The Value of Spiritual Understanding
Greetings and good morning brothers and sisters This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series
where we seek to explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years,
the heavenly Father has revealed many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them
with you. This morning we seek to understand the value of spiritual understanding.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
The Value of Spiritual Understanding
Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth, the truth shall make you free." John, Chapter 8, Verse
32.
Brothers and sisters, in today's broadcast we shall consider the meaning of the value of spiritual
understanding. We shall endeavor to show that understanding is very important to actualizing
spiritual values. In our discussion we shall use intellectual and moral analogies to help us grasp the
understanding of the essential spiritual values. We know that understanding and a committed belief
in that understanding is the passport to higher and higher spiritual attainment.
As we have lived on this planet for long ages, we have discovered and realized that the secret to
having a better material life has been the progressive ability to understand the world that we live in
by discovering the laws that govern the world. It is only by discovering the laws governing our
material existence and understanding them that have allowed us to move from the desperate
primitive status of our ancestors to modern times. We are well on the way to discovering final laws
governing our material existence and understanding how to apply that knowledge.
Understanding allows us to change our material status. Understanding allows us to increasingly
master our material environment. We have made breakthrough after breakthrough in the laws
governing our material status. Things such as transistors, computers, space travel, automobiles, air
conditioners, and a host of other discoveries have sweetened the existence of material life. And we
all benefit from the breakthroughs in medical science which seem to occur almost daily. We can
appreciate the value of intellectual understanding because we understand what it does for us, though
there are still too many of us who do not make the effort to understand the world we live in and to
make use of that knowledge. Ignorance and superstition still play a large part in the lives of many
of us. And we feel deep compassion for those free will mortals who will not avail themselves of the
potential intellectual power they possess. We cannot make them avail themselves of their intellectual
acumen.
Proverbs admonishes us: "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. With all thy getting
get understanding. Exalt wisdom and she will promote you. She will bring you to honor if you will
but embrace her." And it is clear that before you can have understanding, you must acquire
knowledge. This process of understanding starts with recognition. "Recognition is the intellectual
process of fitting the sensory impressions received from the external world into the memory patterns
of the individual. Understanding connotes that these recognized sensory impressions and their
associated memory patterns have become integrated or organized into a dynamic network of
principles." "Meanings are derived from a combination of recognition and understanding..."
Next we consider moral understanding. This understanding is higher on the scale of value than is
intellectual understanding because it is the very basis upon which our relationship with the Heavenly
Father rests. We must be moral beings if we are to have a relationship with the Heavenly Father.
Moral understanding also follows the same steps of acquirement as intellectual understanding. There
is first recognition, followed by understanding. These are combined to derive meanings. Whereas
intellectual acquirement means acquirement of factual knowledge, moral acquirement means the
acquirement of moral knowledge. And like intellectual knowledge, it evolves and grows. As we
evolve our moral understanding increases. This is the understanding of our relationship to each other
and our responsibility to each other as a result of that relationship. Our obligations to each other
constantly change and become more complex as we continue to relate to others. These interactions
along with thoughtful reflection yield moral understanding.
What does moral understanding do for us? Though we have already indicated that it is the basis for
our relationship with the Father, we can further answer that question by considering what we would
have without moral understanding. Without moral understanding there would no basis for group
functioning. Civilization would not exist. Without moral understanding there would be no basis for
cooperation since responsibility, reliability, and trust-worthiness would not exist. Without moral
understanding and the commitment to its mandates, human life could not exist. Having a moral sense
is one of the fundamental qualities of being human--knowing what is right and wrong as it relates
to conduct.
Now we come to spiritual understanding. In our present state and built on moral understanding,
spiritual understanding has to be acquired by exercising faith. Since we are not mature enough to
grasp it forthright like we do intellectual and moral understanding, we must use faith, trust, and our
moral sense. There still occurs recognition, followed by understanding, which is then combined into
meanings, which are reflective of values. It is our faith that recognizes spiritual understanding
and
our faith that allows this understanding to become meaning in association with recognition.
Spiritual understanding is essential to growth and development. Without it, we cannot navigate the
spiritual laws that govern spiritual reality. The greatest spiritual understanding is that although we
are material creatures we are equally spiritual sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father. This makes
all the difference in the quality of our performance while living in the flesh. It can imbue us with
hope and trust and courage in the face of the most difficult of material circumstances. This spiritual
understanding can vanquish doubt and hate, for this flesh can be so mastered that the fruits of the
spirit can flow through it. What an amazing achievement: that a human being evolved from the dust
can actually effect spiritual transactions. This faith understanding cannot be achieved by and through
logic, though, once accepted, it is altogether logical and reasonable from a faith perspective.
By the exercise of faith, whole-hearted belief, we recognize the value of being sons and daughters
of the heavenly Father; from these values come the meanings which we grasp as they appear in our
conscious mind. And once we embrace them in our conscious mind, we begin to think and act
differently, like true sons and daughters of the heavenly Father. We begin that never-ending, eternal
relationship with our spiritual Father and enjoy that ministry of divine love, truth, beauty and
goodness.
This spiritual understanding of who we are allows us to bravely face the challenges of life
and extract those divine values and meanings that are concealed within those challenges. And as we
recognize, understand, and accept those divine values and meanings, we grow spiritually, always
seeking greater and greater understanding, even that understanding of divine perfection in response
to the Father's command: "Be you perfect even as I am perfect."
This concludes today's message on understanding the value of spiritual
understanding. We hope you find something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go
about your day.
Until next time, this is Dr. James Perry.
Inspirational Messages
By Dr. James Perry
Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done!
The Value of Spiritual Understanding
