Some more questions
- Since you became a follower of Christ, what has been your attitude toward growth in your new life?
- If you wanted to grow, what was your concept of spiritual growth and how you grow in your spiritual life? Each one will answer according to your faith. Technically and theologically correct, but totally unhelpful in bringing about a change in you, We want more than knowledge of biblical and theological doctrines. We want to experience God. What I want is for your faith to be real. Only Word – dry up, Only Spirit – blow up Word of God with a relationship with God Easy to memorize the Bible. A relationship requires due diligence. Declaration Dear Heavenly Father, please give me a revelation of the power of the Gospel today. From this day forward, may Your grace be the foundation of my daily relationship with You. I declare that I will be free from guilt, condemnation, and a performance mentality. I declare that I abide in faith, abound in hope, I keep myself in the love of God. I will overcome all trials, I will persevere, and develop Christ-like character by His power. Open my heart to see the hope of my calling, to know the inheritance that I have in the saints, and to understand the depth of Your power at work in my life. Release upon me a Spirit of wisdom, revelation, and enlightenment today. Lead me into an encounter with You that forever changes me and deepens my love for Jesus. Illuminate the truth of Your Word as You prepare my heart to receive it. Amen. Beating Thin Air All too often, sincere believers find themselves trying the usual Christian practices—reading the Bible, attending church, praying—with little, if any, success. Disappointed and defeated, we wonder why nothing is really different? The same fears and anxieties are with us. Our attitudes and actions toward things don’t seem to be any different. John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. What do I have to do to experience more of this new life? How does it all work? Peter Pan Peter Pan: The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up-a fictional character-J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy in Neverland who never grows up. “No one is going to catch me and make me a man” At the ending of the story, Wendy, his companion says to him, “I grew up long ago.” Peter protested, “You promised not to!” To which she retorted, “I couldn’t help it.” Peter Pan is associated with escapism. Growing up Growing up is a fundamental part of our life. Life is either a constant progression or regression. We see and feel change in our bodies, but in the inner person, change is often subtle, giving an illusion that we’re somehow standing still. But we are changing even when we are not aware of it. Change simply happens. When it comes to the life of the person who believes in Jesus Christ, that change should be upward. No standing still with the Lord, always moving. In the same way that we are born physically to grow to maturity, we are born again spiritually to grow to maturity. We are not born again just so we can be in heaven someday, but we are born from above by the Spirit of God to actually live a brand-new life in Christ now. We need life that grows spiritually. It is only when we live with Christ that life becomes really worthy of living, and that we begin to live at all in the real sense of the word. It starts with a relationship with God. John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. You, the true God, the revealed Word Jesus the Christ reconciled us to the true God and gave us the Holy Spirit to have a relationship with our Father in Heaven. We want to experience God, our Father in Heaven. We want to know how this new life operates. We want to know how they can grow in this new life. Still Exodus 14:13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! God used these moments to calm our hearts and cause us to rest in what He was doing in our life. Sometimes God calls us to stand still and watch Him work when we have the fear of the Lord. That is in the Old Testament Go In the New Testament, we are called to “Go” Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! Going means evangelizing. Overcome “what about me” syndrome. Overcome our selfishness in giving to God what is His. He gives us the power to make wealth. What is Love? Psalm 145:16–18 16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. 18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. Matthew 11:28–30 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The core definition of love is embedded in Jesus’ invitation here he’s extending his arms to us when he says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” At the core of Jesus’ heart is a passionate determination to give those he loves a kind of rest that allows us to fully relax. If you have experienced unadulterated unconditional love from someone in your life, o you know the kind of “rest” Jesus is talking about: o fully accepted, fully enjoyed, and fully seen for who we are. Perfect love brings perfect rest, because we have nothing to fear and nothing to strive for. Summary Growing up is a fundamental part of our life. Change simply happens. Life is either a constant progression or regression. We need to grow spiritually We want more than knowledge of biblical and theological doctrines. We want to experience God. It starts with a relationship with the true God. Easy to memorize the Bible. A relationship requires due diligence. Axe That is your job and the job of the Holy Spirit Galatians 3:13–14 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Acts 5:32 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”