Coming close to the end of the year we are hearing lots of people telling they want to do this or that next year. Many present to others their bucket list for the new year and/or with their best wishes for the new year they present their good intentions.
These days are spiritual and physical senses are also tested much. We get a lot to eat and drink and have to partake in may lively discussions. In many newspapers and in the media many look at the last few moths and bring an overview of 2015.
In 2015 we could hear a lot and we may have seen a lot. But how does it relate to what we have done and to what we are planning to do next year? How much did we hear from the ‘Word of God‘? How much time did we give it and how much time are we willing to give it next year?
“Hearing” explores the complicated and delicate physical sense of hearing also to reveal why Jesus emphasized it to his disciples as the second stage of faith. Our hearing of God’s word includes: what God says and what we hear,what we understand and remember, and what we repeat. Are we in tune with God’s voice?
“Our Spiritual Senses” is an introduction to the list that the Apostle Paul referred to but did not detail. In the November issue of “the Herald of Christ’s Kingdom” is looked at the way the Apostle Paul indicates that our spiritual senses are an important part of our Christian walk and sanctification.
Hebrews 5:12-14 (CPDV)
12 For even though it is the time when you ought to be teachers, you are still lacking, so that you must be taught the things that are the basic elements of the Word of God, and so you have been made like those who are in need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For anyone who is still feeding on milk is still unskillful in the Word of Justice; for he is like an infant. 14 But solid food is for those who are mature, for those who, by practice, have sharpened their mind, so as to discern good from evil.
In which way have we become fully-developed, in knowledge and wisdom to look at this world and to place it in the world of God? in which way have we these days of festivities when we were at the dish shown that we were mature in our thinking?
1 Corinthians 14:20 (CPDV)
20 Brothers, do not choose to have the minds of children. Instead, be free of malice like infants, but be mature in your minds.
Have we been moving on from the first principles which were given to us in the book of books or have we like many other Christians been denying or neglecting them (Hebrews 6:1). Have we done works which led to death as their wages or have we continued to do works of faith and have we tried to bring others to our faith and the truth as well?
Paul the Apostle, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th cen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Apostle Paul teaches us that spiritual maturity is required to understand the deep things of God. To help us get there, he indicates that we use a mental faculty called “senses” to discern the difference between good and evil.
The Apostle Peter indicates that we are responsible for strengthening our own spiritual senses.
“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).
By pairing this scripture with both the Isaiah and Hebrew texts, the need for us to be more aware and focused on developing our spiritual senses is sharpened in our mind. Our part in our sanctification is to exercise our spiritual senses properly, to be spiritually strong and to be diligent about developing mature faith.
The 2015 winter issue of the Herald proposes that we have five distinct spiritual senses. Furthermore, it proposes that the words of God, Jesus, the Apostles, and the Prophets name our spiritual senses through metaphors. Their expectation in dedicating an entire issue to this subject is that the scriptures will come alive for you with a new layer of meaning to enrich your growing faith.
For the best results, please read the articles in order. Each article is placed in purposeful order to show a progression of our faith from the smallest beginnings to living fully and powerfully in the narrow way.
“Our Spiritual Senses” is an introduction to the list that the Apostle Paul referred to but did not detail. This article will help you fully grasp the concept and includes at least one anchor scripture for each spiritual sense.
Find: In the Beginning + Our Spiritual Senses
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Preceding article:
Bijbelvorser = Bible Researcher 
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