“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” – 1Corinthians 2:14 (KJV)
LIGHT FOR NOW: The mind of Christ enables us to evaluate life through the wisdom God has revealed by His Spirit. Spiritual discernment is not merely having strong feelings or unusual impressions; it is learning to recognize, understand, and respond to truth in agreement with God’s revelation.
Not everything that appears reasonable is spiritually wise, and not everything that feels right is necessarily true. Human reasoning is valuable, but when it operates independently of God’s revelation, it can reach conclusions that contradict His wisdom. The mind of Christ teaches us to evaluate what we hear, believe, and practise through the truth God has made known.
In 1Corinthians 2, Paul contrasts the wisdom of this world with the wisdom of God revealed through the Spirit. The Greek word translated discerned in verse 14 is anakrino, meaning to examine, investigate, evaluate, or assess. Spiritual discernment, therefore, involves more than receiving information; it includes the capacity to evaluate spiritual truth appropriately. Paul is explaining why God’s wisdom, revealed through the Spirit, cannot be rightly understood merely by the standards of a world that rejects God’s revelation.
Notice the foundation of Paul’s argument in verse 12: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” The Spirit enables believers to understand what God has graciously revealed. We do not discover the gospel by intellectual achievement alone; we receive God’s revelation and learn to understand it through the Spirit’s work.
Then Paul makes a remarkable declaration in verse 16: “But we have the mind of Christ”. In context, Paul is speaking about understanding God’s wisdom revealed through the Spirit, particularly the wisdom centred on Christ crucified. This does not mean every Christian automatically knows everything or that every private opinion is infallible. It means believers have access to God’s revealed wisdom in Christ and are called to learn to think in agreement with it.
How, then, do we practise discernment? First, we examine teachings by Scripture rather than accepting them merely because they are delivered confidently, accompanied by dramatic experiences, or presented by influential personalities. Acts 17:11 commends the Bereans because they examined the Scriptures daily to see whether Paul’s message was true. Even a respected messenger’s words were tested against God’s revelation. Spiritual maturity does not require us to abandon careful thinking; it teaches us to use it under the authority of truth.
Second, we distinguish the Holy Spirit’s leading from our own assumptions and emotions. A strong impression may deserve attention, but intensity alone does not prove divine origin. First John 4:1 tells believers to test the spirits because false prophets have gone out into the world. Discernment requires scriptural consistency, wisdom, and a willingness to examine what we believe. The Spirit who inspired Scripture will not lead us to embrace what contradicts God’s truth.
Third, discernment should influence character and decisions. Hebrews 5:14 describes mature people as those whose faculties have been trained through practice to distinguish good from evil. Discernment develops as we learn God’s Word and consistently apply it. We become better at recognizing manipulation, identifying destructive patterns, evaluating motives; including our own and choosing responses that honour Christ.
Spiritual discernment is not suspicion toward everyone, nor is it a licence to judge people’s hidden motives without evidence. It is the ability to evaluate matters truthfully and wisely. Sometimes discernment tells us to reject a teaching; sometimes it calls us to receive correction; sometimes it helps us recognize that we simply do not know enough to reach a conclusion. Humility is part of discernment because a discerning person remains teachable.
Remember: having the mind of Christ does not make us incapable of error; it gives us the truth by which our thinking can be corrected. As we grow in the Word, depend on the Spirit, and practise obedience, we become increasingly equipped to distinguish God’s wisdom from human deception. Glory!!!
INSTRUCTION: Examine one teaching, decision, or strong impression you have recently accepted. Ask: Does it agree with Scripture? What evidence supports it? Have I confused my emotions or assumptions with God’s leading? Be willing to correct your conclusion if the truth requires it.
CONFESSION: I have received the Spirit of God, and I am learning to understand the wisdom He has revealed in Christ. I do not blindly accept every teaching, impression, or opinion. My thinking is submitted to Scripture, my judgment is shaped by truth, and my heart remains teachable. I grow in discernment, recognize error, receive correction, and choose what honours Christ. I will neither be deceived by appearances nor governed by suspicion, but will walk in wisdom, humility, and truth, in Jesus Name. Amen.
For More Light; get the message, “THE RENEWED MIND” by Dr. John Linus
QUOTE: Spiritual discernment is not the ability to suspect everything; it is the maturity to examine everything by the truth God has revealed.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: 1CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 2:6-16; EVENING: HEBREWS CHAPTER 5:11-14
