ROMANS 12:2-3  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.  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

 

     I went to the alter of the church a few years ago because I had a burning desire to have more of God in my life...  I wanted everything that the Bible says is available to me...  all the gifts of the Spirit.... I wanted an even deeper relationship than I was already experiencing.  I wanted all that God had for me...  The pastor came over to me as I was praying and asked what he could help me pray for... I simply  told him, "More of God..."  He looked at me kinda strange, laid his hand on my head and said, ..."Lord, Rick wants more of you in his life, I pray that you give him what he desires."  ....That was it....  I don't think the pastor realized what was on my heart, because there were many other people there desiring his attention....   As I thought about it after the service, it occurred to me that I didn't "need" anyone else to pray for me, God hears me just as easily as He hears the pastor.... any pastor.  I have a voice in heaven just like any other believer... The Word says (John 14:14) to ask anything in His name and He will do it....  Of course, we have to ask according to His will... (His Word)  And His Word tells me that all of the gifts of the Spirit are available to the Saints.....  You have but to ask....  So, I did.  And revelation of Christ and His finished work just exploded in my spirit...and continues today.

 

      The key to that whole experience lies right here in 2 Peter 1:2..... "Grace and peace (is) multiplied to us with the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."  I came to understand that we cannot possibly have more faith than we had at our day of Salvation.  We have all been given THE measure of faith.... (Romans 12:3).  We all got the same measure.  We all have an equal amount of faith... but it's in the application of that faith that we see Grace abound.  (Jesus used the example of a grain of mustard seed...(Mark 4:31-32), which is certainly not all that we were given with "The Measure".

 

     So, in reading, ....and hearing, .....and reading, ...and hearing the Word, the knowledge of God and Jesus became more foundational for me..... And the deeper that relationship was established, the better I understood the message of Grace... (Romans 12:2) which alone gives peace.  So first there was a deeper knowledge of Christ, followed by knowledge of Grace and how it works, resulting in peace.... followed by the Gifts of the Spirit...

 

     It's all about foundational relationship and greater knowledge of who God is, and knowing who you are in Christ.  You've got to have revelation knowledge of who you are in Christ.  Many Christians don't understand that relationship.  The deeper you mine into the Word of God, the more gems you will uncover....  I'm still mining... You too?

Rick