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Last week my brother in Christ and fellow shepherd, Don Grant, wrote a challenging article, published in this paper, titled "Progressive Christianity... five counterfeit truths."
Don's article and the five counterfeits he exposed illustrate the great need for discernment in the church of Jesus Christ. While it seems like discernment is needed now, more than ever, the truth is Jesus' church has needed discernment from its earliest days. Just a sampling from Acts and the epistles will demonstrate that fact.
Probably less than three decades after the birth of the church (following the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus) the apostle Paul was traveling to Jerusalem, knowing that he would be arrested there due to opposition to his ministry of the gospel to the Gentiles.
On that journey, believing that he would never again see his fellow elders from the city of Ephesus, Paul called for a meeting with these brothers. (You can read about it in Acts 20:17-38.)
Paul admonished them to "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock…" because "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you... and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them." (Acts 20:28-30)
Sometime later Paul sent a letter to his protege, Timothy, to whom he had given the responsibility of equipping and guiding leaders in the churches in Ephesus.
In that letter Paul warned Timothy that "the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by the hypocrisy of liars, who have been seared in their own conscience…" (1 Timothy 4:1-2).
Again, in another letter, Paul admonished Timothy to "know this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
More examples of this need for discernment in the early church could be presented from the letters of Peter, John and Jude, but suffice it to say that the need has always been there.
Still, it does seem like that need is as great now as it's ever been, if not greater.
As Don demonstrated, the need for discernment is present within the church with regard to its beliefs and practices.
It is also needed from the church as we, the members of Christ's church, engage as Christian citizens in our community, commonwealth and country. Among other things, the exercise of our stewardship to vote must be done with discernment.
When we enter the voting booth (or submit a mail-in ballot) we must cast our vote with the discernment that comes from the wisdom of God, obtained by the Spirit of God shaping our minds with the Word of God.
Therefore, let us be diligent to read and study God's Word which is able to equip us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17), by making us wise (Psalm 119:98-100).
Let us live in the fear of the LORD whereby we seek to understand his wisdom and submit to his will, for that is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7).
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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week's column comes from Pastor Doug Packard of First Baptist Church, Lock Haven.