The Bible Assumes We Will Learn Discernment the Hard Way

We want to believe that the Bible assumes we will get it right. That if we read the Word, we will understand. That if we follow God, we will not fail. That if we are believers, we will not be deceived.

But the Bible does not teach that. The Bible assumes we will fail. That we will be deceived. That we will learn the hard way.

This is not pessimism. It is realism. It is the honest teaching of Scripture. And it is what we need to hear.

Because when we fail, when we are deceived, when we learn the hard way, we do not have to be ashamed. We do not have to think something is wrong with us. We do not have to think we are failures.

The Bible assumes we will learn the hard way. And that is okay.

The Disciples Who Did Not Understand

Turn with me to the Gospel of Mark. The disciples have been with Jesus for years. They have heard His teachings. They have seen His miracles. They have been with Him day and night.

And yet, listen to what Jesus says:

Do you still not understand?

They had been with Him. They had seen Him. They had heard Him. And still, they did not understand.

That is the assumption of the Bible. Not that we will understand immediately. But that we will understand eventually. Not that we will get it right the first time. But that we will learn.

And then there is this:

Why does this generation ask for a sign?

They had seen sign after sign. And still they asked for more. Still they did not believe.

This is the assumption. Not that we will believe when we see. But that we might not believe even when we see. Not that we will understand when we hear. But that we might not understand even when we hear.

That is the hard way. That is the way of learning through experience. Through failure. Through asking and asking and not understanding.

The Failures of the Early Church

And then there is the early church. Not perfect. Not all understanding. Not getting it right the first time.

Turn with me to the book of Acts. The church is just starting, and there is a problem:

A complaint. A division. A problem.

The early church was not perfect. They had complaints. They had divisions. They had problems.

And the response was not: Let us fix it quickly. It was: Let us appoint deacons. Let us solve this problem. Let us learn from this.

That is learning the hard way. That is learning through experience. Through failure. Through problem.

And then there is Paul and Barnabas:

A sharp quarrel. A division. Even among the apostles.

The early church did not always get along. They did not always agree. They had sharp quarrels. They had disagreements.

That is learning the hard way. That is learning through experience. Through conflict. Through working it out.

The Letters to the Churches

And then there are the letters to the churches. Not: You are doing great. Not: You are perfect. But: You have problems. You have failures. You need to grow.

You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

You think you are doing great. But you are dying. You think you are alive. But you are dead.

This is the assumption of Scripture. Not that we will do it right. But that we might be doing it wrong and not know it.

And this is why we need discernment. This is why we need to be tested. This is why we need to learn the hard way.

The Learning That Takes Time

And then there is this, from Hebrews:

You ought to be teachers by this time. But you still need someone to teach you again.

The assumption? We do not learn immediately. We need to be taught again. We need milk before solid food. We need to practice discernment.

That is the hard way. That is learning through time. Through practice. Through use.

By reason of use. By practice. By experience.

Our senses are exercised to discern both good and evil. Not automatically. Not immediately. But through use. Through practice. Through experience.

That is the hard way. That is learning to discern by doing. By failing. By trying again.

The Grace in the Hard Way

So what does this mean for us? It means that failure is not the end. It means that deception is not fatal. It means that learning the hard way is the normal way.

The Bible assumes we will fail. It assumes we will be deceived. It assumes we will learn the hard way.

And that is okay. That is the assumption of grace.

Because if the Bible assumed we would get it right the first time, then failure would be fatal. Then deception would be the end. Then learning the hard way would mean we are failed.

But the Bible assumes we will fail. So failure is not fatal. It is part of the process.

And that is grace. That is the grace we need.

I know what it is to fail. I know what it is to be deceived. I know what it is to learn the hard way.

And I know what it is to think: Something is wrong with me. I should have known better. I should have been smarter. I should have been more discerning.

But the Bible assumes we will learn the hard way. And that is okay.

The Question That Matters

So let me ask you: What have you learned the hard way? What have you failed at? What have you been deceived about?

Do not be ashamed. Do not think something is wrong with you. The Bible assumes we will learn the hard way.

That is not failure. That is learning. That is growing. That is becoming.

Discernment is not a gift we get immediately. It is a skill we learn through practice. Through failure. Through experience.

By reason of use. By practice. By experience.

That is the hard way. That is the normal way. And that is okay.

Not everything that feels loving is led by the Spirit. But we learn to test.

The Bible assumes we will learn the hard way. But we learn. We grow. We become.

That is the process. That is the journey. That is the faith.