Curtis
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 4,470
Spiritual growth not only entails being able to exercise the inward man's spiritual “senses” it is also likened to doing a 1000-piece puzzle without having the picture on the box of what the image is. Our Heavenly Father along with the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit work together in teaching his children.
It is not just the Work of the Holy Spirit coupled with the Word. All three persons of the Godhead are actively at work in bringing the Church to maturity. Jesus never spoke a word except what His Father had taught him.
John_8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I DO NOTHING OF MYSELF; BUT AS MY FATHER HATH TAUGHT ME, I speak these things.
As with any teacher, we ourselves do NOT decide on what we learn, it is the Father who makes our curriculum as to what we learn. He has a plan for our lives, and his curriculum is tied to this plan.
There is a “divine” order in how this teaching process works, and if we do not go in this order we will miss out on what God is teaching us. Jesus gives a glimpse into this order.
John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. EVERY MAN THEREFORE THAT HATH HEARD, AND HATH LEARNED OF THE FATHER, COMETH UNTO ME.
First, you hear the Father, Second, he teaches you something, and then you go to the Word of God.
I had always been taught you go the Word first, which is not correct! God the Father is our teacher, and everything he teaches us he “confirms” what he has taught us in His Word. The Holy Spirit also teaches us by “bearing” witness to the truth taught by the Father. The Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit all agreeing together to the truth. What does this tell me? Without having an intimate one-on-one relationship with God the Father, through prayer, the Bible will be a “mystery” to me. No amount of “study” or logical analysis, or cognitive thinking will ever disclose its truth. It can only be known as it is “revealed”, and “taught” by God himself!!
If we read something in the Bible, and we do not understand it, who do we turn to, to get clarification?
Commentaries? Only the one who spoke it can give us clarity of what he meant when he said it. Everything “originates with God the Father, then it flows to the Son (Word), and then the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Jesus said he only speaks what he has heard the Father say, and the Holy Spirit when he has come will not speak of himself, but only what he has heard!! When the Holy Spirit speaks it is because he is speaking what Jesus (Word) said When Jesus speaks it is only what the Father speaks. Any time the Holy Spirit speaks it is all three persons of the Godhead speaking together. The Father is where the Word comes from, it proceeds out of his mouth.
When the Father teaches us, it will be a “ concept”, a “precept”, a “part” of a whole truth that connects together with other parts. Just like a “part” to a puzzle. If you take one piece of a puzzle and look at it you can not make out what the image is going to be. It is just like “looking through glass darkly”. Everything looks fuzzy and unclear.
1Co 13:12 FOR NOW WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
As the Father teaches us by parts in concepts and precepts, the Holy Spirit causes us to begin to compare these truths together to see if they fit. One truth that fits next to another truth brings forth revelation that could not have been received without the other!
When I was a new believer every time I would read the Bible I was not getting thing meaningful, except what Jesus said or where we he went with his disciples. I did not know at that time I was building the Word of God in me for future reference. Remember what Jesus said.....
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The Holy Spirit will bring to your remembrance everything Jesus has spoken to you. You can NOT be reminded of what you did not already know!
Reading scripture might seem unfruitful for the moment, but the Spirit of God will remind you later.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but WHICH THE HOLY GHOST TEACHETH; COMPARING SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH SPIRITUAL.
Comparing two spiritual truths together begets other spiritual truths. Now that we have more than one piece of the puzzle connected, we have a closer idea of what this image is that God is showing us.
Christianity is just like putting a puzzle together. Eventually, we go from seeing through a “glass darkly” to seeing more clearly God's way, his Kingdom, and in how he moves in and among us. A mature Christian sees all these things and rejoices because of them.
1Co 13:9 FOR WE KNOW IN PART, and we prophesy in part.
(Every one starts out knowing nothing. Looking through a glass darkly, a baby Christian)
1Co 13:10 BUT WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME, then that which is in part shall be done away.
(The perfect is NOT sinless perfection, but maturity in the Lord. When the perfect comes, then the part will be done away. The puzzle has been more completed)
1Co 13:11 WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but WHEN I BECAME A MAN, I put away childish things.
(The Apostle Paul now is telling us what he was talking about in the former verses. He is talking about spiritual growth as a Christian. Going from a “CHILD” to becoming a full grown “MAN”)
1Co 13:12 FOR NOW WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY; BUT THEN FACE TO FACE: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
(Everyone starts out seeing through a glass darkly, to seeing much more clearly as they approach maturity)
It is not just the Work of the Holy Spirit coupled with the Word. All three persons of the Godhead are actively at work in bringing the Church to maturity. Jesus never spoke a word except what His Father had taught him.
John_8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I DO NOTHING OF MYSELF; BUT AS MY FATHER HATH TAUGHT ME, I speak these things.
As with any teacher, we ourselves do NOT decide on what we learn, it is the Father who makes our curriculum as to what we learn. He has a plan for our lives, and his curriculum is tied to this plan.
There is a “divine” order in how this teaching process works, and if we do not go in this order we will miss out on what God is teaching us. Jesus gives a glimpse into this order.
John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. EVERY MAN THEREFORE THAT HATH HEARD, AND HATH LEARNED OF THE FATHER, COMETH UNTO ME.
First, you hear the Father, Second, he teaches you something, and then you go to the Word of God.
I had always been taught you go the Word first, which is not correct! God the Father is our teacher, and everything he teaches us he “confirms” what he has taught us in His Word. The Holy Spirit also teaches us by “bearing” witness to the truth taught by the Father. The Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit all agreeing together to the truth. What does this tell me? Without having an intimate one-on-one relationship with God the Father, through prayer, the Bible will be a “mystery” to me. No amount of “study” or logical analysis, or cognitive thinking will ever disclose its truth. It can only be known as it is “revealed”, and “taught” by God himself!!
If we read something in the Bible, and we do not understand it, who do we turn to, to get clarification?
Commentaries? Only the one who spoke it can give us clarity of what he meant when he said it. Everything “originates with God the Father, then it flows to the Son (Word), and then the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Jesus said he only speaks what he has heard the Father say, and the Holy Spirit when he has come will not speak of himself, but only what he has heard!! When the Holy Spirit speaks it is because he is speaking what Jesus (Word) said When Jesus speaks it is only what the Father speaks. Any time the Holy Spirit speaks it is all three persons of the Godhead speaking together. The Father is where the Word comes from, it proceeds out of his mouth.
When the Father teaches us, it will be a “ concept”, a “precept”, a “part” of a whole truth that connects together with other parts. Just like a “part” to a puzzle. If you take one piece of a puzzle and look at it you can not make out what the image is going to be. It is just like “looking through glass darkly”. Everything looks fuzzy and unclear.
1Co 13:12 FOR NOW WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
As the Father teaches us by parts in concepts and precepts, the Holy Spirit causes us to begin to compare these truths together to see if they fit. One truth that fits next to another truth brings forth revelation that could not have been received without the other!
When I was a new believer every time I would read the Bible I was not getting thing meaningful, except what Jesus said or where we he went with his disciples. I did not know at that time I was building the Word of God in me for future reference. Remember what Jesus said.....
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The Holy Spirit will bring to your remembrance everything Jesus has spoken to you. You can NOT be reminded of what you did not already know!
Reading scripture might seem unfruitful for the moment, but the Spirit of God will remind you later.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but WHICH THE HOLY GHOST TEACHETH; COMPARING SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH SPIRITUAL.
Comparing two spiritual truths together begets other spiritual truths. Now that we have more than one piece of the puzzle connected, we have a closer idea of what this image is that God is showing us.
Christianity is just like putting a puzzle together. Eventually, we go from seeing through a “glass darkly” to seeing more clearly God's way, his Kingdom, and in how he moves in and among us. A mature Christian sees all these things and rejoices because of them.
1Co 13:9 FOR WE KNOW IN PART, and we prophesy in part.
(Every one starts out knowing nothing. Looking through a glass darkly, a baby Christian)
1Co 13:10 BUT WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME, then that which is in part shall be done away.
(The perfect is NOT sinless perfection, but maturity in the Lord. When the perfect comes, then the part will be done away. The puzzle has been more completed)
1Co 13:11 WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but WHEN I BECAME A MAN, I put away childish things.
(The Apostle Paul now is telling us what he was talking about in the former verses. He is talking about spiritual growth as a Christian. Going from a “CHILD” to becoming a full grown “MAN”)
1Co 13:12 FOR NOW WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY; BUT THEN FACE TO FACE: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
(Everyone starts out seeing through a glass darkly, to seeing much more clearly as they approach maturity)
