A recent visit to the dentist confirmed what I had suspected for some time – I had a bad tooth that needed to come out. Decay had developed beneath the porcelain crown. The deterioration had even worked its way into the root structure of the tooth. Everything was compromised. It was beyond repair. The only solution was to pull the tooth. Ouch!
Tooth decay is one thing. Truth decay is another. Our society is experiencing the slow but steady deterioration that comes as a result of truth decay. With the rejection of absolute truth, our culture is in a state of moral and civil free fall. I don’t have to argue this point; the evidence is everywhere.
Like tooth decay that causes widespread deterioration, truth decay undermines the very foundations of society. Psalm 11:3 presents the ensuing dilemma, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” What can a Christian to do? We can learn to exercise discernment. How do we accomplish that? We must have a thorough knowledge of the Bible and be filled with the Spirit of Truth.
Biblical discernment is the act of making a distinction, judging, or deciding through the process of examination or testing. To practice discernment as a believer means we test or examine everything by the Word of God. If the thing in question does not agree with Scripture then we toss it as an untruth (Isaiah 8:20).
Furthermore, as Spirit-filled believers we may exercise the spiritual gift of discerning of spirits. This is the ability to know in your heart whether something is proceeding from the spirit of man, the spirit of Satan, or the Spirit of God (1 John 4:1).
Jesus said that the Last Days would be characterized by great deception. It’s already begun. As believers we can safely navigate these troubled waters by exercising discernment. Know the Bible. Be filled with the Spirit. Do these things and the foundation of truth will remain strong in your life.
Pastor Todd Weston
Tooth decay is one thing. Truth decay is another. Our society is experiencing the slow but steady deterioration that comes as a result of truth decay. With the rejection of absolute truth, our culture is in a state of moral and civil free fall. I don’t have to argue this point; the evidence is everywhere.
Like tooth decay that causes widespread deterioration, truth decay undermines the very foundations of society. Psalm 11:3 presents the ensuing dilemma, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” What can a Christian to do? We can learn to exercise discernment. How do we accomplish that? We must have a thorough knowledge of the Bible and be filled with the Spirit of Truth.
Biblical discernment is the act of making a distinction, judging, or deciding through the process of examination or testing. To practice discernment as a believer means we test or examine everything by the Word of God. If the thing in question does not agree with Scripture then we toss it as an untruth (Isaiah 8:20).
Furthermore, as Spirit-filled believers we may exercise the spiritual gift of discerning of spirits. This is the ability to know in your heart whether something is proceeding from the spirit of man, the spirit of Satan, or the Spirit of God (1 John 4:1).
Jesus said that the Last Days would be characterized by great deception. It’s already begun. As believers we can safely navigate these troubled waters by exercising discernment. Know the Bible. Be filled with the Spirit. Do these things and the foundation of truth will remain strong in your life.
Pastor Todd Weston