The 100% truth about anything is manifested from 3 sources which ultimately add up to 100%.
45% scripture/credible testimony/prophecy
45% personal experience/first hand witness
91/2% common sense/basic understanding
1/2% faith as a grain of mustard seed
In order for you to come to the 100% truth you must have each one of these. Falling short of any one means you don't actually know and that one should not be asking the truth of you.
Scripture/Credible Testimony/Prophecy
Scripture and testimony are essential. I find it very strange and ignorant and self centered that there are people whom after all the generations of the life of man still think that they would be the first person to "discover the truth about God".
++When you have scripture but no common sense/basic understanding, you come up with a problem that is prevalent in (for a quick example) the black church where you will read scripture and think it means something different from what it really means. For example we have thought for years that women should not wear pants in church because of a misinterpretation in The Book of Leviticus.
++Prophecy is easy on people who have been through this cycle a few times. But it is very hard to prophesy to someone who will not apply that faith as a grain of mustard seed. And even after it comes to pass, they will yet often throw it off as a meaningless coincidence.
Personal Experience/First Hand Witness
We gotta be careful with this one. When you have this alone, you may have no idea what you're experiencing.
++Imagine you don't know the first thing about God. You have this unexplainable supernatural experience. But you never hear or read about anyone else talking about anything that remotely resembles what you experienced and noone ever tells you in prophecy about it. Will you actually know what it was?
Common Sense/Basic Understanding
Common sense is the very thing that reminds you to put 2 of these factors together. Some have missed the mark because of a lack hereof.....Not to worry God has a way.......Just like the beginning of the black charismatic movement ('notha sermon).
++Whatever you have in place of this will block you from understanding anything you've received in personal experience/first hand witness.
++If you apply common sense to experience/witness and scripture/testimony/prophecy you find yourself with something that is very easy to beleive. However we become very succeptible to false doctrine if we have experience and testimony/prophecy prophlie disguised as prophecy but no common sense. Here's an example: You know a loving God in Heaven is not telling you to jump off a bridge into a boat when you have ample time to walk down under the bridge and and just climb in............But let's go for the simple: You don't have to rob a man when you can simply ask or work for what you need.
Faith as a grain of mustard seed
This is the one we must be most careful with. faith is the last and smallest piece here because God doesn't require a boatload of it.
++The reason we must be careful with it is because having faith in the right stuff can motivate you to do successfull things. However faith in the wrong stuff can cause you to miss all of the above. And in extreme cases it can cause you to dismiss common sense. A good example of this: Let's say you approach some muslim folk with scripture/testimony/prophecy grouped with common sense and show them a miracle that manifests the saving power of Christ (anything that would give them first hand witness to it). Will they leave their false doctrine? Maybe someone with weaker faith in that doctrine but what about grown folks raised muslim?
