2:20). “We often come across Christians who are bright and clever, and strong and righteous; in fact, a little too bright, and a little too clever—there seems so much of self in their strength, and their righteousness is severe and critical. 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. In other words, Calvary is as much the foundation of sanctification as of justification. I am quite late in start reading this one, but better then never. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works [dead formalism], and of the faith [by which you turned] to God” (Heb. Language: English . “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.” As for labor, it is true that there is a great deal of struggling and searching and pleading and agonizing in the process of discovering and understanding truths fitted to our needs. Thus we will continue because we know that He ever continues to work in and through us that which He began and finished on our behalf in our Lord Jesus Christ. 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.”. 2 Timothy 1:7-8 – “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. He has not changed, but you have. “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field… He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom” (Matt. “May we cease to confuse the words ‘my cross’ with ‘the cross.’ Sometimes believers in self-pity bemoan themselves, and say, ‘I have taken, or must take up my cross, and follow Jesus.’ Would that we would lose sight of our Cross in His cross, then His cross becomes our cross; His death, our death; His grave, our grave; His resurrection, our resurrection; His risen life, our newness of life.” No, taking up our cross does not mean the stoical bearing of some heavy burden, hardship, illness, distasteful situation or relationship. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest” (Heb. God’s means of delivering us from sin is not by making us stronger and stronger, but by making us weaker and weaker. By faith, the believer reckons (counts) himself ‘dead unto sin’ (Rom. It is designed to help you think about your own Christian growth and about areas of possible growth. %PDF-1.4 J.C. Metcalfe sees both the problem and the answer: “The modern teaching of consecration, which is tantamount to the consecration of the ‘old man,’ seeks to bypass the death sentence and, therefore, only leads to frustration and failure. Our satisfaction can only spring from and rest in His satisfaction. 12:1). Paul, with God’s “Not I, but Christ” (Gal. Paul writes to us, as he did to Timothy: “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. “Moses had all the wisdom of the Egyptians, yet his idea of delivering Israel was to slay an Egyptian! Probably the most drawn out and exhausting effort of all is the believer’s struggle to conquer and control this rebel self. Alexander R. Hay: “The believer has been united with Christ in His death. Spiritual Growth Assessment This is not an exam or a competition! Evan Hopkins writes: “Faith needs facts to rest upon. They are not for general publication. Then there may, and often does, come a phase of which inward conflict is the chief feature. Not when we serve Him with intermittent zeal does our own soul grow and thrive; not when we are indifferent are we watered from the presence of the Lord. Souls reason from what they are in themselves as to whether God can accept them. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (II Cor. Fruit ripens slowly; days of sunshine and days of storm each add their share. Your first instinct is to prepare yourself for a big battle and then pray to God to give you the victory in it. But since God is working for eternity, why should we be concerned about the time involved? Order for Church & Missionary, p. 310). b. I say—and say it deliberately—trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats, are the very food of faith.”, On this same subject James McConkey wrote: “Faith is dependence upon God. Our ‘reckoning’ ourselves dead to sin in Jesus Christ does not make it a fact—it is already a fact through our union with Him. 3 0 obj 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.”. And ye are complete in him” (Col. 2:9, 10). Here is the ultimatum, so now to the “how.”. Now that is the first rung in the ladder of faith. 198 x 132 mm. To taste of the grace of God is one thing; to be established in it and manifest it in character, habit, and regular life, is another. 2:20). It is necessary to remember a fundamental principle in the spiritual life: that God only reveals spiritual truths to meet spiritual needs. 6:11)—indeed unto sin.’ Some believe they are very weak. Gods will is for you to grow to maturity, living as a fully devoted, fully functioning, full court … 6:5). Principles of Spiritual Growth eBook, remember to click the web link under and save the file or gain access to additional information which might be in conjuction with The Green Letters: Principles of Spiritual Growth book. He seeks to struggle forward via the love motive; i.e., He did for me, so I must do for Him. 58:11). Numerical & Spiritual Growth of the Church Page 5 Lesson Two "Through Lifting up Christ""Through Lifting up Christ" (Numbers 21:1-9) The event in the above verses took place while Israel journeyed in the Wilderness in the land of Edom. The words as we understood Him are very important for all of us, especially those whose understanding of God or higher power may differ from the traditional Judeo-Christian concept of God. 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. Then, though we teach the same doctrine, speak the same words, the impact on others is very different, manifesting itself in an increasing depth of the Spirit’s work within them also” (Watchman Nee). Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Tim. 55:8, 9). His reason for this is simple: Self cannot and will not follow Him, but taking up one’s cross results in death to self and newness of life in Christ Jesus. “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isa. ‘According to your faith be it unto you.’ And, do not let us forget, faith begins by being a labor (Heb. “All the (identification) truths we have learned about the cross, of our death with Christ, our death to sin with Him, of our conformity to death like the grain of wheat falling into the ground to die, are preparatory to the overcoming life. 4:11). Prayer or Spiritual Warfare. Yes, for any experience which makes us more aware of our need of God must contribute to spiritual progress, unless we deny the Lord who bought us.”. Have we been afraid to really believe God? “For to me to live is Christ” (Phil. We must act on the fact that we are dead in reference to sin. It will comfort you much to be assured that the Lord is teaching you dependence upon Himself, and it is very remarkable that faith is necessary in everything. 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. “Many of us have probably known what it was to rejoice in the grace of God without having apprehended very much the true character of the flesh. Every believer is accepted by the Father, in Christ. 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. When, through our failures and struggles, He has taught us about the natural, we will be ready to learn of our spiritual Source. Study . Others are just as much occupied with bad self. But we know that Adam chose his own way in preference to God’s way, relying on himself only, loving just himself. Success comes via failure; life springs out of death and so on. We need to enter deeply into the truth that Christ the beloved Son of the Father could not enter to the glory of heaven until He had first given Himself over to death. 2:1). Now it is true that the new convert often begins and continues for some time at a fast rate. Death is his decreed portion. 6:6, Amplified). The Seed has been implanted—now the entire question is one of growth and maturity. Here is the crux of the matter. B. Stoney sets forth in a sentence: “The soul never imbibes the truth in living power but as it requires it.” As for our growth, needs cause us to reach out and appropriate by faith, from our Lord Jesus, that which we require. Not only is our life complete in Him but likewise the essential victory in all the many exigencies of that life. Since we are complete in our Lord Jesus, it will not do to try and add to that finished work. Once we know His eternal plan and purpose for us, plus His method of preparation and process to that end, there is rest and confidence. Spirit-applied Reckoning 9 5. 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. In most instances of appropriation there is a waiting period between the acceptance and the receiving—often of years. 1:4). We are to yield ourselves to God as those that are alive from the dead (v. 13). Miles J. Stanford (Author) 4.8 out of 5 stars 95 ratings. All growth is progressive, and the finer the organism, the longer the process. He intends that we should reach the place where we can speak, with or without manifest gifts, because we are the thing we say. As in justification, our acceptance is by grace alone. “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work” (II Thess. One person found this helpful. We will be able to rest in our Lord Jesus and say to our Father, “Thy will be done.” And our constant attitude of faith will be: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). For in Christian experience the spiritual things of God are less and less outward, that is, of gift, and more and more inward, of life. Like learning a new hobby, sport or activity, satisfaction and rewards increase with added knowledge and skill. He can honor no other. Let us take Him at His Word, and leave the fulfilment of it to Him.”. SPIRITUAL GROWTH PROGRESS SURVEY As a Christian, each one of us is on a spiritual journey. Of course, our blessed Lord died on the cross; but who else died there? 26:28). Therefore that portion of our lives that is not His living is not Christian living; and that portion of our service that is not His doing is not Christian service; for all such life and service have but a human and natural source, and Christian life and service have a supernatural and spiritual source.” Paul insisted, “For to me to live is Christ” (Phil. By little and little I will drive them out before thee, until thou be increased’ (Ex. Therefore it produces nothing. We have not to climb up; we are to be brought through in the train of His triumph. As we pursue church health, we'll most likely experience church growth … It is after we have been subdued, refined, and chastened; when love of self and the world is gone, that we learn to abide in touch with Him at all times, and in all places or surroundings” (MacIlravy). J. N. Darby was very clear on this: “When the Holy Spirit reasons with man, He does not reason from what man is for God, but from what God is to man. We are told to quietly and steadily look to our Father in confident trust and thankfully receive that which He has given to us in His Son. So we begin to take up our cross, our liberation, our personal finished work held in trust for us so long and patiently by the Holy Spirit. Worst of all, the coat begins to disintegrate and fall to pieces. We find out everyone else by first finding ourselves out. 5:19-21); the life in which there is no good thing in the sight of God (Rom. Along with the video or audio of the sermons, they are simply sermon presentation summary notes and are NOT FULLY EDITED. 6:4), eternal life. ‘Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him’ (Rom. This is why the identification truths must be carefully and thoroughly presented, ultimately understood and their reality entered into. 5) Therefore Scripture teaches us that the cross not only works out a disposition or desire to make such a sacrifice, but it really bestows the power to do so, and completes the work. ‘If only I were stronger,’ we say, ‘I could overcome my violent outbursts of temper,’ and so we plead with the Lord to strengthen us that we may exercise more self-control. Tozer). When the grain of corn is buried it dies, and that hard exterior surface softens and decays, in order to give nutriment to the young sprout, which would otherwise die and thus cause a crop failure. The tragedy of this sort of thing is that self is at home and thrives in the glow of it all and is rarely found out for what it really is. They have everything to make them saints, except … crucifixion, which would mold them into a supernatural tenderness and limitless charity for others. Although His original purpose is the same, He is not using the original man to bring it about. 6:5, 6). Graham Scroggie affirmed, “Spiritual renewal is a gradual process. 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. And for this the Lord Jesus clearly states that each must take up his cross. In the parable of the sower the seed sown “on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). Actually, we cannot trust anyone further than we know him. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. This best-seller goes to the basics of the Christian life -- the cross of Christ, faith, purpose, discipleship and more. I have just finished reading 'Principles of Spiritual Growth' for the third time. “Thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree” (Rom. William Culbertson: “Who died on the cross? It will be worthless until there has been a battle over it. 84:2 Spiritual Growth Plan Week 1 Benjamin Franklin said “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” How true that is. As you complete the assessment, avoid rushing. 4:11, 12). “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible” (I Pet. We are sometimes asked by would-be preachers how many days should be spent in preparation of a sermon. He puts us through some exercise, through some experience, takes us by some way which means our spiritual expansion, and exercise of spirituality so we occupy the larger place spontaneously. Marcus Rainford refused to stop short of God’s ultimate for freedom: “It is not to be a mere passing impression of the mind when we are undisturbed by active temptation; no mere happy frame of spirit when under temporary refreshing from the presence of the Lord; no self-flattering consciousness of a heart exercised in good works; from none of these is the believer to infer his practical mastery over sin, but on the ground that Christ died unto sin, and [he] liveth unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”. on Amazon.com. 2:20), was all right! F.J. Huegel: “If the great Luther, with his stirring message of justification by faith, had with Paul moved on from Romans 5 to Romans 6 with its amazing declarations concerning the now justified sinner’s position of identification with his crucified Lord, would not a stifled Protestantism be on higher ground today? 4:19). The power to do is not a permanent gift, but must be each moment received from the Holy Spirit. No believer ever fell into maturity, even though he is complete in Christ. Now, as long as the believer does not know this dual aspect of his salvation, the best he can do is seek to handle his sins via confession (I John 1:9)—that is, after the damage has been done! And we are not ourselves the first makers and farmers of our new holy nature, any more than of our original corruption, but both are formed ready for us to partake of them. 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. Unless the time factor is acknowledged from the heart, there is always danger of turning to the false enticement of a shortcut via the means of “experiences” and “blessings,” where one becomes pathetically enmeshed in the vortex of ever-changing feelings, adrift from the moorings of scriptural facts. /Height 155 Denying oneself certain things for a time, or even for all time, is not even close to the answer since the old nature will adjust and thrive under any conditions—anything short of death to self. 6. A disciple whose goal is to become like Christ in every aspect of our life. 5:9). THE CALL TO ARMS. Here begins the long cross-centered transition from “do” to “be.”. First, “alway delivered unto death”; then, “that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest” (II Cor. Fear not, dear friend; just hold firm to the fact of His purpose for you in Christ, and He will faithfully take you step by step into all the necessary preparation—He will do it. 2:12,13. This entails Bible-based fact-finding, explicit faith in Him and His purpose for us in Christ and patient trust while He takes us through the necessary processing involved. This applies to both growth and service. B. Stoney). His eye rests on the work accomplished by Christ for the believer. PRINCIPLES ON SPIRITUAL GIFTS Christ revealed Himself first in a human body, through which all His attributes were manifest (John 1:14). This is the condition of many Christians. Behold the Lord.”. In other words, scriptural words: “dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God” (Rom. From an infinite number of ways, He chooses the most effective for each individual’s transition. The question is—whether God has spoken it in His Word.”. Paul wrote that he would “pray with my spirit—by the Holy Spirit that is within me; but I will also pray intelligently—with my mind and understanding” (I Cor. We shall take our place on the resurrection side of the cross, and in so doing we leave behind the old self-life for the new Christ-life. This is crucial. “Stand therefore” (Eph. 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). More than that, you have gone there to learn it. How often the individual believer is maneuvered down front to consecrate and reconsecrate, surrender and resurrender, commit and recommit himself to Christ! Fromke). They forget that it is not a present experience that ensures fruit unto maturity, but a patient continuance in well doing. There is the all-important area of identification truth in Romans 6,7 that cannot be skipped over. “It is true that the intellect is stumbled by the cross; yet the antagonism to the cross is mainly moral, both in the sinner and in the saint, for its message is only welcomed by those who desire freedom from the bondage of their sins, and who hunger and thirst after the experiential righteousness of God.” Yes, the need must be intense, as Norman Douty says: “The Divine way (via the cross) for spiritual emancipation is just as offensive to the child of God as the Divine way for salvation is to the lost.”. 2:20). It treats the fallen creation (self-life) as capable of improvement, and the meaning of the cross bringing to death the old Adam race as fallen beyond repair, is thus nullified” (DeV. ‘Lord, I am faced with a situation that I cannot possibly meet. 1:21) and, “I can do all things through Christ” (4:13). 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