The
Believer Needs Discretion
John 3:22 “After these things came Jesus
and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there
he tarried with them, and baptized.
23
And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim,
because there was much water there: and they came,
and were baptized.
24 For John
was not yet cast into prison.
25
Then there arose a question between some of John's
disciples and the Jews about purifying."
Something can be said of a man or a woman who exercises spiritual discretion when beset upon by a council, a committee or a crowd.
Discretion is of the LORD. It is one of God’s attributes. “He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.” [Jeremiah 10:12
Jesus Christ said this of John. “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.” [Luke 7:28a]
John was the last of the Old Testament prophets.
A prophet of God is taught of God. Let me repeat. A prophet of God is taught of God … DISCRETION. “For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.” [Isaiah 28:26]
The Guide To Discretion For The Believer
We all, as believers, need discretion to guide us
and to keep us.
• [Psalm 112:5] “A
good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide
his affairs with discretion.”
•
[Proverbs 1:4] “To give subtilty to the
simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.”
• [Proverbs 2:11-12] “Discretion shall
preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To
deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the
man that speaketh froward things;”
•
[Proverbs 3:21] “My son, let not them depart
from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:”
• [Proverbs 5:2] “That thou mayest
regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep
knowledge.”
• [Proverbs 11:22]
“As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair
woman which is without discretion.”
• [Proverbs 19:11] “The discretion of a man
deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass
over a transgression.”
Discretion is
what allowed John to avoid entrapment [ESCAPE]
by the Jews with their questions. [INQUISITION]
Now here is the game plan from the very Captain of our salvation … Jesus Christ. “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils [COUNCILS], and they will scourge you in their synagogues;” [Matthew 10:16-17].
There you have it! The greatest opposition in this world to the true Christian will be from the religious councils.
It is the religious crowd who are the strangers to the true salvation in Christ Jesus that comes by grace through faith. [Ephesians 2:8-9] “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
We are to “be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”.