Discernment and Judgment
"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment" (John 7:24).
Spiritual discernment is the ability to recognize what is true, good, and aligned with God's heart. It is perception that gives understanding. God gives discernment and judgment to His people who seek His ways to live in this age. What is the distinction between godly discernment and human judgment? What is right or righteous judgment?
We are to be like Him. He knows all about us and loves us just the same. In fact, when we were yet sinners, He died for us. This is the love of God we are to have for others. When God shows us what is in the heart, others or our own, it may evoke a myriad of reactions in our souls. We need spiritual guidance and understanding to handle with wisdom what it is that He reveals.
“Jesus knew what was in all men…” John 2:23-25 CLV
“He Who is forming their hearts individually, Who is understanding all their doings.” Psalm 33:15 CLV
We ask the Lord for discernment in many important matters: when a change in circumstances is possible, when relationships are difficult, and in adversity that we cannot comprehend. God reveals the lessons necessary to proceed wisely. When interceding for others in prayer, God gives us His loving heart so that we can pray without contamination from our human judgment.
Human judgment is condemnatory. It is blaming and, frequently, shaming. It is disrespect for our brothers and sisters in Christ if, when we see their errors and flaws, we feel condemnation and self-righteousness. Judging by outward appearance often leads to attitudes that divide.
“Woe to the self-satisfied in Zion and trust in the mountain of Samaria. …For you turn right judgment into poison And the fruit of righteousness into absinthe.” Amos 6:1a;12b, CLV
The KJV translation states it this way, “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion.” Absinthe stands for intense bitterness, divine punishment, and spiritual apostasy. God was chastising Israel for trusting in flesh, in human help to rescue them from their enemies. Self-satisfaction, being at ease in our souls, is rebuked again in the Laodicean church of Revelation. They are at ease, satisfied that they are doing things well. They see no need for God to correct them, to burn up their old fleshly ways.
“He is loving righteousness and right judgment; With the benignity of Yahweh the earth is filled.” Psa. 33:5 CLV
Human judgment is a “cognitive process of forming opinions, decisions, or evaluations based on a combination of knowledge, experience, and intuition”. It is critical for navigating complex, high-stakes scenarios involving ambiguity, ethics, and emotional intelligence. Essential for effective leadership, judgment involves interpreting context, exercising accountability, and refining decisions through experience. The components of human judgment, however, easily reveal all the ways it goes astray from godly discernment:
Human judgment relies too much on limited, easily accessible knowledge. Our judgments are built on available, often incomplete, information and our limited past experiences.
Human judgment is inconsistent, even when analyzing the same information. We all have a critical, sometimes unconscious, element based on rapid pattern recognition. We create preconceived notions that distort objective evaluation.
Humans interpret why something matters, not just the data. Our interpretations are vulnerable to bias based on our understanding and differences. It is not clean. While it is essential in fields like law, management, medicine, and counseling, God’s judgment looks at the heart. The Lord’s discernment reveals the root of behavior, not just what is visibly seen and known.
Human judgment allows for empathy and moral reasoning, distinguishing right from wrong in complex scenarios. God’s judgment is precise, leading to righteous responses focused on mercy and reconciliation.
Christians look to God for discernment, not relying on our own small supply of wisdom. In the Bible, wisdom and discernment are closely related, with wisdom generally understood as the application of divine knowledge to life, while discernment is the ability to distinguish between good and evil, truth and error. Together, they empower believers to make godly decisions, test the spirits, and avoid deception. John warned:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are of God, for many false prophets have come out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 CLV
Wisdom is the tool for living righteously, while discernment helps you know how to use that tool in specific situations. Both are gifts from God that are requested through prayer.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:5 NIV
Wisdom is developed through maturity, studying Scripture, and testing through adversity. As we walk, talk, and learn with our Lord, He opens up the words of life to us. He brings tests to overcome, causing us to seek Him even more diligently to understand and respond in godly ways. We are in Father God’s training program, guided by Jesus Christ our Lord and the holy spirit within.
“For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:14 BSB
Solomon was given wisdom and understanding because He asked the Lord for it, above all other things. King Solomon asked for wisdom and understanding when he took the throne as a young man of twenty. This pleased the Lord!
“Will You give to Your servant a hearkening heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil; for who can judge this burdensome people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:9 CLV
Solomon reigned over Israel for forty years. No doubt, he made this request repeatedly throughout those years. Rather than a one-time event, the Bible frames discernment as a continuous necessity for Christians to navigate life's complexities, avoid deception, and test everything against Scripture. In Proverbs, he states:
“My son, if you take my sayings, and my instructions you store up within you, attending with your ear to wisdom, and you stretch out your heart to comprehension; indeed if you call out for understanding, and you raise your voice for comprehension, if you seek it like silver and search for it like buried treasures, then you shall understand the fear of Yahweh, and the knowledge of Elohim you shall find.
For Yahweh Himself gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and comprehension; He stores up sagacity for the upright, a shield for those walking with integrity, so as to preserve the paths of right judgment, and so He may guard the way of His benign ones.
Then you shall understand righteousness and right judgment, and you shall be upright in every good route; for wisdom shall come into your heart, and knowledge, it shall be pleasant to your soul. Foresight, it shall guard over you; Comprehension, it shall preserve you, so as to rescue you from the way of evil, from the man who is speaking duplicity…” Proverbs 2:1-12a CLV
This is how to understand right judgment, to walk uprightly before our God. Godly discernment is crucial for navigating spiritual deception and evaluating motives. A person with wisdom uses discernment to avoid foolishness, to align their actions with God's will. While wisdom guides the overall application of God's Word in life, discernment acts as the filter that helps identify, test, and apply that wisdom accurately.
Wisdom brings, above all, a holy fear and reverence of the Lord.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 NKJV
To reverently seek the Lord for wisdom is the principal thing. The God of the universe reveals Himself to us so that we may understand His ways. Holy men and women of old did so, and we follow on to know Him as they did. Each day, each hour, the Lord shows those who seek Him about His creation. Who better than the Creator to explain His creation to us? Our mind, our vision, changes from the patterns we learn in this world of flesh, to be transformed by how we think!
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 NIV
The mature in Christ are enabled to distinguish truth from error by discerning the heart, just as our Lord did throughout His earthly ministry. No one before or after Jesus Christ had this precision of discernment of others. It is a spiritual gift given to benefit the body of believers:
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all…to another discerning of spirits…But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:7; 10b-11 NKJV
The Bible uses various terms for it, including judging, testing" (Greek: dokimazō), and trying the spirits. It empowers believers to look beyond physical appearances and recognize the true spiritual source behind a person, teaching, or event. There are three sources of spirit which must be distinguished: the Holy Spirit, a human spirit, or a demonic spirit.
There are always deceiving spirits present to distort and divide, but love unites. It does not divide. As we interact with others, we need this gift of the holy spirit operating within our fellowships. The gift of discernment should instruct intercession for others. How else are we to pray according to His will so that our prayers are answered?
When given discernment by the Lord for people, situations, and adverse experiences, we require wisdom in our responses. Internally, we must reject human judgment that contaminates our spiritual responses. The difference between discernment and righteous judgment is in the attitude of our hearts about what God has revealed.
“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV
How do we know what the appointed time is? We wait until the Lord comes. This does not mean we have to wait until His full return in His people. He has not left us alone, but provides His spirit to come and shed light on the situation. This verse means we are not to judge before God says it is time to do so. We wait until we are granted the light of the holy spirit.
We respond when we have that inner assurance that it is God revealing His understanding to us, along with what He wants us to do with it. Our words are timely and measured, not spoken in haste.
“The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.”Proverbs 15:14 NIV
“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.” Proverbs 18:15 NI
In the Bible, heart wisdom is essential. Those who obtain it are sought out by many who desire godly counsel. Heart wisdom is the inner center of intelligence, volition, and emotion. It is the presence of the Source of all things, our Lord living within. It is to be our control center for living out God's eternal principles, rather than just intellectual knowledge.
This inner life is to be guarded above all else.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 NIV
Believers should prioritize godly discernment for their own hearts first. The heart is the wellspring of life, where thoughts, desires, and choices are formed. As we have seen, God gives wisdom to all who seek it. He even creates a new, clean heart within. Heart wisdom is displayed as divine commands are written upon the heart and acted upon. Wisdom bestows well-being!
“My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.” Proverbs 3:1-2 NIV
Heart wisdom is the God-given ability to apply spiritual understanding to daily life. This entire blog was inspired by God to do just that. Many have heart wisdom, but it takes discernment to find them! Godly discernment and righteous judgment come from the Lord. How we obtain this most precious gift from our Lord is clearly stated in this favorite passage from Proverbs.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV