A Truth Based Life
I heard someone, speaking of a particular body of people, say: "They don't know enough for you to teach them anything." That statement struck me as being funny, knowing that the speaker wasn't being so much judgmental as he was concerned.
There is some merit, in some instances, to a statement such as that. There has to be a base of understood knowledge before one can easily receive more.
Isaiah gives the formula to understanding when he says: "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little" (Isaiah 28:10). Understanding must come in bite sized portions for it to move from the head to the heart. Many of us came out of Bible School or Seminary with our heads full of knowledge but with little understanding. This is due to the fact that we were given so much in such a compressed period of time that it is impossible for us to develop real understanding.
Knowledge that becomes understanding is life shaping and the basis of spiritual maturity. The basic component which makes it powerful is faith. There is a scriptural principle which states that those things that God gives us, and is used, brings an increase. However, there is the reverse side to that. That which is not used will be taken away. Hebrews cautions: "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it" (Hebrews 4:2).
Hebrews speaks of those who ought to be teachers but need the simple things of the faith taught to them again—they are babes in Christ who have never matured. Paul refers to them by saying that they are ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth.
Isaiah brings us in full circle to the concepts of maturity by speaking of those who have been weaned from their mother's breast as those who can be successfully taught the deeper things of God. Maturity does not come all "in one sitting." It takes time and a continual application of the truths we have learned to become mature. When we practice the truth that we know, i.e., developing understanding in the inner man, more will be given unto us.
The starting place in the understanding of truth is to know Him who is the Truth. Like Paul, we must want to know Him and to walk with Him more than anything else in the world. Jesus said: "Blessed are those who do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). To the extent we come to know Him in a deeper fashion He will reveal more of the deep things of God to us.
Develop a hunger for a deeper understanding and walk with Him. The more you walk with Him the greater will be your desire to know Him and to walk in obedience to Him.
Be blessed by a hunger for Him today.
Jeff
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