Training in Christ.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want him."  

When I was a young boy that is what I thought the 23rd Psalm was saying.  Of course today I know better, but really I am still that little boy who didn't understand what the Bible was saying.  The difference is that today I have a little bit of training and the Holy Spirit to help me.  To understand what God is saying in the Scriptures, both training and the Holy Spirit are needed.

Training in language, customs,  geography, history, the sciences, archeology and many other fields of study can be beneficial to understanding the Bible.  There are so many people out in the world who have PhDs and all sorts of titles who have an abundant amount of training but do not understand what God is saying in scripture because they deny the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Then there are people who have little to no training, but they do know and listen to the Holy Spirit.  True born again Christians who follow God but perhaps because of where they live, they are not able to get any type of education.  A Christian mentor who follows the scripture would be a great help.  A pastor or someone to disciple them could help them to grow, but even without that help, they still do have the Holy Spirit.

These people will not grow as fast as someone with a Christian education but they will grow.  They are more likely to fall away because they have no one to help guide them, but if they trust God they can come through the most devious of Satan's traps.  They will gain their training the hard way but it can be done.  The Holy Spirit alone can train a Christian who believes the Bible is the Word of God.

Too often a Christian, who doesn't know scripture but has accepted Christ, will not do the required work to educate themselves and therefore they remain babes in Christ.  They think that being saved is enough for them and they will not try to learn more about God and His Word.  I believe most Christians fall into this camp.  People who only do what is comfortable and easy.

Both a godly education and the Holy Spirit are required to grow in Christ.  Without both, you can never become the disciple of Christ you were meant to be.  I was very blessed to be able to go to a Bible-believing college and to have strong Christians in my life.   I have tried to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and I have failed Him so many time, but I will not give up.  I will try to learn more about my Lord and Savior.  I will listen closely to what the Holy Spirit says.  I hope you will as well.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, but rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2

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