Developing and growing your spiritual sense

It is so unfortunate that people well-meaning people who come to God are often left floundering on their own and often end up just falling off of the vine.

Still, it is the responsibility of every Believer to grow up into the higher things of God. Apostle Paul addresses the individual responsibility of every Believer in this way:

1 Cor. 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.

1 Cor. 14:20
 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Just as God gave us our five physical senses in order to function in the natural realm, He has also provided spiritual senses to help us function in the spirit realm. However, just like a physical body, our spirit body needs exercised in order to develop.

Hebrews 5:14

Different versions of the Bible express Hebrews 5:14 in various interesting ways.

King James Bible
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.

New International Version
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

New Living Translation
Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

English Standard Version
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

New American Standard Bible
But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Christian Standard Bible
But solid food is for the mature–for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

NET Bible
But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But solid food is for the mature, those whose senses are instructed to distinguish good and evil, because they practice.

Weymouth New Testament
Such persons are mere babes. But solid food is for adults–that is, for those who through constant practice have their spiritual faculties carefully trained to distinguish good from evil.

The Passion Translation
¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, whose spiritual senses perceive heavenly matters. And they have been adequately trained by what they’ve experienced to emerge with understanding of the difference between what is truly excellent and what is evil and harmful.

So how do we learn to exercise our spiritual faculties?
First and foremost, it is important to remember what I mentioned above: We are all responsible for our own spiritual development.

However, God has provided us with a support system to help us. In today’s American culture the system that God has established is often ignored. Nevertheless, it is beneficial for us to know His perfect design.

As we see in Proverbs 22:6, 1 Timothy 3:1, and numerous other places in the Bible, our first and most important support system should be the family.

After that, it is the responsibility of all people of God to encourage others in the ways of God. David grew close to God out in the fields as a young shepherd. Joshua was at the right hand of Moses and when and Moses lived out his days Joshua knew just what to do. Apostle Peter learned from Yeshua Himself during Yeshua’s ministry. God built upon Apostle Pauls’s extensive knowledge of the Torah and the Tanakh (O/T), that he learned as a young pharisee, as they spent three years out in the Arabian wilderness together before Apostle Paul seriously began his ministry.

This is accomplished through various means such as the local fellowship, training schools, books, and articles, seminars, courses, internet, radio, etc., etc., etc.

The Five-Fold Ministry
Finally, Yeshua has designated certain members of His body to serve others in order to help the Body of Messiah mature into the body that Yahweh God would have it be.

Eph 4:11-13 KJV
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12  For the perfecting / maturing of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Ephesians 4:11-14 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
¹ And he Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹² equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. ¹⁴ Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

Today I encourage you to take responsibility for the destiny that God has established for you. Come into alignment with His plans and purposes and be all you can be.

Blessings in Yeshua, 
Parson Rayphe
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