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Continuing our discussion from part two, as I said, none of us should ever underestimate the importance of knowing and studying God's Word. When we neglect God's Word, not only do we become weak in a spiritual sense, which gives the enemy an advantage over us, but we are also no longer clean either. We became filthy through sin and disobedience. We are besmirched by the ways and spirit of the world. This is why the Bible teaches us that when we believe in Jesus, and accept the truth of His Word, we become spiritually cleansed; as we can determine by the following group of verses:

"BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word."


"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."


"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."


Throughout the New Testament, we are repeatedly told that receiving things from God is simply a matter of exercising our faith, and believing that we receive them; knowing that, as King David was inspired to write, God will not withhold any good thing from them who walk uprightly. In fact, Jesus said that our Heavenly Father already knows our needs even before we ask. Of course, as John writes below, we must ask according to His Will; and it is in this context that we must understand the words "good thing". Consider the verses which follow:

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"


"(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."


"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."


"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."


". . . no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."


If there is one thing which God certainly desires to give us, it is the truth. In order to know the truth, the Bible teaches us that we must be filled with the Spirit of Truth. That is, with the Holy Spirit. As with other things, Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit is freely available to anyone who asks for it, as we can see by the following verse:

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"


Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul explain to us that the Holy Spirit acts as a type of Guide and Teacher. It is like the Voice of God quietly speaking within our hearts. In fact, Paul informs us that two of the various Gifts of the Spirit are Wisdom and Knowledge. Furthermore, in his Epistle, James also tells us that we must simply ask in faith in order to receive these Gifts. Consider the following group of verses:

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."


"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."


"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;"


"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."


So as you can see, in order to receive the Holy Spirit, and the Wisdom and Spiritual Guidance which accompany it, all you have to do is to sincerely ask for it, and the Lord will indeed fill you up. As He does, and as you continue to read and study His Word, He will begin to open the eyes of your spirit, so that you will begin to understand things much more clearly; not just with your mind, but with your heart as well. Many doubts and questions which have lingered in your mind will finally be answered. You will begin to learn the Wisdom of God, and not just the wisdom of this world. Trust me; it will be a truly liberating experience for you. After all, as Jesus said to those Jews who did accept His message:

". . . If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free . . . If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."


So what about you? Are you ready to accept the spiritual freedom which God offers you through the truth of His Word? Are you ready and willing to be liberated from the false ideas, erroneous misconceptions, and vain wisdom of men which have enslaved you for so long? Are you willing to pay the price in order to gain such freedom? Are you willing to admit to God, and to yourself, that you have been wrong in some ways? Are you willing to allow God's Word to tear down and destroy the idols in your life, in order that He might build you back up upon His foundation of truth? When God sent the young Prophet Jeremiah to expose the lies and the deception of his day, this is basically what He told him as well. Consider the following verse:

"See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant."


As we have seen throughout this series, sometimes God has to destroy what we think is true, before He can show us what is really true. This, my friends, is not always such an easy process. Our pride and rebellious heart do not like to be exposed. For the vast majority of people, it's simply easier and more comfortable to go on living in a state of delusion, than to receive the truth. Such people don't want to let go of their long-held traditions and cherished beliefs, even if they are terribly misguided beliefs. They are just not able to exercise the faith of a little child, who will believe and accept something as being true, simply because mommy or daddy says so. I am reminded of something that the Apostle Paul wrote. Consider the following verses:

". . . because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:"


So tell me. Are you willing to accept the New Wine of the Spirit with the faith of a little child? Are you willing to fight against misguided beliefs, and resist the grasp which the world currently has on your mind? Will you allow God to totally transform and renew your mind through the truth of His Word, so that you become a new creature in Christ Jesus? Let me remind you again of what the Apostle Paul wrote:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."


"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."


My friend, that is exactly what will be required of you. You must be willing to throw out all of that garbage, and have a mind and heart cleanse. The choice is really up to you. It is my hope that you will do the right thing. And please don't forget that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

A Biblical Cafeteria, or the Whole Course?
Are You Just a Baby Huey?: How to Organize Your Own Home Fellowship
Civil Disobedience and Christian Persecution
Dead to the Law: God's Laws Written on Our Hearts
Free From the Fear of Death: Law and Works vs Grace
Humility in Our Understanding of God's Word
Science and Technology: The Forbidden Knowledge?
Striving for Perfection: Are You a Sinless Saint?
Study, Work and Don't Be Ashamed
The Only Credentials You Need!
The Wisdom of God Versus the Philosophy of Men

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Please avail yourself of other areas of the Bill's Bible Basics website. There are many treasures for you to discover.