Book Review by Dr. Scott Kaufman: The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment

29. May, 2008 0 Comments

Our penultimate (next-to-last) book review concerns the subject of spiritual discernment. This will set us up nicely for tomorrow’s review of The Shack which, although a popular book, I and many others believe is one that should only be read (if read at all) with mature and discerning eyes. And discernment is precisely what today’s book, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment, can help us to develop. Enjoy!

Reviewed by Dr. Scott Kaufman, Director of Healthcare Ministries:

The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment

Author. Tim Challies is one of the most widely read and recognized bloggers in the Christian blogosphere. He is also the editor of Discerning Reader, a site dedicated to offering thoughtful reviews of books that are of interest to Christians. Dr. Al Mohler of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary calls Challies “one of the finest young evangelical thinkers of our day.”

Synopsis. What exactly is spiritual discernment? Challies defines it as, “the skill of understanding and applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong”(61). This solidly biblical book explains why Christians desperately need discernment in today’s world, as well as the consequences we reap from a lack thereof. Outlining practical steps we can take to cultivate discernment in our own lives, Challies shows us how to apply scriptural tools and principles that will enable us to come to biblically consistent conclusions about people, events, ideas, etc., that confront us every day.

Highlights. Highlights of this book include its readability, its Biblical focus, and its practical usefulness. Toward the end of the book, all of the information is coalesced to give the reader a framework for exercising discernment, leading him/her through the process in a step-by-step format. Because of this practical focus on equipping the believer in this skill, the book also includes both a Study Guide and a list of Resources for Discernment.

Why You Should Read This Book. Dr. John MacArthur states that Challies’ book “should be required reading not only for church leaders, but for all sober-minded laypeople as well.” That said, you should read this book for at least two reasons. First, there is a desperate need for discernment in the age in which we live. Paul warned the church in Ephesus that they were to “no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:41, ESV). Yet we live in a day when most Christians are suffering from a lack of discernment. As Challies laments, “Proving that the church is suffering from a lack of discernment would be like proving that the sky is blue — it would be to prove something that is, unfortunately, obvious to anyone who cares to seek evidence of it.” Second, this book makes a rarely discussed but critically important subject accessible to the average reader. This book is written — not for those with theological training –but ”for the general reader,” for “average Christians living in a culture and in a church where it so often seems that anything goes” (15).

Take Home Point for the Day. The Bible teaches that there is a clear relationship between spiritual discernment and spiritual maturity. For a Christian to be mature, he must also be discerning. “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:14, ESV)