being controlled by your emotions, whims, moods, or circumstances.

Many organizations and businesses have adopted the motto, “Commitment to Excellence” to convey their desire to provide the finest product or service possible. If secular-minded people strive for that level of achievement, how much more should Christians pursue excellence for the glory of God!

Look at your life. Is it filled with godly love, discernment, and the pursuit of excellence—or has worldly trivia crowded out those virtues?

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Read Isaiah 12:1-6 as a psalm of praise to the God of excellence.
  • Ask God to give you a heart constantly set on pursuing excellence for His glory.

For Further Study

Daniel was a man who pursued excellence. Read Daniel 1:1—2:21.

  • What was Daniel’s decision regarding the king’s food and wine, and how did he handle the situation?
  • How did Daniel and his three friends compare in wisdom and understanding to the magicians and conjurers?
  • What principles do you see in those two chapters that apply to your life?
John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Avoiding Indiscriminate Love

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“This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment” (Phil. 1:9).

Christian love operates within the parameters of Biblical knowledge and spiritual discernment.

As a Christian, you are a repository of divine love. More than anything else, your love for God and for other believers marks you as a true disciple of Jesus Christ (John 13:35).

In addition to possessing God’s love, you have the privilege and responsibility of expressing it to others on His behalf. That’s a sacred trust. Paul qualifies it in Philippians 1:9, which tells us love is to operate within the sphere of biblical knowledge and spiritual discernment. Those are the parameters that govern God’s love.

No matter how loving an act or word might seem, if it violates knowledge and discernment, it is not true Christian love. Second John 5-11 illustrates that principle. Apparently some believers who lacked discernment were hosting false teachers in the name of Christian love and hospitality. John sternly warned them, saying, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring [sound doctrine], do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds” (vv. 10-11). That might sound extreme or unloving but the purity of God’s people was at stake.

In 2 Thessalonians 3:5-6 after praying for the Thessalonians’ love to increase, Paul then commanded them to keep aloof from so- called Christians who were disregarding sound teaching. That’s not contradictory because Christian love guards sound doctrine and holy living.

Unfortunately, today it is common for Christians to compromise doctrinal purity in the name of love and unity, or to brand as unloving some practices that Scripture clearly commands. Both are wrong and carry serious consequences if not corrected.

Be thoughtful in how you express your love. Abundantly supply it in accord with biblical knowledge and discernment. Excellence and righteousness will result (Phil. 1:10-11).

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Thank God for the love He has given you through His Spirit (Rom. 5:5).
  • Ask for opportunities to demonstrate Christ’s love to others today.
  • Pray that your love will always be governed by deep convictions grounded in God’s truth.

For Further Study

What do the following passages teach about love? How can you apply them to your life? Romans 12:9-10; 5:5; 1 John 4:7-10; Galatians 5:22; 1 Peter 1:22; 4:8.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Why We Need Churches

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And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. —Philippians 1:9–11

The Bible tells us that one of the signs of the last days, among other things, will be false teaching. And the only way we are going to be able to detect false teaching is by knowing what the Word of God teaches.

Paul prayed for the Philippian Christians that their knowledge of God’s Word would grow. He said, “This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent” (Philippians 1:9–10). We need an intelligent, discerning love that does the right thing. The word that Paul used here for approved could be translated “to examine, prove, and analyze.” This is an area in which we all need to grow.

I think there are a lot of Christians who haven’t really formed a proper theology, and maybe one of the reasons is because they jump from church to church. With the various ideas they expose themselves to, they can get a little confused, and they may not really know what they believe about a given subject.

I don’t think that church hopping is good for spiritual growth. But I do think that every Christian needs a church. I think they need a theology. I think they need a pastor. I think they need to be consistent. And I think they need accountability in a church.

Every believer needs to find a church and commit to it. I am not saying that we can’t ever visit a church if we go somewhere else. What I am saying is to find a church, stay there, be faithful, pray for the pastor, listen to what he says, and support that ministry. Be accountable, and develop and use your spiritual gifts in that place.

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Choose Excellence

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I am Your servant; give me understanding (discernment and comprehension), that I may know (discern and be familiar with the character of ) Your testimonies. —Psalm 119:125

The Word says, “Learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], and . . . be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless [so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble]” (Philippians 1:10).

People make choices and selections all day long. A truly disciplined person has the ability to subordinate the lesser choice to the greater, more excellent choice. Think about that as you choose the way you will go today. Select the greater cause, and subordinate the lesser options to it.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; A.W. – Practicing Discernment

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Corrie ten Boom once said, “Discernment is God’s call to intercession, never to faultfinding.” A discerning person intercedes through prayer or action rather than laying blame.

Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved.

1 Samuel 25:3

A perfect example is Abigail. Abigail was a wise woman married to a foolish man. In the scriptures surrounding today’s verse, David was running from Saul. In need of supplies, he sent men to Nabal asking for provisions. Nabal rudely dismissed David’s request and insulted him as well. David responded by sending his army to wipe out Nabal’s household. Then Abigail entered the story. Learning what happened, she interceded for her husband and her household. Gathering food and gifts, she set out to meet David. Finding him, she bowed to the ground, asked for forgiveness, took the blame for the situation, and praised David’s character while reminding him of God’s promises. This act diffused the situation and saved Nabal’s household.

When other’s make poor decisions, do you find fault or fall to your knees in prayer on their behalf? Start showing discernment today by interceding for the nation’s leaders as they make decisions that affect the country.

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 31:10-12, 25-31

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Avoiding Indiscriminate Love

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John MacArthur

I pray “that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment” (Phil. 1:9).

As a Christian, you are a repository of divine love. More than anything else, your love for God and for other believers marks you as a true disciple of Jesus Christ (John 13:35).

In addition to possessing God’s love, you have the privilege and responsibility of expressing it to others on His behalf. That’s a sacred trust. Paul qualifies it in Philippians 1:9, which tells us love is to operate within the sphere of biblical knowledge and spiritual discernment. Those are the parameters that govern God’s love.

No matter how loving an act or word might seem, if it violates knowledge and discernment, it is not true Christian love. Second John 5-11 illustrates that principle. Apparently some believers who lacked discernment were hosting false teachers in the name of Christian love and hospitality. John sternly warned them, saying, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring [sound doctrine], do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds” (vv. 10-11). That might sound extreme or unloving but the purity of God’s people was at stake.

In 2 Thessalonians 3:5-6 after praying for the Thessalonians’ love to increase, Paul then commanded them to keep aloof from so- called Christians who were disregarding sound teaching. That’s not contradictory because Christian love guards sound doctrine and holy living.

Unfortunately, today it is common for Christians to compromise doctrinal purity in the name of love and unity, or to brand as unloving some practices that Scripture clearly commands. Both are wrong and carry serious consequences if not corrected.

Be thoughtful in how you express your love. Abundantly supply it in accord with biblical knowledge and discernment. Excellence and righteousness will result (Phil. 1:10-11).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for the love He has given you through His Spirit (Rom. 5:5).

Ask for opportunities to demonstrate Christ’s love to others today.

Pray that your love will always be governed by deep convictions grounded in God’s truth.

For Further Study:

What do the following passages teach about love? How might you apply them to your life?

Romans 12:8-10

Romans 5:5

1 John 4:7-10

Galatians 5:22

1 Peter 1:22; 4:8