Personal Spiritual Relationship with God

I need to say this because I have learned this the hard way in my life. I know that progressing in my sanctification and my spiritual growth and it only happens as I live in the environment of the truth and respond to that truth, and obey that truth, and avoid anything that diminishes my understanding of that truth or perverts that truth. Being a Christian is being whose primary form of witness is by my spiritual life, but I should not hide the fact that I am a Christian and that I show my spiritual light through deeds first and then words.

I have learned that God's spiritual training which is necessary for forming spiritual fruits that are needed to wrestle against the world, the devil and the flesh. Spiritual growth with maturity and balance will happen only when I apply myself to God's guidance through the Bible and Holy Spirit's convictions. God wants me to be busy rejoicing in the gracious prospect of all opportunities of God's will in my life. I have been reminding myself that God wants me to have free and responsive heart towards HIM, "Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God." In Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I should not be ferreting out the secret will of God that He plans to do, but discerning the revealed will of God that I ought to do in FAITH and Grace.

I deal with my own "theological bias" that I have learned doctrines taught by MAN. I was victimized because I grew up in a certain theological system and I become indoctrinated by what I have learned over the years that I have struggled by defending what I have learned and was unable to let go of them. Until I understood God's grace.

I learned that the Bible does not present faith as simply "mental assent to the facts of the gospel" but rather true saving faith involves spiritual and complete trust in the work of Christ who saved me from my sins and made me righteous. Saving faith involves both my mind and my will spiritually.

Over the years, as I studied my Bible, I asked myself: "By what criteria do I determine true from empty in my faith?"

I have learned to understand that God is the deeper life and much more than "faith systems" created by man. I am not a perfect Christian but I am a forgiven Christian who is still learning. I remember this verse written by Paul, “If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing” (1 Tim. 6:3-4). God holds us accountable for what we believe as well as how we think about the truth He has revealed. I see many give "lip-service" to the importance of doctrine and frown upon doctrinal discussions.

God is touching me and my heart since my wife was in the hospital.