SPIRITUAL GROWTH 1
8 THEREFORE He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”
11 AND HE HIMSELF GAVE some to be APOSTLES, some PROPHET'S, some EVANGELISTS, AND some PASTORS AND TEACHERS,
12 FOR THE EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY, FOR THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST,
13 TILL we all come to the UNITY of the FAITH and of the KNOWLEDGE of the SON OF GOD, TO A PERFECT [mature] MAN, TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST;
14 THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE CHILDREN, TOSSED TO AND FRO AND CARRIED ABOUT WITH EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE, BY THE TRICKERY OF MEN, IN THE CUNNING CRAFTINESS OF DECEITFUL PLOTTING,
15 BUT, SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, MAY GROW UP IN ALL THINGS INTO HIM WHO IS THE HEAD—CHRIST."
Ephesians 4:8,11-15 (NKJV)
• To be perfect in the Scriptural term means to be matured. To arrive at spiritual manhood, or become a man or an adult spiritually—a spiritual person.
- The stages of spiritual development correspond or parallel with the stages of physical development. We would like to consider Three stages of spiritual growth or development in this teaching: babyhood, childhood, and adulthood.
I. Babyhood (1 Peter 2:2).
"FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN, UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6 NKJV).
The above mentioned Scripture is one of the messianic Scriptures found in the old testament. It was about Jesus Christ. He was first of all born a child before He became a Son.
The first Adam was created a Man, an adult, but he did miss it (1 Corinthians 15:45). He disappointed God!
Now, when the last Adam was to be sent, He had to come like a baby, and He grew up to become a Son, an adult:
39 SO WHEN THEY [Joseph and Mary] had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 AND THE CHILD GREW AND BECAME STRONG IN SPIRIT, FILLED WITH WISDOM; AND THE GRACE OF GOD WAS UPON HIM. 51 THEN HE [Jesus, as a child] WENT DOWN WITH THEM [Joseph and Mary, His earthly parents] AND CAME TO NAZARETH, AND WAS SUBJECT TO THEM, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 AND JESUS INCREASED IN WISDOM AND STATURE, AND IN FAVOUR WITH GOD AND MEN" (Luke 2:39,40,51,52).So, Jesus the Son of God, the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, was born a child and grew up to become a Son. He was first a child before He became a Son!
Whoever comes to Christ, accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour, was born as a child into the family of God.
Such a person would grow as they get or receive the sincere or pure milk of the Word of God: "AS NEWBORN BABES, DESIRE THE PURE MILK OF THE WORD, THAT YOU MAY GROW THEREBY (1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV).
1 AND I, BRETHREN, COULD NOT SPEAK TO YOU AS TO SPIRITUAL PEOPLE BUT AS TO CARNAL, AS TO BABES IN CHRIST.
2 I FED YOU WITH MILK AND NOT WITH SOLID FOOD; FOR UNTIL NOW YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE IT, AND EVEN NOW YOU ARE STILL NOT ABLE."
1 Corinthians 3:1,2 (NKJV)
- Those who are older, who have been in the family before the arrival of the baby are responsible for the growth of the new born baby.
🟪• The characteristics of a new born baby:
- Innocence
"THEREFORE IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Saviour], HE IS A NEW CREATURE [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; THE OLD THINGS [the previous moral and spiritual condition] HAVE PASSED AWAY. BEHOLD, NEW THINGS HAVE COME [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]" (2 Corinthians:17 Amps).
- Babies had no past.
THROUGH the new birth, your past is wiped away, you become a new person before God. Thus, you may be ignorant of any number of things in the new found faith.
- Ignorance. This is the second characteristic of a new baby, a type of a new Believer.
- Babies put whatever they see in their mouths because they are ignorant.
THE New Believer who is aspiring to grow up might not be able to differentiate what to be put in his or her mouth, what to eat, and what not to put in their mouth, what not to eat. - A Baby would always need the care and the attention of the adults, to watch and guide, and see to it that the baby does not put any poisonous thing in his or her mouth.
- A Baby who is immature, who could not discern, would not be able to differentiate a poisonous thing from the real food. Thus, babies needed help that they may not be poisoned and be lost.
- In most cases, Poison would not look like a poison, that is, It would not appear poisonous, and it might be mixed with food to make it attractive or desiring.
ANY immature Believer, a baby Christian, could ignorantly take a poison, Thus, care should be taken.
SOME who are babies, the immature ones, had ignorantly taken poison in a quest for knowledge:
"DO NOT BE CARRIED ABOUT WITH VARIOUS AND STRANGE DOCTRINES. FOR IT IS GOOD THAT THE HEART BE ESTABLISHED BY GRACE, NOT WITH FOODS WHICH HAVE NOT PROFITED THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED WITH THEM" (Hebrews 13:9).
READ: Romans 16:18; 1 Corinthians 14:20; 2 Timothy 2:18
- Irritability or irritableness. It also means pettishness or impatience—quick excitability to annoyance, impatience, or anger.
- Babies are known for irritating habits. They do things that could be annoying. They often have temper tantrums.
THIS characteristic is found in whoever is a baby Christian. - Because a baby has to grow, such has to be weaned from taking milk and begins to take solid food. If a child is properly weaned, such has to turn their faces from the bottles.
GOD expects those who are babies in the faith to grow and turn from the bottles and start to eat solid food (Hebrews 5:12-14).
• Milk is not enough for strength, solid food is required as the baby Grows:
13 FOR SOMEONE WHO LIVES ON MILK IS STILL AN INFANT AND DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
14 SOLID FOOD IS FOR THOSE WHO ARE MATURE, WHO THROUGH TRAINING HAVE THE SKILL TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG" (Hebrews 5:13,14 (NLT).
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
- If there is any ailment in your body as you read this piece, I declare your healing now in Jesus' name.
- The Affliction will never rise again in Jesus' mighty name.
Peace!
TO BE CONTINUED
STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).
- If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!