The Spirit is as necessary to the understanding of the Word as the Word is the necessary material for the Spirit to use. Yet I am sure that one really finds the truth not as a student, but as a believer. God is dealing with the heart and conscience. We cannot separate growth in the truth from the spiritual state of the soul: If we essay it, we may appear to get on very fast in mastering the Bible, but it is to be feared that the next step will be a fall. [37]