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“ Perception”

Part 1

Hello everyone.  Today’s topic is on spiritual perception or rather, how we perceive things.

 

As with all things we study we need to be diligent in making sure that we abide by what we’re seeing in scripture and rely only on Scripture to give us a definition of what it is we’re trying to find out to be the mind of Christ on any given subject.

 

As well, we also need to compare spiritual with spiritual, and the Lord has given us physical examples in order to do that.  So, as we see those things which are made by the things which do not appear, we must humbly ask for wisdom to properly understand what it is we are given to see and hear.

 

(Rom 1:19)  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

(Rom 1:20)  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

 

(Heb 11:3)  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

 

And so it is with our perception.  I wanted to start the study out today with an example of what I pray is brought out in the study.  The best teachers in our vapor of life are the examples and experiences the Lord uses to mold us into his image.  After all, we are just pottery in the potter’s hand.

 

I have a three year old daughter, who learned a little while ago to drink out of a regular cup instead of a “sippy” cup. One day, I gave her a glass of milk and a few minutes after that she spilled it on the kitchen floor.  When she did this she had already been to the point where she was comfortable drinking with a regular cup, so my initial fleshly reaction was to get upset with her spilling the cup when I had already told her to be careful.  This just so happened to be one of those examples where the Lord chastised me on the spot, by reminding me just how He sees me in my spiritual condition.

 

What I came to realize was, the Lord already had this particular event planned out from the foundation of the world.  Not only that, but I was given a whole different perception on exactly what just happened.  I was just given the eyes to see that the result of my daughter’s spilt milk was actually completed before the actual steps that were taken to bring that about were achieved. 

 

What I mean is, the end- game of what the Lord has planned for us all has already been determined as well as the steps that will bring that about, but the result came before the steps.  This is what I hope the Lord uses me to help show you in the Scriptures today, and it is all a matter of perception.

 

 (Heb 4:3)  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 

 

Eyes to See, Ears to Hear

 

I often get asked what I’m referring to when I speak about being given the eyes to see and ears to hear.  Of course this is a scriptural phrase, and most Christians know that phrase, but they don’t have a clue of what it actually means.

 

When I was starting this study, it just dawned on me that he I eyes are in the head.  Obviously that is fairly apparent, but what I mean is, the eyes are connected directly to the mind and brain.  So, having the same mind or being like- minded directly correlates to seeing and hearing the same thing.  After all, it is our brain physically that processes what it is we are seeing and hearing though what we are seeing and hearing happened first.  When I ask the Lord to give me eyes to see and ears to hear what His mind is on a particular doctrine His mind has already determined what that is. It is simply my lack of understanding, my lack of sight and my lack of hearing that keeps me from having that same mind.  Let us turn to the Scripture to bear this truth out.

 

(Deu 29:2)  And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;

(Deu 29:3)  The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:

(Deu 29:4)  Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

 

I am honestly flabbergasted when the Lord is so blatantly clear on the subject, yet it cannot be seen until He gives you eyes to see it.  Here in Deu 29 verse two through four we have Moses speaking to Israel telling them that they are entering into a covenant with God.  This covenant however is not something they understand.  Why?  Because they haven’t been given the eyes to see and ears and to hear “unto this day.”  Did you notice in verse two Moses says “ye have seen” and in verse three, he says “thine eyes have seen?” 

 

This is quite revealing, because in verse four, he says the Lord hath not giving you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear.  It was “their” eyes that have seen.  This is all very revealing.  Did not Moses just say they had seen?  He did. He then goes on to say you don’t have eyes to see.  So, which is it? Well, it is both, and it is a matter of perception.  I say that because he said so. To rephrase what Moses said, “the Lord has not given you perception, nor eyes to see and ears to hear.”

 

(Deu 29:4)  Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

 

H3045

ya da

Total KJV Occurrences:930

know, 429

Gen_3:5, Gen_3:22, Gen_4:9, Gen_12:11, Gen_15:8, Gen_15:13, Gen_18:19, Gen_18:21, Gen_20:5-7 (3), Gen_22:12, Gen_24:14, Gen_27:2, Gen_31:5-6 (3), Gen_42:33-34 (2), Gen_43:7, Gen_44:27, Gen_48:19 (2), Exo_3:7, Exo_4:14, Exo_5:2, Exo_6:7, Exo_7:5, Exo_7:17, Exo_8:10, Exo_8:22, Exo_9:14, Exo_9:29-30 (2), Exo_10:2, Exo_10:26, Exo_11:7, Exo_14:4, Exo_14:18, Exo_16:6, Exo_16:12, Exo_18:11, Exo_18:16, Exo_23:9, Exo_29:46, Exo_31:13, Exo_33:5, Exo_33:12-13 (3), Exo_33:17, Exo_36:1, Lev_23:43, Num_14:31, Num_14:34, Num_16:28, Deu_3:19 (2), Deu_4:35, Deu_4:39, Deu_7:9, Deu_8:2-3 (3), Deu_13:2-3 (2), Deu_18:21, Deu_22:2, Deu_29:6, Deu_29:16, Deu_31:21, Deu_31:27, Deu_31:29, Jos_2:9, Jos_3:4, Jos_3:7, Jos_3:10, Jos_4:22, Jos_4:24, Jos_22:22, Jos_23:13-14 (2), Jdg_3:2, Jdg_3:4, Jdg_6:37, Jdg_17:13, Jdg_18:5, Jdg_18:14, Jdg_19:22, Rth_3:11, Rth_3:18, Rth_4:4, 1Sa_3:7, 1Sa_6:9, 1Sa_14:38, 1Sa_17:28, 1Sa_17:46-47 (2), 1Sa_20:3, 1Sa_20:30, 1Sa_22:2-3 (2), 1Sa_23:22, 1Sa_24:11, 1Sa_24:20, 1Sa_25:11, 1Sa_25:17, 1Sa_28:1-2 (2), 1Sa_29:9, 2Sa_3:25 (2), 2Sa_3:38, 2Sa_7:21, 2Sa_19:20 (2), 2Sa_19:22, 2Sa_24:2, 1Ki_2:37, 1Ki_2:42, 1Ki_3:7, 1Ki_8:38, 1Ki_8:43 (2), 1Ki_8:60, 1Ki_17:24, 1Ki_18:12, 1Ki_18:37, 1Ki_20:13, 1Ki_20:28, 1Ki_22:3, 2Ki_2:3, 2Ki_2:5, 2Ki_5:8, 2Ki_5:15, 2Ki_8:12 (2), 2Ki_9:11, 2Ki_10:10, 2Ki_17:26 (2), 2Ki_19:19, 2Ki_19:27, 1Ch_12:32, 1Ch_21:2, 1Ch_28:9, 1Ch_29:17, 2Ch_2:8, 2Ch_6:29, 2Ch_6:33 (2), 2Ch_12:8, 2Ch_13:5, 2Ch_20:12, 2Ch_25:16, 2Ch_32:13, 2Ch_32:31, Est_2:11 (2), Est_4:5, Est_4:11, Job_5:24-25 (2), Job_5:27, Job_8:9, Job_9:2, Job_9:5, Job_9:21, Job_9:28, Job_10:13, Job_11:6, Job_11:8, Job_13:2, Job_13:18, Job_13:23, Job_15:9, Job_19:6, Job_19:25, Job_19:29, Job_21:19, Job_21:27, Job_22:13, Job_23:5, Job_24:16, Job_30:23, Job_31:6, Job_32:22, Job_34:4, Job_36:26, Job_37:7, Job_37:15-16 (2), Job_38:12, Psa_4:2-3 (2), Psa_9:10, Psa_9:20, Psa_20:6, Psa_36:10, Psa_39:4 (2), Psa_41:11, Psa_50:10-11 (2), Psa_51:6, Psa_56:9, Psa_59:13, Psa_71:15, Psa_73:11, Psa_73:16, Psa_78:6, Psa_82:5, Psa_83:18, Psa_87:4, Psa_89:15, Psa_101:3-4 (2), Psa_109:27, Psa_119:75, Psa_119:125, Psa_135:5, Psa_139:23 (2), Psa_140:12, Psa_143:8, Pro_1:2, Pro_4:1, Pro_4:19, Pro_5:6, Pro_10:32, Pro_22:21, Pro_24:12, Pro_27:23, Pro_30:18, Ecc_1:17 (2), Ecc_3:12, Ecc_3:14, Ecc_7:25 (2), Ecc_8:12, Ecc_8:16-17 (2), Ecc_9:5 (2), Ecc_11:9, Son_1:8, Isa_1:3, Isa_5:19, Isa_7:15-16 (2), Isa_9:9, Isa_19:12, Isa_19:21, Isa_37:20, Isa_37:28, Isa_41:20, Isa_41:22-23 (2), Isa_41:26, Isa_43:10, Isa_43:19, Isa_44:8-9 (2), Isa_45:3, Isa_45:6, Isa_47:8, Isa_47:11 (2), Isa_48:6, Isa_49:23, Isa_49:26, Isa_50:4, Isa_51:7 (2), Isa_52:6, Isa_59:8 (2), Isa_59:12, Isa_60:16, Jer_2:19, Jer_2:23, Jer_5:1, Jer_5:4, Jer_6:18, Jer_6:27, Jer_7:9, Jer_8:7, Jer_9:3, Jer_9:6, Jer_10:23, Jer_10:25, Jer_11:18, Jer_13:12, Jer_14:18, Jer_15:15, Jer_16:13, Jer_16:21 (3), Jer_17:9, Jer_22:28, Jer_24:7, Jer_26:15, Jer_29:11, Jer_29:23, Jer_31:34, Jer_36:19, Jer_38:24, Jer_40:14-15 (2), Jer_42:19, Jer_42:22, Jer_44:28-29 (2), Jer_48:17, Jer_48:30, Eze_2:5, Eze_5:13, Eze_6:7, Eze_6:10, Eze_6:13-14 (2), Eze_7:4, Eze_7:9, Eze_7:27, Eze_11:5, Eze_11:10, Eze_11:12, Eze_12:15-16 (2), Eze_12:20, Eze_13:9, Eze_13:14, Eze_13:21, Eze_13:23, Eze_14:8, Eze_14:23, Eze_15:7, Eze_16:2, Eze_16:62, Eze_17:12, Eze_17:21, Eze_17:24, Eze_20:4, Eze_20:12, Eze_20:20, Eze_20:26, Eze_20:38, Eze_20:42, Eze_20:44, Eze_21:5, Eze_22:16, Eze_22:22, Eze_23:49, Eze_24:24, Eze_24:27, Eze_25:5, Eze_25:7, Eze_25:11, Eze_25:14, Eze_25:17, Eze_26:6, Eze_28:19, Eze_28:22-24 (3), Eze_28:26, Eze_29:6, Eze_29:9, Eze_29:16, Eze_29:21, Eze_30:8, Eze_30:19, Eze_30:25-26 (2), Eze_32:15, Eze_33:29, Eze_33:33, Eze_34:27, Eze_34:30, Eze_35:4, Eze_35:9, Eze_35:12, Eze_35:15, Eze_36:11, Eze_36:23, Eze_36:36, Eze_36:38, Eze_37:6, Eze_37:13-14 (2), Eze_37:28, Eze_38:14, Eze_38:16, Eze_38:23, Eze_39:6-7 (2), Eze_39:22-23 (2), Eze_39:28, Dan_2:3, Dan_8:19, Dan_9:25, Dan_11:32, Hos_2:8, Hos_2:20, Hos_6:3 (3), Hos_8:2, Hos_9:7, Hos_13:4-5 (2), Hos_14:9, Joe_2:27, Joe_3:17, Amo_3:10, Amo_5:12, Jon_1:7, Jon_1:12, Mic_3:1, Mic_4:12, Mic_6:5, Zec_2:9, Zec_2:11, Zec_4:9, Zec_6:15, Mal_2:4

known, 105

Gen_19:8, Gen_24:16, Gen_41:21, Gen_41:31, Gen_45:1, Exo_2:14, Exo_6:3, Exo_21:36, Exo_33:16, Lev_4:14, Lev_5:1, Num_12:6, Num_31:17-18 (2), Num_31:35, Deu_1:13, Deu_1:15, Deu_11:2, Deu_11:28, Deu_13:2, Deu_13:6, Deu_13:13, Deu_21:1, Deu_28:36, Deu_28:64, Deu_31:13, Jos_24:31, Jdg_3:1, Jdg_16:9, Jdg_21:12, Rth_3:3, Rth_3:14, 1Sa_6:3, 1Sa_28:15, 2Sa_17:19, 1Ki_14:2, 1Ki_18:36, 1Ch_16:8, 1Ch_17:19, Neh_4:15, Neh_9:14, Est_2:22, Psa_9:16, Psa_18:43, Psa_31:7, Psa_48:3, Psa_67:2, Psa_69:19, Psa_76:1, Psa_77:19, Psa_78:3, Psa_79:5-6 (2), Psa_79:10, Psa_88:12, Psa_89:1, Psa_91:14, Psa_95:10, Psa_98:2, Psa_103:7, Psa_105:1, Psa_106:8, Psa_119:79, Psa_119:152, Psa_139:1, Psa_145:12, Psa_147:20, Pro_1:23, Pro_10:9, Pro_12:16, Pro_14:33, Pro_22:19, Pro_31:23, Ecc_6:5, Ecc_6:10, Isa_12:5, Isa_19:21, Isa_38:19, Isa_40:21, Isa_40:28, Isa_42:16, Isa_44:18, Isa_45:4-5 (2), Isa_61:9, Isa_64:2, Isa_66:14, Jer_4:22, Jer_5:5, Jer_9:16, Jer_19:4, Jer_28:9, Eze_20:5, Eze_32:9 (2), Eze_35:11, Eze_36:32, Eze_38:23, Eze_39:7, Hos_5:4, Hos_5:9, Amo_3:2, Nah_3:17, Hab_3:2, Zec_14:7

knew, 82

Gen_3:7(2), Gen_4:1, Gen_4:17, Gen_4:25, Gen_8:11, Gen_9:24, Gen_28:16, Gen_31:32, Gen_38:9, Gen_38:16, Gen_38:26, Gen_39:6, Gen_42:23, Exo_1:8, Num_22:34, Deu_8:16 (2), Deu_9:24, Deu_29:26, Deu_32:17, Jdg_2:9-10 (3), Jdg_3:2, Jdg_11:39, Jdg_13:16, Jdg_13:21, Jdg_14:4, Jdg_19:25, Jdg_20:34, 1Sa_1:19, 1Sa_2:12, 1Sa_3:20, 1Sa_10:11, 1Sa_14:3, 1Sa_18:28, 1Sa_20:9, 1Sa_20:33, 1Sa_20:39 (2), 1Sa_22:15, 1Sa_22:17, 1Sa_22:22, 1Sa_23:9, 1Sa_26:12, 2Sa_3:26, 2Sa_11:16, 2Sa_11:20, 2Sa_15:11, 2Sa_18:29, 2Sa_22:44, 1Ki_1:4, 2Ki_4:39, 2Ch_33:13, Neh_2:16, Job_23:3, Job_29:16, Job_42:3, Psa_35:11, Psa_35:15, Pro_24:12, Isa_42:16, Isa_42:25, Isa_48:7-8 (2), Jer_1:5 (2), Jer_2:8, Jer_11:19, Jer_32:8, Jer_41:4, Jer_44:3, Jer_44:15, Eze_10:20, Eze_19:7, Dan_11:38, Hos_8:4, Hos_11:3, Jon_1:10, Jon_4:2, Zec_7:14, Zec_11:11

perceive, 6

Deu_29:4, Jos_22:31, 1Sa_12:17, 2Sa_19:6, 2Ki_4:9, Isa_6:9

understood, 4

1Sa_4:6, 1Sa_26:4, 2Sa_3:37, Psa_81:5

 

The word that is used here as perceive in Deu 29:4, is the Hebrew word “yada” and it is the strong’s number, H3045.  There were simply too many references to this word to post them on the study notes but there are enough here that will give you a very clear idea of what it means to perceive.  So, let’s go to the beginning.  The very first time this word is used, it is not used as the English word “perceive”, rather it is used as the word “know.”  The first verse it is used in is Gen 3:5.

 

              (Gen 3:4)  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

(Gen 3:5)  For God doth know (yada) that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing (yada/ perceiving) good and evil.

(Gen 3:6)  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

(Gen 3:7)  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew ( yada) that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

 

In verse five, the word “know” here is the wordH3045, as well as, the word “knowing.”“For God doth know” and “they knew” in verse Gen 3:7.  So, God’s perception is their perception.  It’s the same perception in verse seven, as it is in verse five.  So when we are given eyes that see and ears that hear, we are given the same mind, or the same perception from that mind.

 

That is why Mat 13:10 is so important to understand.  It is so important understand because it is the exact opposite of been given sight, and being given hearing. Here is Mat 13:10:

 

(Mat 13:10)  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

(Mat 13:11)  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

 

It is not given unto them to know or perceive what is given to us to know and perceive what the mind of Christ is.  It is given to us to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven and where heaven is what heaven is and why it is so important.

 

G1097

γινωσκω

gino sko

Total KJV Occurrences:224

know, 94

Mat_6:3, Mat_9:30, Mat_13:11, Mat_24:32-33 (2), Mat_24:43, Mar_4:11, Mar_4:13, Mar_5:43, Mar_7:24, Mar_9:30, Mar_13:28-29 (2), Luk_1:18, Luk_1:34, Luk_8:10, Luk_12:39, Luk_19:15, Luk_21:20, Luk_21:30-31 (2), Joh_5:42, Joh_7:17, Joh_7:26, Joh_7:51, Joh_8:28, Joh_8:32, Joh_8:37, Joh_10:14-15 (2), Joh_10:27, Joh_10:38, Joh_13:7, Joh_13:12, Joh_13:35, Joh_14:7, Joh_14:20, Joh_14:31, Joh_15:18, Joh_15:21, Joh_17:3, Joh_17:23, Joh_19:4, Act_1:7, Act_2:36, Act_17:19-20 (2), Act_19:15, Act_20:34, Act_21:24, Act_21:34, Act_22:14, Rom_7:1, Rom_10:19, 1Co_2:14, 1Co_4:19, 1Co_8:2, 1Co_13:9, 1Co_13:12, 2Co_2:4, 2Co_2:9, 2Co_5:16, 2Co_8:9, 2Co_13:6, Gal_3:7, Eph_3:19, Eph_5:5, Eph_6:22, Phi_2:19, Phi_2:22, Phi_3:10, Col_4:8, 1Th_3:5, 2Ti_3:1, Heb_8:11, Heb_13:23, Jas_5:20 (2), 1Jn_2:3-5 (4), 1Jn_2:18, 1Jn_2:29, 1Jn_3:19, 1Jn_3:24, 1Jn_4:2, 1Jn_4:6, 1Jn_4:13, 1Jn_5:2, 1Jn_5:20, Rev_2:23, Rev_3:3, Rev_3:9

known, 45

Mat_10:26, Mat_12:7, Mat_12:33, Luk_6:44, Luk_7:39, Luk_8:17, Luk_12:2, Luk_19:42, Luk_24:18, Luk_24:35, Joh_8:55, Joh_10:14, Joh_14:7 (2), Joh_14:9, Joh_16:3, Joh_17:7-8 (2), Joh_17:25 (3), Act_9:24, Act_22:30, Act_23:28, Rom_3:17, Rom_7:7, Rom_11:34, 1Co_2:8, 1Co_2:16, 1Co_8:3, 1Co_14:7, 1Co_14:9, 2Co_3:2, 2Co_5:16, Gal_4:9 (2), Phi_4:5, Heb_3:10, 1Jn_2:13-14 (3), 1Jn_3:6, 1Jn_4:16, 2Jn_1:1, Rev_2:24

knew, 30

Mat_1:24-25(2), Mat_7:23, Mat_12:15, Mat_24:39, Mat_25:24, Mar_6:38, Mar_8:17, Mar_12:12, Mar_15:10, Mar_15:45, Luk_2:43, Luk_9:11, Luk_12:47-48 (2), Luk_18:34, Joh_1:10, Joh_2:24-25 (2), Joh_4:1, Joh_4:53, Joh_5:6, Joh_11:57, Joh_12:9, Joh_13:28, Joh_16:19, Rom_1:21, 1Co_1:21, 1Co_2:8, 2Co_5:21, 1Jn_3:1

knoweth, 16

Luk_10:22, Luk_16:15, Joh_7:27, Joh_7:49, Joh_10:15, Joh_14:17, Act_19:35, 1Co_3:20, 1Co_8:2, 2Ti_2:19, 1Jn_3:1, 1Jn_3:20, 1Jn_4:6-8 (3), Rev_2:17

perceived, 7

Mat_16:8, Mat_21:45, Luk_20:18-19 (2), Joh_6:15, Act_23:6, Gal_2:9

knowest, 5

Joh_1:48, Joh_3:10, Rom_2:17-18 (2), 2Ti_1:18

knowing, 5

Rom_6:6, Heb_10:34, Jas_1:3, 2Pe_1:20, 2Pe_3:3

understood, 4

Mat_26:10, Joh_8:27, Joh_10:6, Joh_12:16

understand, 3

Joh_8:43, Phi_1:11-12 (2)

aware, 2

Mat_24:50, Luk_12:46

perceive, 2

Luk_8:46(2), 1Jn_3:16

sure, 2

Luk_10:11, Joh_6:69

allow, 1

Rom_7:15

can, 1

Mat_16:3

canst, 1

Act_21:37

felt, 1

Mar_5:29

knewest, 1

Luk_19:44

knowledge, 1

Act_17:13

resolved, 1

Luk_16:4

speak, 1

Act_21:37

understandest, 1

Act_8:30

 

The Greek word used in verse 11, as the word “know” is G1097 or “ginoako.” It is amazing just how consistent the word of God is because the same word “know” used here is translated as perceive in Luk 8:46.

 

(Luk 8:46)  And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

 

(1Jn 3:16)  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

 

With these Scriptures, we can clearly see that the Holy Spirit was consistent in the Hebrew and Greek in letting us know that the word perceive and know are the same concept in the Hebrew and Greek.

 

If the Lord has not given us the ability to perceive what is being said in Scripture or what is happening in our lives, then we are 100% unable to understand what is going on in the Scripture or in our lives.  However, if we are given sight to see and ears to hear, then we are given the ability to see the mind of Christ, to know His mind. … and that my friends is worth more than this world could ever offer any of us.  It is actually worth so much because to know this is to have life eternal.

 

(Joh 17:3) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

 

Before we continue, I want to point out that there is another word translated as know or perceive, and that is the Greek word G1492 or “eido.” The difference between the two words “eido” and “ginoako” is the intimacy that comes with “ginoako”. Knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ who has been sent is a very intimate “knowing” and “perception”. There are probably even deeper scripturally differences, but that subject is bigger than what this study is going to be.

 

“ Cause and Effect”

 

The two points I want to make with the study today are what perception is and how that perception relates to our understanding of the sovereignty of God.  The sovereignty of God very much ties into the cause and effect of everything that we know.

 

If we believe in the sovereignty of God, then we already understand, and we already perceive that for every cause there is an effect and that cause is God.  Being that the cause is God, why is it that we are so easily affected by the effects caused by God?  The reason is faith or the lack thereof.  Our lack of faith is our lack of belief in the sovereignty of God.  Our faith is given to us, and it is the faith of Jesus Christ.  Nevertheless, the faith we lack is the belief we lack in the complete sovereignty of God.  Otherwise, we would not get so upset when the things that we do not expect, happen to us.  It all comes down to a matter of perception.

 

Simply put, we have to be given eyes to see the sovereignty of God and by being given those spiritual eyes we are given the ability to react properly to the trials that God places in our life.  And when I say react properly,  I am referring to our ability to it adhere to the mind of Christ when we are chastened and scourged by the Lord.

 

When I personally pray and ask that I be given eyes to see and ears to hear, what I am asking for is the ability to understand the way God understands.  I am asking for His mind on a particular topic or doctrine.

 

Brothers and Sisters

 

(Mat 13:10)  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

(Mat 13:11)  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

 

How this comes into play with our brothers and sisters is that when they don’t understand or perceive what we understand and perceive it is because they are not given the eyes to see and ears to hear.  In other words they’re not given the mind of Christ.  That is why when we see and understand this, we are to turn that brother or sister over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh.  Otherwise we are fighting God and His sovereignty.

 

 (1Co 5:1)  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.

(1Co 5:2)  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

(1Co 5:3)  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

(1Co 5:4)  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, or

(1Co 5:5)  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

 

However, that is not the first thing we are to do.  There is a biblical way to come to the understanding that our brother does not perceive the mind of Christ that we have, and that can be found in Matthew.

 

 (Mat 18:15) Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

(Mat 18:16) But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

(Mat 18:17) And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

 

If this is the case, then we know what we are to do:

 

(Tit 3:9)  But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

(Tit 3:10)  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

(Tit 3:11)  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Perception as we’ve seen earlier only comes after it is given.  Perception may be given on one doctrine, but not on another until the appointed time.  So it is crucial that we understand that we must be diligent in searching out the Scriptures and praying that we be given eyes to see and ears to hear what is the mind of Christ is on any given doctrine.

 

It is also our perception that gives us the ability to see, once it is given, that in God’s sovereignty He has already planned every event that will come about in our lives.  When a particular event or trial has happened in our lives, we must remember that it is our perception, our knowing His mind, that will give us comfort in knowing that He is in control and is working all things for our good. That is why it is so important that we always ask to be given proper perception.>