Bible 1611 - King James Bible Study - The Believer Needs Discretion

The Gospel According To John

by Richard St.James

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”.

Council’s Beget Inquisitions

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The Gospel According To John

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that
thou doest, except God be with him.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

John 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

John 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

John 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

John 3:22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.

John 3:23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

John 3:24 For John was not yet cast into prison.

John 3:25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

John 3:26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barestwitness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

John 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

John 3:28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the
bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

John 3:32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

John 3:33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

John 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

John 3:35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.