Colossians 2:2-4 English Standard Version (ESV) that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

In our earliest experiences with these spiritual ears and eyes there will come a desire for more.

Galatians 5:22-23 English Standard Version (ESV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Love, joy and peace come quickly by the Spirit and who would not want more. Remember that these good things come little by little and not all of a sudden. Some things are given and some things are gained by experience.

There always have been and always will be those who will have a plausible argument for what they believe and why. Some of those people have not experienced spiritual ears and eyes and what they bring to the table is born of self-interest. The only way to distinguish these from true believers is by discernment by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Truth will tell you what is true and what is false.

Knowing the Spirit of Truth, hearing and seeing with spiritual ears and eyes is vital in our walk so that we will not be led astray by fair speech and worldly intellect. When we allow others to tell us what we should discover for ourselves we are neglecting the only relationship that really matters.

No one knows us like God does.

Hebrews 4:12 English Standard Version (ESV) For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Psalm 26:4-5 English Standard Version (ESV)

4 I do not sit with men of falsehood,
    nor do I consort with hypocrites.
5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,
    and I will not sit with the wicked.

There was a crime show that indicated that prison only teaches criminals to get better at being criminals. That thought always stuck in my mind for two reasons. We can learn from other people’s mistakes and we think we will not get caught doing that.

If hanging out with career criminals will make you a better criminal, won’t the opposite also be true? If we hang out with career Christians won’t we be better Christians? Yes and no. Who is to say a career Christian is able to teach you how to be more Christ-like?

If we determine to be more like a man we are now worshipping man more than God. We have to hang out with God to be more Godly. The Holy Spirit is our instructor. Allow me to refer back to Psalm 26 and the opening statements.

Psalm 26:1 English Standard Version (ESV)

Of David.

1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
    for I have walked in my integrity,
    and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

Isn’t this the same David that committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed? That sounds rather arrogant to say he had integrity after what he did. He was caught exposed, all his wives were taken from him and his son died for his iniquity. Where was the integrity in that?

2 Samuel 12:13 English Standard Version (ESV) David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

David believed the Lord and acted as if all those sins had never happened. We have a fresh start, beginning again, where actions dictate our new creature in Christ and not the past.

Do we allow our past to dictate our actions or do we believe the Lord has forgiven us our sins?