But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14
This writing will just be to touch on how you can think of exercising and strengthening your inner man, the spiritual senses, hearing God, hearing Truth, knowing the difference between flesh and spirit, and a host of other differences between our spirit and our natural self.
We have spiritual senses just like we have physical senses
Feeling
Smell
Hearing
Sight
Taste
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6
Think about how long it took you to develop your natural senses
Your senses allow you to
know when something is safe or dangerous,
a friend or an enemy,
to know when something is good or bad
The same way,
since we are walking in the newness of life,
we will learn to experience God’s viewpoints
and the awakening of our spiritual senses,
to be able to see the Spiritual,
such as that Jesus and God are One
and even feel what it’s like to grieve his Holy Spirit
Let’s think of our natural senses first
The sense of touch,
feeling different things
and their sensations against your skin
The outer feelings on our bodies and inner feelings we have inside our souls
All of those sensations are developed from experiences and knowledge
The good and bad smells, aromas, fragrances,
scents pleasing and not-so-pleasing
The times when a certain smell can bring back a flood of memories
and a sense of smell always makes food taste better, or worse
You can recognize different voices you know,
loud and soft sounds,
the ocean,
baby birds singing in the spring,
a kind word spoken by a loved one
Your eyes not only let you experience many lovely sights,
but they offer the reality of what is in your world
You can read peoples faces,
their facial expressions,
the look in their eyes,
you can be aware of many things
that could not be experienced if you were blind
You tasted this and that and developed your taste, some were acquired
the other senses can help your sense of taste, such as smell
some things look better,
have you ever tried eating in the dark?
flavor doesn’t seem to be as strong in the dark
Growth in the Lord and the spiritual realm comes from reading and understanding the Word of God, praying, seeking, fasting. listening and other experiences you have with God. He works in your life, uniquely and individually.
Now, we’ll touch on the spiritual senses
There are two spiritual senses mentioned here: Taste and see that the Lord is good
The Bread of Life
The Living Water
We can’t see who the Father unless Jesus reveals Him to us
We can’t see things without faith
and faith is a different type of sight than we are used to
Faith seems to be an additional sense in the spiritual realm
a gift that assists us to know Jesus
He that has ears to hear, let him hear
Hear the word of the Lord
Samuel had a listening ear
We never want to be a stench in God’s nostrils
because we are holier than thou
If we exercise our spiritual senses,
we will hunger no more neither thirst anymore
Let’s get a famine of His word in our inner man until we are satisfied
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. Amos 8:11
Scriptural References:
Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. Isaiah 65:5
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:51
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 14:14
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Luke 10:18
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Ephesians 4:24
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
John 6:46
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 11:15
We walk by faith not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
I and the Father are One. John 10:30