Through today’s passage, the author of Hebrews spoke of the condition of our faith, although we should have been mature by being trained in our spiritual senses through the Word of righteousness, we have come to need milk like infants. By eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, sin came in resulting in the fall. Since then, good and evil is all jumbled up in us. Once our spiritual senses are trained by the Word of righteousness, the ability to choose good over evil is reversing the effects of the fall. This is the key to redemption.

We are living in the age where the distinction between truth and false has become unclear. However the Bible clearly separates light and darkness, righteousness from sin, and God’s Holy Spirit and the spirit of the world. One of the signs of the end times is the confusion that everyone needs to be treated equally whether they are sinners or righteous. Therefore we need the spirit of discernment.

3 types of discernment we need to have:

1. Discernment of the right spirit

We believe in God who is Spirit (John 4:24). There are other spirits other than the spirit of God. Therefore it is very important for us to have spiritual discernment. Depending on what spirit we have, it will determine where we will be, and how we will live for an eternity in the spiritual world. Jesus considered this so important that He even said that those who stumble another person from faith need to tie a millstone around their neck and throw themselves into the sea. May we impact another person’s spiritual future in a positive way so they can end up in the kingdom of heaven eternally.

The spirit come into us through the Word. If we have the spirit of God, we can confess Jesus is God (1 Corinthians 12:3, 1 John 4:1-6). Those with the spirit of God will be able to listen to the Word of God. The only way for us to receive the spirit of God, is through the Word. Therefore we need to read the Bible.

The Greek word for “dividing” is “orthotomeo”, means rightly dividing, to handle correctly (2 Timothy 2:15). To handle the truth is to see the truth in the Word. Rightly dividing means divide my own thoughts and other people’s opinions from the Word of God.

2. Discernment between faith and religion

There are people who are active in church who do not have faith. It is religiosity, which is a strong tendency and feeling to be religious. We need to understand that religiosity and recognition that God exists, is not faith. True faith is meeting God and having intimate relationship with Him. Those who deceive themselves as having faith, they will fall when trouble comes because religion is replaceable (2 Corinthians 13:5). Faith however cannot be replaced because the meeting with God is so amazing that you cannot go away from Him.

All the other miracles, healings can be copied by Satan (Act 8:9). Therefore, we need to ask ourselves today: If I meet Jesus today, will He say “Do I know you?” (Matthew ‪7:21-23‬). Satan allows us be active in church, as long as we deceive ourselves and not have faith. What Satan hates the most is when we actually meet God and start repenting, our life changes, we start finding hope in darkness. We need to be aware of these schemes of Satan and be able to overcome and defeat him. This worship service is a time of battle. Through the worship and service, may we declare victory and glory to God.‬‬

3. Discernment between logic and life

At the core of Christianity, we are here to receive life. We need to be in the right spiritual frequency to find life in what we do, in worship and in the Word. Judas Iscariot met Jesus and spent time with Jesus, he was one of the closest people to Jesus, however in all that he could not find light. As a result, he had a miserable failure in his life of faith.

Church is not run by human logic. In many ways, the things that church does, may not seem to be logical. Why? Because church is not always democratic. Democratic means ruled by the people. Church needs to be ruled by God. The church is for the people and the salvation of mankind, but it is centred around God’s word and will. The church needs to be run by the spirit of God and the head needs to be Jesus Christ. Just because we understand logically the Word of God, that does not mean we have received life that is in Him. Jesus said in John 6:63, it is the spirit that gives us life. We need to believe the Word of God is the absolute truth.

Discernment is given to us only through the Word of God. Jesus said “I have so much to say, but you cannot bear them now. You don’t understand the earthly things I say, how will you understand the heavenly things?”. Jesus died on the cross after saying that. But He said I will send you the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit will help you understand what I am trying to tell you (Isaiah 34:16). It is the spirit of God that has gathered and teach us the Word. May our church not be just a mere Christian religion, but a gathering of people of faith. May Zion Church be a church of life. ~ AMEN