Reference: Proverbs 2:1-11 and Ephesians 1:17-18
We are living in a day when the ability tounderstand spiritual things is looked upon as not being very important, butwhat most people are not aware of is the fact that understanding is theprincipal thing concerning the kingdom of God and we absolutely must haveunderstanding even to truly know God. The average person today who confesses tobe a christian has been led to believe that a person doesn't really have tohave a good knowledge of what the Bible says and reveals.
To ask the average person who attends somechurch in their community about things concerning the Bible, they will be veryquick to let you know that they don't want to get involved in a spiritualargument about the Bible etc. They think to stress a lot of emphesis on Bibledoctrine will prove that you would be a person that's constantly seekingsomeone to argue with. They have been taught by their church leaders thatsalvation is not based on how much a person may know about the Bible. This maybe true to a certain extent, but they are not being taught the truth about whattype of knowledge and understanding the child of God should possess.
It seems that just about everybody hasbeen led to think and believe that one is saved by an emotional experience andthat nobody can understand the mystery of Godliness and true Bible holiness.This is exactly where Satan has deceived thousands upon thousands of peopletoday and also in times past.
The word of God tells us that foolsdespise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) Most people today will not stand still long enough andallow someone to teach them what the Bible has to say on many of the subjectsthat it contains simply because they are not willing to come to the light ofthe truth revealed in the gospel. The main reason for this is because they donot want to yield their mind over to the word and allow it to renew itspiritually. This would require too much of their time and they would find outthat they won't be able to live the way that the flesh desires to live. Theaverage person today who belongs to some church may feel that they are securejust because they have taken membership in some church and attends many of itsservices. I would say that ninety some percent of today's church members don'teven know what they believe as far as doctrine is concerned. Very few will takea definite stand for what the Bible reveals. Their attitude toward the Bible ingeneral is that it's a good book and one should have at least a littleknowledge of it.
To ask a person if they are saved and manyof them will say yes, but they have no understanding whatsoever of what itreally means to be saved and to truthfully know it. Nearly all preachers todaywill say that nobody can understand how God saves a person and just exactly howit's brought about, but this is exactly what the word of God reveals to thosewho are truly saved.
The Holy Ghost reveals these truths to thebeliever by revelation, but nobody seems to have the time nor desire to trulyknow what the gospel reveals. Listening to the average preacher behind theaverage pulpit of the church today will reveal the fact that nearly all of themplace all emphesis on the receiving of the Holy Ghost and that this act placesa person in Christ prepared and ready for heaven.
They seem to think that when one receivesthe Holy Ghost then all is well and one is sealed until the day of redemption.Satan has blinded them from the fact that the receiving of the Holy Spirit isonly the beginning of God's redeeming plan of salvation on the believer, butthe true child of God knows that the Spirit is given to them so that he willguide them into all truth that will set them free.
There are few people today who can see thetruth about how a person grows into a holy temple of the Lord in a dailyprocess as they receive and walk in the truth revealed in the gospel of JesusChrist. To grow unto a holy temple in the Lord simply means to walk in therevealed knowledge of truth allowing it to renew the mind and crucify the lustsand desires of the flesh. Very few people can see and understand the fact thatto become a child of God is a progressive work wrought on the whole manconsisting of body, soul, and spirit.
A person who has an understanding heartrealizes that God deals with them through the revelation of his word revealedin the gospel. A person who does not have an understanding heart thinks thatGod deals with them giving them the Holy Ghost so that they can do greatmiraculous works and places very little emphesis on the revealed word.
Today's so-called Pentecostal movementsare claiming to be doing the same things that God did through the earlyapostles before the New Testament scriptures were even written. The book ofActs reveals many things that God did through the disciples and it was thesethings that confirmed the word that they were preaching. Today's Pentecostalpeople, being in a deceived state, are claiming to be doing the same thingsthat the disciples did just as if there was no Bible already written like itwas in their day.
They fail to realize that we becomepartakers of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ.....BYTHE GOSPEL!! God dealt with the early apostles by direct communicationthrough the Holy Spirit without there being a New Testament in existence. Therewas no New Testament already in existence when the apostles were doing thethings that they did. They were the ones who wrote the New Testament being inspired by the Holy Ghost.
People today are in reality by-passing thescriptures just like they don't exist. Paul tells us that we are begotten bythe gospel that he preached. It's the same Spirit that we become partakers withas did the apostles, but we learn this being taught through the word whereasthey were used of the Spirit giving us this truth....