"Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven." Matthew 16:17 NIV

This is the one verse that most hold to in their understanding that it is the Holy Spirit that imparts all spiritual knowledge to them and opens their understanding. As the Holy Spirit imparts the knowledge and inner assurance of God's Truth to us, we grow spiritually. A Spirit to spirit process which the world cannot understand, nor duplicate.

When Peter answered "you are the Christ" to that timeless question of Jesus, "and who do you say that I am?", it was the correct answer and totally diffferent from the ones of others who thought Jesus was. (ranging from either being John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets). One answer was based upon truth from the Spirit and the other answer was based on the speculation of others.

When Peter was almost immediately rebuked by Christ four verses later, it shows that we, like Peter, are not made spiritually complete all at once, but rather it is a daily process.

Do you seek relief from the din, words and works of the world? Do you walk among those who love the world, yet you do not feel as one with them? Listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who was sent to you when first you believed and He will open up the wealth of truth and peace that the Lord desires you to have. He will lay down the path alongside Himself by which you will one day walk.

Rik Charbonneaux is a retired NE Iowan who loves all of God's Word and all of His creatures.