God's Word and Growth
God’s word and Growth Jer. 15:16 9/3/06
Most of us know someone who hasn’t matured as they should. Maybe they’re 20 years old with the mind of a 5 year old. Their bodies grow but their minds don’t. We say there is something wrong with them.
Almost as disheartening is Christians who don’t grow.
John MacArthur- my spiritual growth is directly proportionate to the amount of time and effort I put in scripture.
When believers aren’t growing it is usually traced to lack of time in scripture. Spiritually speaking many Christians are living on Col, French Fries and Candy.
I. Eating Right and Growing Spiritually
A. 1 Peter 1:23-2:3-
B. Heb. 4:12- the living word causes us to grow. Just as the word is described as milk it can also be described as meat. As our bodies need milk there comes a time when meat isn’t good enough and we need meat.
a. 1 Tim. 4:6-
b. 1 Cor. 3:1,2-
II. Things we Need to Put Aside
A. 1 Peter 2:1-
1. Laying aside – to strip off your clothes
2. Heb. 12:1- strip off every weight
B. What are we to lay aside
1. Malice – many today like to play church and keep worldly practices and values
a. We need to look inside and remove the worldly remnants
2. Deceit – at the root of deceit is impure motives. Deceit always costs you in the long run.
3. Hypocrisy- acting like something we’re really not. This is a natural growth of deceit.
a. Hypocrisy happens when we’re not real with others.
4 Envy- self-centeredness. Envy is usually the last thing that dies as a Christian grows.
a. James 3:14-16-
5. Slander – this may be the most attractive sin for Christians.
III. Food on God’s Word
A. Rom. 12:2a – the old cravings are still there. They will come to the top if we allow them to.
B. The flesh keeps us going back to junk food and keeps us from being fully transformed.
a. 2 Cor. 3:14-18-
1. Many Jews of Paul’s day didn’t know Christ because they couldn’t get past he law. Their minds were veiled
2. Jim Berg - believers have an open or unveiled face in that the blinders have been removed. They can understand what the spirit wants them to understand. As we understand we go thru change.
3. The reason? There was a “spiritual veil” over their minds and hearts. Their “spiritual eyes” were blinded, so that when they read the Old Testament Scriptures, they did not see the truth about their own Messiah. Even though the Scriptures were read systematically in the synagogues, the Jewish people did not grasp the spiritual message God had given to them. They were blinded by their own religion.
Is there any hope for the lost Children of Israel? Yes, there is! “Nevertheless, when it [the heart] shall turn to the Lord [by trusting Jesus Christ], the veil shall be taken away”. People don’t get saved today because Satan has placed on them blinders (2 Cor. 4:4).
4. Warren Wiersbe- When we meditate on God’s Word and in it see God’s Son, then the Spirit transforms us! We become more like the Lord Jesus Christ as we grow “from glory to glory”. The glory of God’s grace continues to increase in our lives. Keep in mind that Paul was contrasting, not only the Old Covenant with the New, but also the Old Covenant ministry with the ministry of grace. The goal of Old Covenant ministry is obedience to an external standard, but this obedience cannot change human character. The goal of New Covenant ministry is likeness to Jesus Christ. Law can bring us to Christ (Gal. 3:24), but only grace can make us like Christ. John MacArthur- Then Paul gave the reason that the Israelites did not look intently so as to comprehend the veiled and fading glory of the old covenant. It was not Moses’ fault, or the fault of the old covenant, but because their minds were hardened. Hardened is a form of the verb pōroō, which could also be translated “stubborn.” Israel failed to grasp the glory of the old covenant because of stubborn, hard-hearted unbelief. This is the reason we don’t grow.
D. How do we grow?
1. Spending more time in the Bible
2. Use Bible helps
a. Commentaries
b. Bible Dictionaries
c. Study Bibles
e. Treasure of Scripture Knowledge