Taste & dDscernment

Finger Thinking 060912

John Newton wrote:

Prudence is a word much abused but there is a Heavenly wisdom, which the Lord has promised to give to those who humbly wait upon Him for it. It does not consist in forming a bundle of rules and maxims, but in a spiritual taste and discernment, derived from an experimental knowledge of the truth, and of the heart of man, as described in the word of God;       Newton, John (2010-03-29). Selected Letters and Poems of John Newton (Kindle Locations 724-726). Puritansermons.com. Kindle Edition.

Prudence – what an old funny word much misused and mis-applied in our day.  We have people that are prudent and then we have prudes.  Yet it is a word worthy of our use and correct use at that.

Prudence: the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason.

Although prudence would be applied to any such judgment, the more difficult tasks, which distinguish a person as prudent, are those in which various goods have to be weighed against each other, as when a person is determining what would be best to give charitable donations, or how to punish a child so as to prevent repeating an offense.  WIKI-P

I really think Newton is on to something here that is worth our consideration and diligent prayer.  Note that he hold that prudence is NOT, “a bundle of rules and maxims.”  Rather he presents it as:  “a spiritual taste and discernment, derived from an experimental knowledge of the truth, and of the heart of man, as described in the word of God.”

There is in this description a very important key.  That is that prudence is not knowledge as much as it is the result of knowledge understood and applied.  Newton does not use the words “taste,” and “discernment” lightly.  

I think of wine tasters and tea tasters and coffee tasters.  Certainly many of these folks have a special natural faculty that suits them for this word but the natural faculty is never enough.  There is a great deal they most know and understand before their faculty can be used to its best ends.

In the case of “tasters” there is usually a greater sensitivity in the olfactory senses that enables them to distinguish flavor.  I would suggest that for the confessor (I am growing to like that word better than believer); the Spirit is the source of our greater sensitivity, the key stone of our discernment.  The Spirit is, of course, the life-force if you will that we receive from Christ.  He, the Spirit, makes us alive – lives in us and serves God’s ends in us.

It is the Spirit that convicts us, who enables us to discern the various shades of “flavors” in the opportunities around us.  He, like the “nose” of the wine taster, is our special faculty.

But the Spirit does not work His best in isolation.  He best uses our knowledge of the word of God and necessarily aids us in our understanding and application of it.  Instead of relegating the Spirit’s role in our lives to the extra-ordinary experiences or the alleged messages we would perhaps do better to expect and rely upon Him to work in us with the tools god has provided.

Hence, is a sense, although the Spirit is not prevented from working in our lives by our ignorance and indolence He works best when He is well provided with raw materials.  That is, the Word of God, our fixed attention and our willingness to hear.

For too long in too many places the Spirit has been what spikes the punch at the party.  What I mean is that the Spirit is relegated to the production of extra-ordinary religious experiences and to being regarded as the source of any “revelation” not supported by scripture.  In other word, He’s treated and used as though He were some sort of intoxicant, enhancer and/or demonstrator and not as God has commissioned Him.  (More or that later)

The Holy Spirit is NOT the “joker in the deck,” nor is He the “wild card.”  The Holy Spirit and His ministry is a deadly serious part of the confessor’s hope and growth not to mention faithfulness.  And yet, He is all too often relegated to secondary if not tertiary roles in our lives.

To help you understand more clearly:

TRUTH KNOWLEDGE +

EXPERIENCE (based on and in that truth knowledge, guided by the Spirit) =

Spiritual taste (sensitivity) and discernment.

But – note, the Spirit is not finished at that point for He works in us that this taste and discernment produce glory for the Father, light for the world and a more secure hope in us.

The role of the Spirit in our lives is, as a good friend would say, Ginormous!  We could never present or explain it enough.  However there are four functions He performs that we should be very mindful of and attentive to.

The Spirit:  Confesses, Comforts, Convicts and Corrects (Certainly not an exhaustive list!)

These are not consecutive actions but rather concurrent.  He does them all together all the time.

He confesses:  Simply put, the spirit “says” the same thing God says.  There can never be any contradiction of friction between the word God has spoken and the “word” the Spirit brings.  Any “spirit” that leads, cajoles, speaks, hints, etc. at something which is at odds with the scriptures is not the “Holy” spirit.

He comforts:  Duhhh.  He’s called the comforter.  But that word (parakletos) does not mean someone who just gives you a hug or a meaningful look.  It means one who comes alongside to HELP – not just comfort.  We need to open our arms wider to the Spirit.  What I mean is that in times of discomfort He is not there to just make us feel better but rather to help us move in and through the discomfort regardless of its duration or intensity. 

Ok, I will probably take some shots for this but – the Holy Spirit NEVER – NEVER says, “It will be OK!”  NEVER!  What He does say is, “It IS OK!”  For the confessor “it” is always OK – no really it’s better than OK and that is the comfort the Spirit brings.  How else did Paul learn to be content no matter the circumstances?

He convicts:  It is here that we may often fail.  It is here that the “spiritual taste and discernment,” are developed.  As I grow in my knowledge of the Word the Spirit works to teach me to use that Word in every instance on every occasion. 

All too often I work hard to “figure it out,” using my limited faculties and fail to turn to Him humbly seeking His direction.  We are all “Spirit filled,” but we (and I do mean WE) are not always “Spirit led.”  He always leads – we need to intentionally seek to hear and follow.

He corrects:  The Spirit works with our spirit through the Word of God to set our feet on the right path, to turn our minds to the truth and in doing so comfort comes.  He, like the Lord, is gentle and compassionate.  His desire is for our best.  We must seek and trust in that.

I won’t ever claim to understand the workings of the Spirit but I don’t know that I need to.  I do know that I need to be utterly dependent upon Him as God’s master means of conforming me to the image of Christ.

Like many of my fellow confessors I have a bad habit of not working with Him as He works in me.  The Word of God is His material, prayer is His classroom.  We have the incredible privilege of being a very real part of the work He does.

I desire that “spiritual taste and discernment,” He brings.

One last point.  The Spirit not only works through an experimental knowledge of the Word of God but through an experimental knowledge of the heart of man as we see it in the Word.  We know what scripture has to say about that.  How can we even think of refusing or neglecting the work of the Spirit in our lives?