Stop for a moment. What comes to your mind when you think of 1 Peter 3:15?

What about Jude 22?

You may not be familiar with the reference, so here is the whole context, Jude 22-23:

And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Jude 1:22‭-‬23 NKJV

It can be very easy for us as believers to point out error and those actively following and pursuing false teaching. But it can be just as easy, unfortunately, to not display mercy to those who doubt or are confused because of their encounters with false teaching.

My friend Jimmy, who often teaches at my church, pointed out that the "distinguishing" in verse 22 according to the Greek has to do with discerning by the power of the Holy Spirit between those who are falling into deception and those who are deliberately embracing it or even teaching it. Listen to the entire question and answer session on Jude he facilitated here: https://soundcloud.com/jimmy-coates-4/jude-q-a

Many believers know others who are reading or listening to something spiritually questionable to some extent. For some, the knee-jerk reaction is to leap on the person supposedly involved with the false teaching. But is this what Jesus commanded?

For many of those involved in "discernment" ministry, the modus operandi is to magnify error, followed by contesting individuals directly or indirectly, then finding out about friends, colleagues, or contacts who agree with the doctrine in question, then severing relations with said people after engaging in argument concerning said controversy.

Instead of becoming spiritual vigilantes against people that veer or could veer into false teaching, would it consume less energy and be more Christlike if we extended mercy to those who are struggling with their faith? Would there be little to no need to form discernment ministries if we as individual Christians exercised not only our Holy Spirit-granted personal discernment but also mercy toward others?

Having discernment does not just mean to be wise regarding doctrine and its source. Having discernment means to judge ourselves truly (1 Cor. 11:31) before we judge the faults of others and extend mercy based on the grace that we have been given. Knowledge will nearly always puff up, but love will always edify. And believers need to continually bear each other's burdens to fulfill the law of Christ...with mercy.