Spiritual growth 1

Spiritual Growth1
Growth is a sign of Life. It’s the proof of success in
investment.
It’s the joy of the parent.
The trophy of hard work.
The Crown of all efforts. Our parents experience much
pleasure when we grow up as kids. Growth is not an increase
in years. Time is such increase. It does not mean there is any
growth.
Spiritual growth ought to be the pursuit of every believer.
It’s the proof of discipleship. It is not a right and privilege in
Christ. It is no inheritance in Him.
It is rather how much we have taken advantage of the same.
The Epistles place premium on growth.
The Old Testament foretells and foreshadows salvation.
The four gospels speak of getting saved.
The Epistles focus on growing up spiritually.
Oftentimes preachers keep preaching salvation to believers
who aren't growing spiritually.
They think another altar call will solve the debacle.
They see the believer act like a non-Christian.
They doubt his salvation. Though our doubt is of no effect on
the finished work.
At times we preachers feel probably he was "once saved" but
now "unsaved".
We have created a loss of salvation and stripped the
intercessor, guarantor and saviour of the believer of His role.
No person guarantees his salvation.
Christ guarantees His Work. You can’t keep what you didn't
earn. It’s not in our hands to "keep saved”.
To help the non-growing/ sinning Christian, we must start with
teaching him where his salvation came from and the
assurance/ guarantee of the same.
Our understanding and simple agreement with the following
scriptures will help:
Ephesians 2: 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should
walk in them.
The Believer is saved not of performance.
This is present tense, not a past action.
Titus 3: 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our
Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our
Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life.
Hebrews 7: 22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a
better testament.
Jesus is the Guarantor of the New covenant. Unlike the Old
which their conduct was to certify, Jesus is the key here!
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them.
The word uttermost means FOREVER. So if you aren't saved
forever, be rest assured that Jesus didn't save you.
Jude 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory
with exceeding joy.
He does the 'KEEPING FROM FALLING'.
Thank God He does it perfectly!
Romans 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's
elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to
come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love for us in Christ.
He intercedes and stands surety of our salvation even when
we fall short.
1 John 2: 1 My little children, these things write I unto you,
that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world.
Same truth- He is our 'case' Before the Father! We always have
a well-argued case FOR us before judgment!
1 Thessalonians 5: 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be
preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
The word "I pray" is in italics. It’s a dangerous addition. You
don't pray for sanctification. It is God’s work. Paul was
affirming the faithfulness of God here. He will keep us wholly
and Holy, safely. He will do it. He is faithful.
John 5: 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my
word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life.
This is apt. The believer will NOT come to judgment!
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no
man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
In simple terms, this is ETERNAL SECURITY. Every believer
should know his salvation isn't in his hands but in Christ's, in
the Father.
Jesus gives an absolute status here. No one (man there is
italicized), Satan inclusive is able to "free us" from salvation!
So every believer must start with this fact.
He mustn't be compared with judas ,Saul or the likes .
These characters were not saved.Jesus' intercessory work
hadn't been accomplished .
It will take shedding of blood .
When this was done,we became sons.
Believers are new creations in Him(2 Corinthians 5:17).
We are not mere members of a group.
We are Family with Deity.
Saved and engrafted into Christ!
Hence he will know spiritual growth isn’t an attempt to keep
salvation. It’s also not the often aimless pursuit of making
heaven!
Just like every concept of growth, it is the pursuit of
development, to enjoy the benefits of salvation, to walk in the
Light of what Christ has done.
Hence ALL commentaries of growth in the Epistles are toward
knowledge!
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the
word, that ye may grow thereby:
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and
for ever. Amen.
All of Paul’s prayers from the Epistles to the Ephesians,
Colossians, Philippians, Philemon were prayers for insights
into Christ "Done work".
Blessed? Say Christ is the assurance of my salvation. I choose
to grow spiritually not as an attempt to justify myself but rather
to walk in the benefits of salvation!