There we see what God has done, not with our sins—that question the Apostle dealt with in the preceding chapters—but with ourselves, the agents and slaves of sin. The period of rapid growth, when woody fibre is actually deposited between the bark and the trunk, occupies but four to six weeks in May, June and July.”. Alas! And even if that were possible, He could never accept it, since in that realm there dwells no good thing (Rom. One of the most important factors in Christian growth is the Holy Spirit’s revelation of the self-life to the believer. PRINCIPLES ON SPIRITUAL GIFTS Christ revealed Himself first in a human body, through which all His attributes were manifest (John 1:14). But when they are stumbling and everything seems dry and hard, then they feel that He does not love and accept them. To some men constant peril is the only spur to action, and many religions and psychologies are dependent on fear to keep their disciples in line. Start your review of the principles of spiritual growth Of the Old Book, but one of the best (1st in the series) book dealing with how conversion happens, just like getting saved going! And only then do we find that we have learned the lesson of faith; to find our tiny craft of life rushing onward to a blessed victory of life and power and service undreamt of in the days of fleshly strength and self-reliance.”. It is a faith which sees myself identified with Christ in His death and resurrection.”. The same movement from self- centredness to self-transcendence is the criterion of growth in developmental psychology. Thus shall we truly work with the Holy Spirit, and thus shall we have more, and much more abiding fruit of our labors among the people of God.”. Another failure has been the practice of holding special meetings once or twice a year. Talk about your trust funds! They are not for general publication. Each of us must be thoroughly cultivated before He can effectively cultivate others through us. Then it can be, if necessary, “disallowed [rejected] indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious” (I Pet. And, sad to say, in most instances when there is real heart hunger, very little spiritual food is offered. This appears with wonderful clarity in Galatians. TJZY4SJACBBY \\ PDF « The Green Letters: Principles of Spiritual Growth (Paperback) The Green Letters: Principles of Spiritual Growth (Paperback) Filesize: 5.26 MB Reviews This book is great. And it is necessary for Him to engineer our exchange from carnal kernel Christians to fruitful fellowshipping disciples. 12:2), and He leads us step by step. “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Let us cease laying down to the saints long lists of ‘conditions’ of entering into the blessed life in Christ; and instead, as the primal preparation for leading them into the experience of this life, show them what their position, possessions, and privileges in Christ already are. 2:19). “The atonement of the cross and the fellowship of the cross must be equally preached as the condition of true discipleship.” “Christ is the answer, but the cross is needed to clear the way for Him.”. “Sometimes this self is entirely bad, as when it is angry, spiteful, unkind, unjust, untruthful, unloving, catty. Patiently, persistently and painfully our Father digs down into the recesses of self, more and more fully revealing to us just what we are, and are not, in ourselves. Since true faith is anchored on scriptural facts, we are certainly not to be influenced by impressions. Day by day during my devotional time I read at least one section and found the book to contain one of the most practical approaches to the various areas of my spiritual life that I have ever read. He is our file leader (see Heb. Many, especially those who are young in the Lord, have been victimized time and time again in this matter of surrender, or commitment. Power! Is it, Reckon yourself to be dying? Norman Douty writes: “If I am to be like Him, then God in His grace must do it, and the sooner I come to recognize it the sooner I will be delivered from another form of bondage. Adolph Saphir wrote: “The narrow path, commencing with the cross—‘Ye have died with Christ’—ending with the glory of the Lord Jesus, is the path on which the Lord draws near and walks with His disciples.‘, “’Christ liveth in me.’ The Lord within lives as the sole source of life. Yes, God’s children need power, but God does not give power to the old creation, nor to the uncrucified soul. The necessity for such judgments and the sublime revelation that these judgments are now fully accomplished for us is unfolded in Romans 6:1-10. “God works to will, and He is ready to work to do (Phil. The Need for Spiritual Growth … It is from the inner circle, the hive, the heart where Christ reigns, the only green spot, the fond enclosure—the sanctuary, that one should come forth to work. “As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man” (Prov. The great pity of it all is that we are saying, ‘O God bless us, bless us in this, bless us in that!’ and it is all done. So many dear Christians just keep plodding (or racing) through the deadening routine of their multitudinous church activities and duties, expecting that in time self will change for the better as they grow. ‘Now where remission of [sin] is, there is no more offering for sin’ (Heb. endobj growth principles will be applied to the task of developing a missional church. This involves outside leadership (a stranger to the individual problems) and the devastating revival routine (confession, new resolutions, etc. You have taken a position—yes but you have not really got it yet, the real value of it has not been proved. Here we will focus on the spiritual principles behind the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, Steps 1 through 6. (Spiritual Growth … You might find many different types of e-guide and other literatures from your documents database. It is what He did there that counts, and what He did becomes a force in the life of a Christian when it is appropriated by faith. So it is invaluable to read and understand the biblical teachings regarding prayer. It is a matter not so much of that from which we are saved as of that unto which we are saved” (T. Austin-Sparks). Our consecration, surrender or commitment will never hold up if it is our responding to Him from any other motivation than the response of His life in us. This is service: “And there were certain Greeks … saying, Sir, we would see Jesus” (John 12:20, 21). We think we shall not go far wrong if we say that this has been the experience of almost every believer that has ever lived” (P. B. It may be very much of a Romans seven experience. Paul called on believers to first “examine yourselves, whether ye be in faith.” … endobj Forced advance really gives the enemy his opportunity to mislead, for those who try to rush on at the push of others cannot stand alone, nor bear the tests of their assumed positions” (J. Penn-Lewis). We may go on in that way for awhile, but is it not true that, from the time when He begins in us His work of formation through discipline and chastening, it growingly dawns on us how little in fact we knew of the true meaning of what we had been saying and doing? The "Principles of Spiritual Growth" ebook goes to the basics of the Christian life -- the cross of Christ, faith, purpose, discipleship and more. J.C. Metcalfe gives this same fact an added witness: “Many a young Christian, who has not been warned of this necessary voyage of discovery upon which the Holy Spirit will certainly embark him (Rom. For some years now the scene has been dominated by a conversion known as “commitment,” which often, sad to say, amounts to little more than a spiritual miscarriage. As a result he immediately became self-centered instead of God-centered; dead to God who is the source of all life, dead in trespasses and sins. First, Romans 6:3—“Baptized into his death”; then, Romans 6:4—“Buried with him”; then, Romans 6:5—“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Also, Colossians 3:3: “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God”; therefore, Romans 6:11: “Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”. His goal is to see Christ inwrought in believers. I can now appreciate the depth of Paul's spiritual … This deep burden of self and hunger to be like Him cause the function of the cross—crucifixion—to become attractive. It will help new believers build their lives on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. >> Today is the day to put our hand to the plow and to irrevocably set our heart on His goal for us—that we “may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (v. 10). Youth and immaturity tend to act first and think later, if at all. This best-seller goes to the basics of the Christian life -- the cross of Christ, faith, purpose, discipleship and more. Yes, there is going to be deep, thorough and long preparation if there is to be reality—if our life is to be Christ-centered, our walk controlled by the Holy Spirit and our service glorifying to God. Now just what is God’s way of self-denial? Evan H. Hopkins: “The trouble of the believer who knows Christ as his justification is not sin as to its guilt, but sin as to its ruling power. God has a natural law in force to the effect that we are conformed to that on which we center our interest and love. “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible” (I Pet. 1:21). It was a supply which was always available, but only appreciated and appropriated as and when the Apostle came to know his need. While sonship is inherent in birth, in the New Testament sense sonship is the realization of the possibilities of birth. “To me to live is Christ” (Phil. C. The key to growing numerically, that is, to increase in number the members of The Congregation, is for each Christian to grow spiritually. It is the man who lacks the yearning to know Him that will easily be turned aside. Spiritual growth necessitates heart-hunger for the Lord Jesus, determination, based on assurance, to have that which is ours in Him, plus meditation and thought. 3Craig Van Gelder, ed., Confident Witness―Changing World (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), 1. No believer ever fell into maturity, even though he is complete in Christ. They think because they have the will it is enough, and that now they are able to do. One of the main reasons why so much evangelistic effort and personal witnessing comes to little or nothing is that truths are forced on the “victim” to be saved before he is aware that he is lost. James R. McConkey: “Because He died ‘death hath no more dominion over Him,’ and because of our union with Him ‘sin shall not have dominion over you,’ even though it is present in you. We so easily forget the many years it took, and by what wandering wilderness ways our Lord had to traverse with us in order to bring us over Jordan and into Canaan. ‘In our private prayers and in our public services,’ Dr. A. W. Tozer writes, “we are forever asking God to do things that He either has already done or cannot do because of our unbelief. He seeks to struggle forward via the love motive; i.e., He did for me, so I must do for Him. Others are just as much occupied with bad self. Of course, our blessed Lord died on the cross; but who else died there? Such a man also has a first-hand knowledge of the loving care of the Chief Shepherd, and His ability to heal one who has come humbly to trust in Him and Him alone. 7), has been plunged into almost incurable despair at the sight of the sinfulness which is his by nature He has in the first place rejoiced greatly in the forgiveness of his sins, and his acceptance by God; but sooner or later he begins to realize that all is not well, and that he has failed and fallen from the high standard which he set himself to reach in the first flush of his conversion. In other cases a good exterior conceals an evil heart, as when we are proud of our humility, conceited about our Christian service, boastful of our orthodoxy. It might be good to stress several points just here. We are thankful for permission from the author to publish this book for the benefit of a larger group of friends. What was an incomprehensible jumble of sounds without, has become an ordered language within the mind. For it is not scriptural to believe that the old Adam nature can be conquered in that manner. The soul has to go on until it finds there is nothing to rest on but the abstract goodness of God; and then, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom. “Praying for others can only flow from a heart at rest about itself, and knowing the value of the desires which it expresses for another. God can accept absolutely nothing from the old—He sees and acknowledges only that which is centered in His Son, who is our life. As this clearly exemplifies, “he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isa. Just be occupied with Him. 4:11). This is the steadying influence most believers are in need of today. When all is going well and God seems to be blessing, then it is that they feel He loves and accepts them. We will be freed when we enter His prepared freedom—there is no other. 2:4). Listen for God’s voice to encourage and challenge you. You have been in the arena, you have been endeavoring, you are a failure, come out and sit down, and as you sit there behold Him, look at Him. Spiritual Leadership 14 carefully Jesus’ question: “Can you drink the cup I drink or be bap-tized with the baptism I am baptized with?” (Mark 10:38b). There is nothing about us to commend us to God, our acceptance being in Christ, plus the fact that most of our true spiritual development comes through the dry and hard times. He is working everything together for this one purpose: “That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (II Cor. I must realize that now my life is hid with Christ in God; that He is my life” (Ian Thomas). Yes, it is actually enjoy, continue to an interesting and amazing literature. Sadly today, most believers actually reason just the opposite—from themselves to God. There is no victory for us which was not first His. It’s been on my mind all day.’ ‘Madam,’ confessed Disraeli, ‘that extemporaneous talk has been on my mind for twenty years!’”. And in the matter of service, in witnessing and helping others, we must watch and wait for the hungry, the needy heart, if there is to be abiding fruit. Here begins the long cross-centered transition from “do” to “be.”. William R. Newell: “To those who refuse or neglect to reckon themselves dead to sin as God commands, we press the question, How are you able to believe that Christ really bare the guilt of your sins and that you will not meet them at the judgment day? As the first … 6:1). 2:20). And here is how we take up and bear our cross: Finally prepared by our needs, aware that our bondage was broken in Christ on Calvary, we definitely begin to rely on that finished work—we appropriate. 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