How to be guided by Truth? (Part 3/3)
This is the final post in the series on being guided by the truth. You can read the previous posts here, and here.
Quick Recap:
ASK: God is our refuge and strength. When we as children or believers ask Him, He responds. Ask like a child to the Heavenly Father.
SEEK: All those who seek the Word of God, desire to hear His voice, love Him, hear His voice. When we walk in His Word, we walk like Jesus.
Finally, we need to take it up a notch. We need to knock so the door is opened to us.
KNOCK
Asking God, seeking His Word are all fundamental ways to be guided by the truth.
What do I mean by knocking? Once we accept Jesus as our personal Saviour, we need to be inclined to learning from those God has placed in our lives.
Jesus said,”I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9)
Personal Relationship
No man is saved till Jesus is revealed to them personally. A live encounter that opens a person to walk in the fear of God. Firstly, A personal decision to obey God is followed by obedience to God’s Word. To be led by God’s Word. A close walk that involves meditating on His Word day and night (Psalms 1:2,3). A hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 4:6). To walk in the character of Christ that bears fruit for the kingdom of God. Labouring for the meat that is for everlasting life (John 6:27). To be willing to give up all for Jesus (Matthew 19:21).
Secondly, a personal relationship involves being led by the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in unknown tongues, when given room, manifests nine gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:5-8). The personal tongues, which is the result of utterance provided to all those who receive the Holy Spirit, edifies us and refreshes us in Christ to walk in character and/or face tests and trials. We do not know what to ask for ourselves most of the time (Romans 8:26) but when we pray in tongues HE puts our entire being in perspective for the day or moments when God desires to use us as an instrument of His glory. Gifts manifest as and when God wants to work in the lives of the people around us.
The call to pray without ceasing is not humanly possible, it is the baptism of the Holy Spirit that makes it possible to walk always in power that accompanies the Word of God.
Spiritual Leaders
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:10,11)
God has appointed spiritual leaders over us to walk in subjection.
We are increasingly more skeptical of leaders in these last days. Often treating them as individuals who need to be perfect just because they are preaching the mighty Word of God. Yes, they are to be examples, and they take on the ministry mantle as appointed and anointed by God with that belief or by faith, but sometimes they falter too.
What’s necessary for us is to understand that while we are subject to leaders, we are to only trust God’s Word. We are to walk hand-in-hand with leaders to ensure the decency and order (1 Corinthians 14:40) required in the house of God as Spirit-baptised people.
To knock at the door of counsel, we must learn to walk with those God has appointed over us.
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. (1 Timothy 5:17)
Elders are appointed to manage internal matters (Titus 1:5), for healing (James 5:12), to be examples (1 Peter 5:1-3) and to teach the word and doctrine.
Fellowship
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)
The body of Christ must meet as much as it’s possible. We see the early church met everyday (Acts 2:42-47). Fellowship is how we groove, be it offline, or even online. Our fingerprints online must be the fruit of what we are receiving from God offline, in fellowship and worship.
More on why we need fellowship: Knock here.