Access to the Internet and electronic communication has left encyclopedias and printed books behind. There is a deluge of information being transmitted via internet to which we can have instant access.

There is so much information in cyberspace—both good and bad—so easy to get to that we don’t need to know it firsthand. All we need is a few clicks of the mouse, a swipe of the finger on the tablet screen, a spoken request to a smartphone, and there we have it.

Does having so much information at our fingertips make us more intelligent and wise? I doubt it; what it has done is made us faster, more skillful, and more knowledgeable about where to find information.

Knowing much is not equivalent to being smarter or having acquired wisdom. Wisdom is not the accumulation of knowledge, but knowing how to use that knowledge in ways beneficial and giving for our mutual existence is what it makes us wise.

One of the most serious problems we have in our present day is human pride, born out of the so-called abundant knowledge in science, research and technology. The more knowledge a human being acquires, the cockier one becomes, both in spiritual and secular matters.

Men and women love to feel superior or above others in regard to their place, social status or acquired position, or because they have a bit more knowledge than their neighbor. And to make matters worse, people who gain more knowledge, can become more lazy and exploitative of the weakest among them.

In light of the aforementioned, what can we say about discernment? How can we know if the information found is correct or not? Which information is reliable and which one is misleading?

Some say, it depends on where it comes from. Sure, but do we know where it comes from and do we know how to discern the intentions behind its dissemination?

This question reminds me of what happened to Adam and Eve, who listened to the small voice of the Deceiver, could not discern its source, disobeyed, and fell into his trap.

Likewise, there are many today who think they know the difference between good and evil, and others who simply cannot discern.

We still need to discern what is good and what is bad, according to God. For this we need parameters, indicators, models and direction; this is the reason why God dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to show the way back to God by example and by extending an invitation to follow in His footsteps, providing discernment between good and evil by His Spirit.

We live in times in which the wicked spirit of deception dominates the culture, and through this spirit, has gained entrance into the Church. There are many neo-theologians, who, dressed in sheep’s clothing, sow confusion among God’s people. They are the ones who question the word of God, twist it, and misinterpret it, thus causing disorientation.

They have been instrumental in renaming the sin of perversion by giving it such names as “orientation” and “sexual preference.”

They call lies and abuse “variance or differing position.” They misunderstand God’s love, assuring us that we can live a life of sin while simultaneously be contributing members of the Church. They have voluntarily ignored the power of God to transform a miserable, sin-ridden life into a new and abundant life in Christ. These are the blind guides deprived of discernment and understanding.

This is a generation deceiving itself by not seriously searching the Scriptures in order to obey them.

In the midst of so much information, can we discern what comes from God and what is the deception of the enemy? Is not the earnest study of the Word, the one that reveals the truth to us and guides us along the path of salvation? Is not obedience to the Word that which guarantees the presence of Christ in our lives? Is it not perseverance in the faith and the living testimony of the Holy Spirit what moves us forward? If we have Christ in us and we follow Him, we have everything.

Let us remain faithful and continue witnessing.

Translated by David Araujo.