One of the great things of studying the Word, is knowing the Word which holds power in authority through Jesus Christ. If you are not studying the Word, if you’re not digging deeper, and you’re trying to stand on a faint knowledge of the Word that someone else spoke and wonder why there is no change…well now you know, there is a lack of understanding. See you have received the Word second hand and only picked up on what was spoken, but not the true experience and process of revelation. You can’t expect to be exalted and raised up when you have not been faithful over the little. The little responsibility we all have been given is to read the Father’s Word, to pray, to pick up our cross daily, to work out our OWN soul salvation, then to go out and spread the Gospel. The Gospel cannot be spread if you do not know it, because your life tends to reveal it by your fruit. There is no denying that.
It’s good and all to study for a motivation to give an answer or to be found rightly dividing the Word, I mean that is the Word. But that is in addition to reading the Word to grow, to get to know the Father, to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ which builds trust. Faith is trust, and we cannot please Him without faith. Well, we cannot trust someone we don’t know either.
Oh, but the Father is about love, He is love. Yes, this is true, completely, but He’s not the definition of love you have defined. He loves in spite of and despite of, He loves when He chastises and reproves, He loves when He prunes, He loves when He allows the process to which changes us even if it hurts terribly. He loves us so much He would rather us be uncomfortable for a moment than to continue to operate in error to hurt ourselves and those around us. He loves us through the correction He brings us. If we choose not to receive it, then we are found unwise. Which means we have not found ourselves in the Word.
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen” Matthew 28:18-20.
“A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself” Proverbs 18:2.
“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” Matthew 13:15.
“For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” Acts 28:27.
“A wise [man] will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” Proverbs 1:5.
“Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” Proverbs 4:7.
“Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but [that which is] in the midst of fools is made known” Proverbs 14:33.
“He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding” Proverbs 15:32.
“Counsel in the heart of man [is like] deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out” Proverbs 20:5.
“[There is] no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD” Proverbs 21:30.
“Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:” Proverbs 24:3.
“Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is]” Ephesians 5:17.
“His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” Matthew 5:21.
“Pray without ceasing” I Thessalonians 5:17.
“And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” Luke 9:23.
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” Philippians 2:12.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen” Mark 16:15-20.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1.
“But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” Hebrews 11:6.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” Proverbs 3:5-7.
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also” 1 John 4:7-21.
“Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not” Proverbs 8:33.
“Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee” Proverbs 9:8.
“A wise son [heareth] his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke” Proverbs 13:1.
“A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise” Proverbs 15:12.