And He spake a parable unto them: Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master (teacher): but every one that is perfect (trained) shall be as his master (teacher) – Luke 6:39-40.

Regarding our spirituality, we must ensure we follow the right teachers and leaders because we will go no farther than they do. Those who are led by the common opinion, course, religion, and customs of this world are themselves blind and are led by the blind.

A person can only teach you what he or she is familiar with; when it comes to spiritual growth, we need to find teachers and leaders who have spiritual fruit in our lives.

The reason why there is so much dysfunction in believers it’s because they try to understand the Word of God with their intellect whether than with the Spirit. They teach others what they understand, leading both them and those who follow their teaching in erroneous teaching or belief of Scripture.

Scripture has to be discerned by the Spirit (But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned – 1st Corinthians 2:14). Spiritual discernment is generated only by the Holy Spirit, the capacity to know spiritual truth is beyond the intellect. The heart must be regenerated to receive the truth and submit to the truth.

A regenerated heart is different from a heart that has received salvation through guilt.Those who receive salvation believe in God; they believe Jesus is the Son of God. They also believe because of Jesus, their sins have been forgiven. Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, there is a continuous cleansing from our sins if we allow Him (Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you – John 15:3). 

To receive the cleansing, the Bible has to be read and then studied (Study {be diligent} to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth Timothy  2:15).  

The majority of Christians don’t read their Bible until they attend church as well as attending Bible Study. To grow spiritually, one must have more than preaching but teaching that will open our spiritual understanding to the Word of God. Learning comes by teaching and preaching, but we must also have our individual study time in the Word of God. We can’t submit to something we don’t know. The Bible has to be read as well as an understanding of what we’re reading.

Spiritual discernment comes from the Holy Spirit, giving us an understanding of the Bible. The Holy Spirit comes within us when we receive the Holy Spirit, not just salvation. Although Jesus was the Son of God, He didn’t go into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan until He received the Holy Spirit. He didn’t do one miracle until He had received the Holy Spirit (And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost {Spirit} returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness – Luke 4:1).

We can’t be led by the Spirit if the Spirit is not within us (If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him – Luke 11:13)? Jesus was talking to the believer, not the nonbeliever, He was talking to those who had excepted Him as the Son of God as well as their Savior, to ask for the Holy Spirit.

Redemption is salvation, being released from the bondage of sin. When we receive the Holy Spirit, He has the power to help us not to return to the bondage of sin.  When we don’t pray, fast, read, and study the Bible or attend Bible Study, we don’t grow spiritually.

Because of this, many are not living in the benefits God has given through His Son because they’re not aware of what belongs to them. Scriptures are misquoted and misunderstood because they don’t have spiritual understanding. What they understand, they will teach others, leading them in the same spiritual dysfunction as they are.

It’s a spiritual benefit to take the time to read, study, pray, and fast and attend Sunday worship and mid-week service. We take time to do everything else that will fade away. But spiritual maturity is a gateway to heaven!

There must be a separation from the actions of the world. We’re not to be conformed to the world, but to the Word of God (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 – Romans 12:2). If the heart has not been regenerated by the Holy Spirit one will continue to live a sinful lifestyle.

When salvation is truly accepted, Jesus enters into the heart (Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me – Revelation 3:20). When Jesus enters the heart, our spiritual appetite changes. We no longer desire the things the world has to offer. We have a mindset to do what is pleasing to God. The Bible must be read and studied and then applied to our daily lives to please Him (But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord – Jeremiah 9:24). If we’re are living by His standards we will do as He does because He has taken up residue in our hearts.

We can’t live any kind of way and think we’re in good standing with God, but some professing Christians think they can; this is spiritual blindness. Read the Word of God; it instructs how to live as a Christian.