When we are born again, we have spiritual senses, which grow and mature as we mature in Christ. We grow and mature by doing spiritual exercise. That exercise is like this:
- God speaks. He speaks through Scripture. When God speaks to us and we hear it, faith comes. (Romans 10:17) But we must wait for a word from God. We can't generate or work up this word. God gives a word in season, in His timing. We can refuse to hear, but we cannot generate God's voice. We must wait. (some caveats about hearing God's Voice)
- God speaks through His people, through the gifts of the Spirit. (1Corinthians 12:2-3)
- God speaks through dreams and visions. (Numbers 12:6-8)
- God speaks through His creation. (Psalm 19:2)
- When God speaks, faith comes. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Literally, hearing by a word of God. How could we hear if God didn't speak. That is why we need to wait on Him and not rush off on our own. Much of what is called faith is simply rationalization or presumption. Real faith is God's faith; it is quite different from human faith.
- When faith comes, it gives us access to God's grace. (Romans 5:2)
- It is grace that does the work in us. (1Corinthians 15:10, Ephesians 2:10)
- We must, however, yield ourselves to His grace. (Romans 6:12-22)
- When God does His works through us, that is righteousness and it is a free gift from God to us. (Galatians 5:5, Romans 5:17, Romans 10:3)
- Righteousness leads to holiness. (1 Peter 1:22, Romans 6:19 & 22, Ephesians 4:20-24) This is by the law of sowing and reaping. (Galatians 6:8)
In this way, follow the following:
- Pray continually for a softer, more receptive heart toward God and for wisdom from God.
- Pray that God remove your secret faults, the ones that are so buried in stony layers of lies that you think they are not faults.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit come as fire and burn out the sinful nature with all its deception, drive, and desire.
- Pray the Holy Spirit come as water flowing from the Throne to wash and create a clean heart in you.
- Stop contending with God (Romans 2:8),. When God speaks to you, whether by a feeling or word in your conscience, a word from a brother or sister in Christ, the Bible, or any other source, stop and listen. Take it to heart.
- When the Holy Spirit puts a check into your heart to do or not do something, ask God what to do. God in the power of God to do it and not in your own power.
- You may have to confess your sin to a trusted brother or sister who will pray with you.
- Avoid magazines, books, internet sites, TV shows, movies, music that carry the wrong spirit. They are full of lies. Some of these ungodly influences are even available in Christian book stores. Christians do submit themselves to some really evil messages from Satan. Even the news programs and science programs are usually filled with many lies told using the deception of assumptive language. To whomever you yield yourself as a servant to obey, that's whose servant you are.
- Avoid ungodly sources that tend to display and even justify anger and violence. Fictional stories in novels, movies, and other media are the typical ways that this is done.
- Avoid websites that give ungodly fashion advice, ungodly life advice, ungodly news, and that help you idolize ungodly people.
- If possible, avoid classes in the university generally contain some of the popular ungodly lies like the lies of evolution, age of the universe, feminism, socialism, and fears of environmental extremism.
- Avoid classes on theology or the Bible or comparative religion that are taught by the ungodly or even by carnal Christians.
- Avoid ungodly counsel that makes light of what the Bible says about marriage and what is reserved for marriage and blessed in marriage. They lie about the consequences for those who take these marriage-related blessings and pervert them.
- Avoid ungodly counsel that falsely implies that our hope for righteousness and true holiness in Christ is in vain.
- Avoid those who present counterfeit alternatives to the true Gospel, the true Christ, the true Church, the true Hope, the true Faith, and true agape Love.
- Do not listen when your carnal mind says, "These things have no effect on me. I can read them, listen to them, or look at them and nothing bad happens," regarding any of the ungodly lying sources. These ungodly ideas and images are still planting seeds into the soul of anyone who sits in their presence. There is often even demonic influence.
- Avoid one of the biggest, most popular, and most frequently heard lie: the lie of human goodness. There is no such thing. There is not a just person on the earth who does good and does not sin. All our righteousness is filth. There is none good but God. God can do His good work through us, but we must submit to Him.
Also, look at the page on knowing God's will. This will give you much more of what you need. If you do these things, you will find yourself becoming more mature and you will find that you have an increasing ability to discern.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Psalm 34:8 taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Luke 10:23 And he turned him to his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:
Matthew 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
Luke 14:34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
Acts 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
1 Corinthians 2:9-14 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them to us (the apostles) by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 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. 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. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
1 Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
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Last updated: Oct, 2011
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