The Dark side of Discernment

I'll be the first to tell you all about the necessity of discernment. The Bible is filled with warnings against false teachers and various heresies. The church as a whole is tragically lacking in this area, and welcome everyone and everything. So maybe it seems a little counterintuitive for me to write a blog post warning against discernment.

Well I'm not warning so much about discernment really as I'm warning against using discernment as a disguise for sinful attitudes like jealousy, pride or selfish ambition.

It is frustrating for a warrior of Christ watching most of the church cuddle up to the enemy and then turning around to see the few that are left are busy firing at other Christians over some minor disagreement.

Now I'm all for firing at wolves in sheep's clothing infiltrating the church, but that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about men who have something bad to say about everyone, perhaps with the exception of themselves and one or two dead preachers. They sit in the back row of your church and take mental notes of every real or imagined flaw in the sermon, and make the most minor of disagreements into a question of heaven and hell. They tear good preachers apart over nothing, and do everything they can to tarnish the name of good ministries.

Their motives? If you can point out a flaw in someone that others esteem highly, you put yourself in a position over them. You step on them to gain recognition for yourself. It is pride in action.

For those of us who have rejected the I'm-OK-you're-OK-approach to truth, I do believe this mixture of pride, jealousy and selfish ambition is the greatest danger remaining. Brothers, we are in a spiritual war. Act like it! It is acceptable for soldiers to have disagreements between them, but don't treat your fellow soldiers as the enemy. Do not fire your gun at your friends. If you do, you'll have to answer for your treachery before God's own war tribunal.