Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!1. GrowthEvery living thing grows. Our rate of growth may be different, but if we are born again, we will grow more like Christ in the fundamental virtues. “Fruit’ grows. Jesus said we will know true and false Christians “by their fruits” (Mt. 7:16) Every reference to judgment in the Bible is a judgment of works or fruit of a good and godly life.
1) Fruit- Gal. 5:22 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, etc.” We cannot make ourselves be loving, or humble, or disciplined. This means the Christian life is something God has to do. We can beat and shake a tree all we want to; but unless there are apples in its nature, we will get no apples.
2) Works- If we have an apple tree, however, to get good apples, we have to work. There are weeds and birds and bugs to fight. It is the same in the Christian life.
2. Effort
Some Christians teach an effortless growth. They say the Holy Spirit has to live the Christian life through us and all we do is “let go and let God” do it.
Peter says, however:
2 Peter 1: 4-7
” His divine power has given us everything we need (God’s part) for a life of godliness / Therefore do your very best ( employ every effort- Amplified; work hard-LB) (Our part) to add to your faith-virtue; to your virtue-knowledge- to your knowledge self control; to your self control- patience; to your patience-godliness; to your godliness; brotherly kindness; and to your kindness-love.”
God will not confess our sins for us; turn off the TV or the music and search our hearts for us; go to church for us; learn the Bible for us; or pray daily for us. “The tree that never had to fight / For sun and rain and room and light / Never became a forest king / But lived and died a scrubby thing.”
The Deception of Growth
Paul wrote, “I do not understand the things I do / I do not do what I want to do, but I do what I hate / What an unhappy man I am / Who will deliver me from this body of death.” (Rom. 7:15, 24).
The growing Christian may not believe he is growing. When Paul wrote Romans he was a dedicated Christian missionary (Acts 13-28). His words do not mean he had pornographic materials in his Bible or a girl friend on the side. It meant the closer he got to knowing Jesus, the more he realized how far short he was falling, in being like Him.
Paul’s Downward Growth
Early in his Christian life, Paul wrote, “I am the least of all the saints.” (Eph. 3:8) Later he wrote, “I’m not worthy to be called an Apostle.” (1 Cor. 15:9). Toward the end of his life, he wrote, “I am the chief of sinners.” (1Tim.1:15) Warren Wiersbie has a beautiful picture of a growing Christian,
“A growing Christian is one who sins less and less, and confesses more and more.”
Growing in grace
Scripture says,”Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 3:18) The more we grow in the Christian life, the more we see our selfishness and sinfulness and the more we realize God’s love is a pure “grace” gift we do not deserve. We don’t know how selfish we are until after we are converted. We come to Christ thinking how lucky He is to have us on His side.
The more we know who we really are, the more we know that our salvation is pure grace. The first birthmark of a true believer is humility and trusting in the cross. A true believer would no more believe he could enter into the presence of a holy God without Jesus, than believe he could lie down on the surface of the sun and live. From the Book, Salvation-Why Jesus Came, by Bob Marcaurelle.
