Discernment Is a Gift of the Spirit, Gnosticism Isn’t

Mike Leake

downloadHow will you determine whether or not this article is true?

It’s not surprising that a world filled with fake news (or claims of fake news) would have a rise in self-proclaimed discernment blogs/ministries. We can be thankful that folks are once again concerned with what is true. But at the same time I would argue that what is being promoted as discernment has actually more in common with Gnosticism than biblical discernment.

Certainly the most knowledgeable among us will know that I’m using a rather limited definition of Gnosticism. It’s a far more complex belief system than just a bunch of dudes who think they have special knowledge. But “dudes who think they have special knowledge” is the definition that I’m using to make my point here.

The discerning among us will be able to gather my basic meaning and make a determination on whether what I’m saying is not only truthful but also good and useful. And the difference between this paragraph and the previous is the crux of my point. Gnosticism traffics in “knowledge” (often a “secret knowledge”) whereas biblical discernment is more concerned with truth, beauty, and use.

An Example

Allow me to give a bit of an example. I’ll take the top headline from both CNN and Fox News. On CNN it looks like the top article at this moment is about Mary Trump blasting their ‘toxic family dynamic’. Now pay attention to what is happening in your heart and mind as you read that headline. On Fox News the top article is about the White House defending President Trump’s visit with the Mexican President against the Dems snipe. Again, pay attention to what is happening in your heart and mind as you read that headline.

In either instance were you asking the question, “What is really going on here?” Given the political polarity in our nation, you are likely suspicious of one of these sources (if not both). You know there is more to the story. And so you use your skills of discernment to spot the lies and to discover what is really going on.

This is what we call discernment in our day: the ability to spot the lie and discover what is really going on behind the scenes. And that “what is really going on” has given rise to a host of conspiracy theories—some gaining a cult like following. These have a secret knowledge that only the truly discerning are able to discover.

This is not biblical discernment. This is Gnosticism.

Discernment vs. Gnosticism

Biblical discernment is concerned with truth, beauty, and use. It is humble and missional. Notice that in Paul’s prayer for the Philippians he prays that they will be able to “discern what is best”. That means “choose what is vital”. And you can see that fleshed out a bit in Philippians 4:8 with “whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, etc.”

Picture a discerning believer standing with a stamp over a conveyor belt with all of the decisions of the day going past her. Paul is praying that she will put that stamp of approval and action upon the things which are truly lovely. That she will live her life in accordance with that which is vital. Yes, part of that has to do with not putting your stamp on that which isn’t true or lovely. But it’s most concerned with what you do stamp. Discernment is more of a positive action or declaration than a negative defense.

Discernment isn’t just about spotting the lie, it’s about embracing what is lovely. And this is why, contrary to Gnosticism, it is also a mostly communal activity. Gnosticism is private and elitist. It’s appealing because it communicates that you—and your group—are alone special in being able to “spot the lie” and know what’s really going on. But biblical discernment builds a much different community.

Consider what happens in Acts 15. The new thing that God is doing with Gentile inclusion has thrown many of these Jewish Christians for quite the loop. In one sense they are wondering, “what is really going on here?” But notice their actions. They gather with other believers to find God’s revealed will. It’s not private. It’s not elite. Acts 15 happens because these early believers assume that each follower of Jesus has been given the Spirit and is able together to discern the truth. This pattern emerges all throughout the book of Acts.

Acts 15 also helps us see a principle difference between biblical discernment and its gnostic pretender. Notice that they are debating with one another about what God is doing in their world. They are using the standard of God’s Word and God’s character and attempting to discern together what he is up to in the world. Why? Because they want to put their stamp of approval on what is true, beautiful, and useful.

The discernment of gnosis, on the other hand, cannot really be argued with. It’s a private interpretation based upon your powers of discernment. It gives you special knowledge. And those who cannot see what you see are said to be “undiscerning”. But that’s not how biblical discernment works. It’s out in the open. Philippians 4:8 doesn’t require the gift of discernment. What does require the gift of discernment is the ability to find beauty in the muck. And when the discerning brings that which their gift found into the light, then the Philippians 4:8 impulse of believers kicks in and the community rejoices in the truth.

Conclusion

Let those of us who have the gift of discernment use it to inundate the world with God’s beauty and not stoke the flames of suspicion. Our goal is to exult in truth. EXULT. That’s the key word there. If we spend our whole time knocking the fake stuff off our conveyor belt we won’t have time to put our stamp on that which is truly beautiful.

The world needs more discernment. It doesn’t need Gnosticism parading around as discernment.

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See also: What if the foundation of discernment is hope and not suspicion.

The Subtle Difference Between Vindication and Justification, and Why It Matters

Mike Leake

photo-1589994965851-a8f479c573a9If you are a follower of Jesus it is relatively safe to assume that you know what to do with your guilt. We know that when we blow it, that we are to go to Christ in repentance for the forgiveness of sin. What we need in this moment is atonement and then justification. In other words, we need our guilt to be paid for and then for our record to be declared clean.

But what do you do whenever you’ve been wronged? Where do you go when you’re being slandered? What do you do when you need God to “justify you” not in the forensic sense but by way of vindication?

I’m convinced that it is the second question which is fixed on the mind of the apostle Peter and his hearers when he delivers the message of 1 Peter to them. Vindication. That’s the thrust of his encouragement to these elect exiles who are experiencing shame instead of honor. He is encouraging them to press on by showing that they’ll ultimately receive honor instead of shame. In other words, they’ll be vindicated.

But something interesting happened to me in my attempts to do a deep dive on this concept of vindication. I kept running into a road block. Most of my searches hit a dead end:

See Justification.

If I were creating one of those nerdy Venn diagrams there would be significant crossover between justification and vindication. They have similar roots, they’re both grounded in the work of Christ, they both have to do with us being declared innocent. But there is a subtle difference. And I think this difference is important.

In fact I think a good deal of our in-fighting, certainly as a nation but more specifically as believers in Jesus, comes from our lack of having a robust theology of vindication. Yes, we need to know that the justice of God is met and satisfied through the substitutionary death of His Son. We need to know and experience the depth of His forgiveness of our sin. But we also need to know that Jesus has something to say about all the slander against us, the injustices we’ve experienced, and all of the mocking and pain we’ve endured as followers of Jesus.

The gospel has something to say about this too. And to mute this aspect of our redemption is to miss an incredibly healing piece of the atonement. It’s also going to rob us of powerful fuel in our labor to love as Christ did. This was the fuel that Peter was putting in the tank of these Christ-followers who were enduring such trying times. “I know you’re being dishonored right now. I know you’re losing relationships and status. I know you’re losing face. But that’s temporary. The honor you receive from God will be eternal.” That’s the core of his message to them. And fueled them to love those who were reviling them.

What happens if I don’t have a sturdy theology of vindication? My efforts to love will collapse under the pain of my shame. My tank runs on fumes. And my heart, longing for vindication, lashes out instead of loves. If I don’t believe the gospel has anything to say about the slander against me, then I’m going to speak my fallen words into that void.

Of course there is much more to be said to develop a hardy theology of vindication. But rest in this simple truth today: you’re not only justified in the sin you’ve committed but you will also some day be freed of all the injustice against you. Eugene Peterson said it well:

“Nothing counter to God’s justice has any eternity to it.”

But your vindication in Christ? That’s eternal!

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Photo source: here

How “Who Was George Floyd Really” Is A Major Part of Our Problem

Mike Leake

download (2)I keep seeing a meme pop up with a picture of George Floyd and the statement: “The media and the left have made George Floyd into a martyr. But who was he really?” The meme then lists a lengthy rap sheet on Floyd and the fact that he had fentanyl and meth in his system at the time of his death.

Here is what I want to say in this paragraph. I want to show you that there is evidence that George Floyd was actually someone whose life turned around in 2013 and he spent quite a bit of time at his church in Resurrection House. I want to tell you how Floyd worked as a man of peace in the community and became a father figure to younger community members. I want to tell all of you that, but that is all beside the point.

Let’s consider that meme for a second. What’s it hoping to accomplish? I think it’s meant to get you to say, “Oh, that’s more of the story. He wasn’t a martyr he was just a….

Fill in the blank.

“Just a…”

That’s one of the foundational problems with our nation, right now. When we threw out the belief that man was created in the image of God we gave ourselves permission to debase humanity. I’m not shocked when I see unbelievers making “just a…” statements. It fits their worldview. It’s not much of a jump from “humanity is just another class of animal” to “this particular human is just a drugged out career criminal”.

We, Christians, have the answer to this devaluing of human life. We do believe that all lives matter. And because of this, we are uniquely positioned to shout from the rooftops that black lives matter. Can I really step on toes and say that the same mindset which allows for an abortion is the same mindset which says George Floyd was just a…? The answer to both injustices is to really believe that humanity was created in the image of God. Nobody—no matter how marred that image has become–is “just an” anything.

And so I’m absolutely astonished, and frankly a bit discouraged, when I see fellow believers in Jesus sharing a meme like this George Floyd one. It undercuts not only the gospel but even basic biblical anthropology. And it shows that we’re far more shaped and motivated by the cult of party than we are a biblical worldview.

But I’m not done. Those of us who are appalled by some of the racist responses to George Floyd’s death have to be careful that we deepen our character and that we maintain this biblical worldview. Otherwise we’ll engage in the exact same error. “This person is just a racist”. Cancel culture isn’t a Christian response—no matter who you are cancelling. Humanity has far more God-given dignity than this and the Spirit of God has far more power.

Listen to the Scriptures:

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Such were some of you….

This means that in Christ our identity is fundamentally changed. This side of another persons eternity we can certainly never claim that someone is just a ____. And even then, the great tragedy of “will not inherit the kingdom of God” is that they were created for rest, rule, and relationship. Sin has a tendency to so mar us that we can become that very thing. Idolatry shapes us in such a way that we do ultimately become what we worship. But this side of eternity we are never beyond the scope of redemption.

Yes, George Floyd died with fentanyl and meth in his blood system and if he was in Christ (as he appears to have been) then his identity and record is still firmly fixed there. He was just in Christ. And there will be some who die with seeds and even full grown plants of racism in our hearts. But if our heart is in Christ, then our identity is fixed there. Such a one is “just in Christ”.

So it would be really great if the gospel we say will fix all of this was actually the driving force behind what we say and do and the memes we share. It’d be phenomenal if this powerful gospel would in fact stir up in us repentance of our hatred.

Who was George Floyd….really?

He was a human being created in the image of God, who it appears found life in Christ.

When the Smoke From Our Prayer for Revival Smothers Real Revival

Mike Leake

photo-1503217195339-397eb18024e1I’m going to sound curmudgeonly here, but please hear me out. We’ve had about a week now of cities being torched by riots and stores being emptied by looters. There is a great deal of unrest in our nation. And I see many of our religious leaders calling for revival. Here’s the curmudgeonly sounding point:

“What we really need is revival”, whiles a true statement, can also be used as a smokescreen for inaction. Yes, it is true that the most powerful thing we can do is pray and entrust our situation to God. However, I believe the prophet Isaiah has a bit to say to this. Consider Isaiah 1:1-18.

In verse 7 we read that “your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire…” And notice what the people did in response to this. They ramped up the religious festivals. They called a solemn assembly. This is your good ol’ SBC, “let’s set apart a time for prayer for our nation and seek God’s blessing.” These Israelites gathered more and sacrificed more than they had previously.

Notice God’s response to all of this. “I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly”. Their fervent prayer was nothing more than a noisy gong. Their trampling of the courts did nothing to move the heart of God but only stirred up even more indignation.

“When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.” Isaiah 1:15

What about the promises given to Solomon? What about 2 Chronicles 7:14. These people were turning to God in prayer and religious practices and signs of repentance. So why isn’t God listening? Because they were missing a key component to that promise; namely the “and turn from their wicked ways.” You see, prayer (calls for revival and all that spiritual sounding stuff) can just be a way for the bloody-handed religious elite to remain in power.

What God really wants (1:16-17) is actual change. He essentially says, “You want revival?!?, you really want your land to be healed? Okay…cease to do evil, learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”

We can tirelessly drone about our need for revival, but it’s probably not going to come until we scrub down.

If I’m being blunt and specific I, personally, find calls for revival empty while many women, as well as men, remain without justice for the sexual assault and slander that they’ve endured. I find it empty for us (SBC) to give lip service to diversity and yet we cannot find it within ourselves to hire one single minority for five empty entity head vacancies.

Yes, the gospel IS the answer. And Christ CAN and does heal and remove blood-stained hands by the power of His own. BUT that cleansing isn’t for those using religiosity to keep bloody power. “Heal me, even if it means I lose every ounce of power.” That is the cry for revival that we need. It’s what I’m praying for in my own heart and hoping to see happen within our SBC.

That’s what Isaiah 1:18-20 means. Healing and real revival comes to those who are appalled by their own bloody hands and want real redemption. Real revival doesn’t come to those who want revival as a means to keep their way of life.

Yes, let us pray for revival. But let us make sure that we’re washing the blood off our hands while we’re praying.

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Photo source: here