Growing In Christ

Scripture Reading

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Introduction

In 2005 the World Church accepted a new fundamental Growing In Christ, this became Fundamental 11:

The last paragraph states:

...We are also called to follow Christ’s example by compassionately ministering to the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of humanity. As we give ourselves in loving service to those around us and in witnessing to His salvation, His constant presence with us through the Spirit transforms every moment and every task into a spiritual experience.

It is interesting to note the purpose behind including this fundamental belief:

Ministry Magazine, June 2004

The proposed new fundamental belief has two main purposes. First, it explicitly addresses Christian growth in order to exclude eastern transcendental meditation as a spiritual exercise that is incompatible with the gospel of salvation through Christ. Second, it proclaims freedom through Christ from demonic powers to demonstrate that seeking help and guidance from them in our spiritual growth is not only unnecessary but totally incompatible with the work of Jesus on our behalf.

In other words those who became Christians, but felt that to enhance their experience required additional help such as adopting certain forms of Eastern meditation techniques as well as invoking spiritualism to gain spiritual powers.

The Challenge that many Christians face, is not knowing how to grow in Christ and in fact many have never experienced being a new creation in Christ. And one of the reasons why many haven't experienced being a new creation is the false belief that this happens instantly. This concept is not Biblical:

This is Paul speaking to the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 3:2–3 (NLT)

I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?

Paul associated the spiritual immaturity of the Corinthians with their living as those who are in the world. In essence growing in Christ is forsaking of sin and allowing Jesus to take over your life and process as one writer described it is the “process of a lifetime.”

The apostle Peter puts it this way:

1 Peter 2:2–3 (NLT)

Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

How Do We Grow?

To answer this question the majority of my material is drawn from the inspirational book Steps To Christ and the chapter Growing Up Into Christ. If you haven’t read this book you need to, It is still going strong after 130 years.

We grow in Christ:

by learning to breathe,

by learning to be dependant,

by learning to live by faith and

by learning to be hopeful.

Learning to Breathe

In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. SC 68.1

Note:

Share expreience when I was ill and couldn’t breathe.

Distinguish between shallow breathing and deep breathing

Point: there are some Christians who are content to have a shallow and superficial relationship with Jesus

Learning to be Dependent

Many have an idea that they must do some part of the work alone. They have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright. But every such effort must fail. Jesus says, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness,—all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly,—by abiding in Him,—that we are to grow in grace. SC 69.1

I believe this is the hardest lessons to learn, why?

Note:

The moment we are born we learning to be independent

Notice a child who’s learning to walk and the moment they’ve mastered it they don’t want to hold your hand anymore

We celebrate independence

Nobody likes to be dependent, but if we want to grow in Christ that’s what we have to do.

Matthew 18:3–4 (SHV)

Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who is dependent on me as this little child is dependent on their parents is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

We Learn to Live by Faith

By faith you became Christ's, and by faith you are to grow up in Him—by giving and taking. You are to give all,—your heart, your will, your service,—give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all,—Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper,—to give you power to obey. SC 69.2

When we live by faith we have power to obey. Amen

I’m going to ask a rhetorical but obvious question: how do we live by faith?

Consecration

Rest

Focus

Consecration

Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.” This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ. SC 70.1

Rest

Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. SC 70.2

Focus

So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love—this is the subject for the soul's contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness. SC 70.2...Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie—to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master SC 72.1

Learn to be Hopeful

three reasons to be hopeful:

Jesus is alive — When Christ ascended to heaven, the sense of His presence was still with His followers. It was a personal presence, full of love and light. Jesus, the Saviour, who had walked and talked and prayed with them, who had spoken hope and comfort to their hearts, had, while the message of peace was still upon His lips, been taken up from them into heaven.

Jesus is with you — John 14:17 (ESV) even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Their union with Him was closer than when He was personally with them. The light, and love, and power of the indwelling Christ shone out through them, so that men, beholding, “marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13. SC 74.1

Jesus prayed (for you) — John 17:20–21 (NKJV) “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Conclusion

Growing in Christ leads to true freedom from the power of sin, it’s the only way in which the gospel becomes the living gospel, where Christ in all his beauty will dwell in you as long as you:

Learn to breathe,

Learn to be dependant,

Learn to live by faith and

Learn to be hopeful.

From the book The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Smith she states:

To grow in grace is opposed to all self-dependence, to all self-effort, to all legality of every kind. It is to put

our growing, as well as everything else, into the hands of the Lord, and leave it with Him.

Everyday God the Father, through His Son, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit offers promise of making you into a new creation. And what He has begun in you, He will complete it.