How do you improve your sense of good & evil, truth & lies?

[StoneWater]

I find the Spirit gives us improved sense, but then we must engage in training. Hebrews speaks on this, saying "practice doing good".

Belief, truth & lies ties into this because people do as they believe. Some, for instance, believe they need to follow a religion of 'do this' and 'do not do that' to be saved.

Christians who do this mouth the words, but we call them "legalists" and the like. They are cunning, but ultimately, like Jannes & Jambres end up being exposed when put up against those mature in the Spirit.

I find I have improved it by being in good churches that challenge my sense.

I also find a lot of people who may have the Spirit (or not), tend to not improve and remain on infant's milk. They have a very, very hard time discerning on more subtle matters, and about anything can cause them to stumble. They tend to have a very poor sense of humor and cling to obvious evils such as cult members do.

I do study a lot, but I find with study and no challenging of ideas by Spirit empowered Christians, the sense is not sharpened and can be dulled: 'knowledge puffs up', but 'knowledge of God builds up'.

(And God's handiwork is everywhere, if one can purify one's heart and see.)

Also, I strongly believe in this, the saying, "Iron sharpens Iron".


What do you find works? Do you find this concept is plausible or implausible? Do all of us truly have a sense, a metasense, if you will... maybe even a sense which all of our other senses go into. Our ears, our tongue, our nose, our flesh, our eyes, our heart...

The sense of the heart, perhaps? Often called "common sense", but that there is improved sense far beyond what is common, if so sharpened?


(Sharpened by the strong motive of love...)

 

[drjean]

Reading God's Word--all of it--regularly, continuously (meaning once you read it through, read it through again), plus the regular word checks, verse lookups...will give you a very strong sense of what God considers wrong and what He says is good.

 

[StoneWater]

Reading God's Word--all of it--regularly, continuously (meaning once you read it through, read it through again), plus the regular word checks, verse lookups...will give you a very strong sense of what God considers wrong and what He says is good.

I do that, but the Spirit brings to mind verses is when I do it, or has me stumble across some new matter to relook at.

I pretty much live in Scripture everyday, though, in my heart, but view it highly strangely compared to most orthodox translations.

 

[drjean]

Well there is the Holy Spirit's indwelling and discernment. I think all believers have this option, but those on milk might not develop it much.

It's not common sense, but a "knowing" and "sensing" that is supernatural.

 

[MasterpieceMesias]

that is a good question at this point in my life. .
at this point I am completely blinded mentally I feel.

 

[Thusia Zao]

In terms of the Holy Spirit, we find this to be evident:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

These shall be what we aim for. That when we do fully give into the Holy Spirit, these shall be portrayed from us.

Does the Spirit give us a "sixth sense" or discernment? I believe this could be a gift (1 Corinthians 12) and also something given to those who seek after it.

Our "sense" of eternity was set in our hearts from the very beginning (Eccl. 3:11). This means that everyone was made to seek after and long for eternity. This causes us to seek after what is righteous and purposeful in life.

The "practice" is:
1) meditating in the Word of God day and night (Joshua 1:8)
2) praying fervently (James 5:16)
3) glorifying God in everything (1 Corinthians 10:31)
4) seek after the Great Commission (Matthew 28)
5) remain faithful and hopeful, for our God is coming and we will go home!

 

[Quasicentennial]

Had Adam and Eve stayed obedient to God's instructions of not picking the forbidden fruit by refusing to accept Satan's 'pick it and taste it' request then our minds would have the full supernatural intelligence of Christ where I believe the Word of God would be downloaded instantly from the moment of birth as adult couples like Adam and Eve who were born as adults from Earth's soil. I can imagine or visualize what's it like to live in peace and harmony in God's most modern and most massive place of community: the Kingdom Of God where every single one of us believers become brothers and sisters of Christ while being united spiritually with our Lord Jesus. Such community-like group marriage to Jesus is supernatural and is beyond our normal limits of understanding of our functioning brain activity when it comes to the meaning of the word marriage where sexual activity is no longer a requirement in God's Kingdom, and where the pure supernatural joy of Jesus is so powerful, our hearts will always stay positive and our faces will always stay smiling.:*:.

 

[timf]

How do you improve your sense of good & evil, truth & lies?

Proverbs 2:1-11 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

 

[StoneWater]

Well there is the Holy Spirit's indwelling and discernment. I think all believers have this option, but those on milk might not develop it much.

It's not common sense, but a "knowing" and "sensing" that is supernatural.

Didn't God breathe life into us in the beginning and that is where the spirit of humans come from? How is the Spirit of Jesus different from this Spirit? And why did Jesus have to die to give that Spirit to others, when there were prophets before who also had the Spirit?

Also, so, we can not improve on the Spirit to develop discernment, because the Spirit IS God, correct? Yet, in its' connection to us, that is what we can improve on, correct, or no?

On milk or meat, Hebrews says that is about practicing doing good in the same breath. What is good to one on milk is, therefore, quite different then what is good to one on meat, no? Because the one on meat does different then the one on milk, but can see the merit of milk and see it is milk and less advanced, true or no?

But the one on milk can not see what meat is, because if they could, they would be longing for it, properly valuing it?

 

[StoneWater]

that is a good question at this point in my life. .
at this point I am completely blinded mentally I feel.

It was said of Jesus, "he does not judge with what he sees with his eyes nor hear with his ears", and "who is as deaf as my messenger", "who is as blind as the one I send".

Do not people often say, "Not knowing is wisdom"?

And how can anyone not judge if they know?

How can one not judge and not condemn if they judge by what they see with their eyes and hear with their ears?

So you denigrate the place you are in, but maybe you should celebrate it?

 

[StoneWater]

In terms of the Holy Spirit, we find this to be evident:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

These shall be what we aim for. That when we do fully give into the Holy Spirit, these shall be portrayed from us.

Does the Spirit give us a "sixth sense" or discernment? I believe this could be a gift (1 Corinthians 12) and also something given to those who seek after it.

Our "sense" of eternity was set in our hearts from the very beginning (Eccl. 3:11). This means that everyone was made to seek after and long for eternity. This causes us to seek after what is righteous and purposeful in life.

The "practice" is:
1) meditating in the Word of God day and night (Joshua 1:8)
2) praying fervently (James 5:16)
3) glorifying God in everything (1 Corinthians 10:31)
4) seek after the Great Commission (Matthew 28)
5) remain faithful and hopeful, for our God is coming and we will go home!

These are a lot of lists, I also like to make lists, but how does one experience and live these lists?

What is the true definition behind them? Is it not possible that what one sees as perseverance, for instance, another might see as arrogance? And what one sees as right politics, another might see as wrong?

And why do people make bad choices at all: given two bars before them, one of worthless lead, and one of gold... why do people choose the lead?

If someone is on milk, and are not practicing doing good so as to mature and get on meat, why not? So they are not doing good and do not know it, because if they did they would do good, not evil. But on milk, they are infants, the same substance of adults, correct? As you say, everyone has this "sense" from the beginning - and indeed - did not God give Adam and Eve his Spirit in the beginning?

 

[StoneWater]

Had Adam and Eve stayed obedient to God's instructions of not picking the forbidden fruit by refusing to accept Satan's 'pick it and taste it' request then our minds would have the full supernatural intelligence of Christ where I believe the Word of God would be downloaded instantly from the moment of birth as adult couples like Adam and Eve who were born as adults from Earth's soil. I can imagine or visualize what's it like to live in peace and harmony in God's most modern and most massive place of community: the Kingdom Of God where every single one of us believers become brothers and sisters of Christ while being united spiritually with our Lord Jesus. Such community-like group marriage to Jesus is supernatural and is beyond our normal limits of understanding of our functioning brain activity when it comes to the meaning of the word marriage where sexual activity is no longer a requirement in God's Kingdom, and where the pure supernatural joy of Jesus is so powerful, our hearts will always stay positive and our faces will always stay smiling.:*:.

It does say we will not marry nor be taken in marriage, but it also says if we give up spouses in the old age, we will get many more in the new.

And yes, that does not imply sex.

What really interests me about the first verse is it is the one place where Jesus says, "You do not know the power of God". In that there will not be marriage. The one place where Jesus speaks of people not knowing the power of God.

There is one other place, however, and that is in Jesus' return in the power of the Father.

On Adam & Eve - a bit off topic, by appearance - didn't they receive the Spirit before the fall?

What was the fall then, and how was receiving that spirit different from receiving the spirit of Jesus?

And as there were spirit filled people with the spirit of Jesus before Jesus died, how was the Spirit of Jesus and the Spirit of the Prophets different?

Both are spirits of God.

So, what was the fall?

Or, what were we that we were not initially, in the first place "like God"?


Some say that the fall had to do with sex. When we have sex, we have kids, and we then find that we are kicked from the proverbial garden of youth and are forced to work hard and toil on the land. To provide for our kids.

And women have problems in child birth.

Yet, having kids, are we not then one step closer to God who is The Parent of Adam & Eve.

What parent does not at one time go, "Just wait until you have kids, then you will understand me".

 

[StoneWater]

Proverbs 2:1-11 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

How have you come to learn the Voice of the Spirit and Jesus, the Voice of the Shepard over other voices inside, such as your own?

Other voices might also quote Scripture.

And there are other voices, or Paul would not have exhorted us to test the spirits.

Or maybe there are not.

But is there not a difference between our own internal voice and the Spirit of God speaking within us?