Discernment of spirits

[Ohio]

Great testimony byHismercy. Thanks.

While reading my eyes were opened to see all kinds of ways He has given us discernment. Just yesterday I was reminded by the devil of some shameful thing I had done 46 years ago. Right 46 years ago. Before I was saved, I had very little common sense. And I do mean very little! Just a dumb kid getting into trouble all the time.

Being dramatically born again all alone in my bed gave me my first dose of common sense. That was the Spirit of God living within my heart. I saw everything in life differently. I was not comparing things in my life with a few select verses, rather I had begun to walk by the Spirit. His gift to me of "common sense" could also be called the "discernment of spirits."

Today we do not walk merely by the Bible, but we walk by faith, we walk by His Spirit. Sure the Bible is vitally important, but our daily walk is not by the letters in a book, but by the Living One who is the Word. Praise Him!

[Nell]

Yes, byHisMercy, an excellent testimony.

Your words remind me of something Witness Lee actually said many years ago, when discussing discernment of "the real thing."

As you know, part of the mission of the United States Secret Service is investigating counterfeit US Currency. In their training, they do not study the myriad of currencies printed. They study THE REAL THING. They memorize it. They learn the intricacies and tiny details of genuine US currency. This makes counterfeit currency obvious. When you know what's real, you recognize a fake when you see it.

At this, Witness Lee encouraged us to know the Lord and in so doing, you recognize what is NOT the Lord. This actually helped me to recognize the signs when Lee himself began to go off the rails. It helped me to stand with what I knew to be true...what I knew of the Lord to be true. When you know what is true, you will be cognizant of the need to "try the spirits" when something seems "off". I began to see that Lee was contradicting the Word, and in many cases, his own ministry.

I think this is the essence of this verse:

1 John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you[a] know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

Nell

[byHismercy]

Originally Posted by Nell

Your words remind me of something Witness Lee actually said many years ago, when discussing discernment of "the real thing."

I love this, Nell. How true....knowing the living Almighty God shows all other gods for what they are, false gods. He is the only One, none before Him, none after. Simply meeting Him in person is the fulcrum point...

[byHismercy]

Originally Posted by Ohio

While reading my eyes were opened to see all kinds of ways He has given us discernment. Just yesterday I was reminded by the devil of some shameful thing I had done 46 years ago. Right 46 years ago. Before I was saved, I had very little common sense. And I do mean very little! Just a dumb kid getting into trouble all the time.

Right!? Me too, Ohio. I was the same. Foolish youngster. The best part of the common sense He gives us is the sense to seek Him, or His direction in our lives. Praise Jesus the Living, Almighty God, the Word!