Having made a needful heart commitment to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior is a all important first step in the life of all "new creation" believers, but there is more, far more! "If any one be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new" 2 Cor. 5:17. The great loss is most simply stay permanently anchored to their new found hope at that early stage and are influenced by the old mans level of knowledge. In other words they have made His acquaintance and certainly He has fully taken them into eternity. But the believer often remains in his former world and is satisfied with being immature spiritually. He therefore maintains/remains in a internal mental actualization of his former self, due to a lack of knowledge of what has truly taken place in the all new creation. This is not what God wishes for His children and He has made that very clear! He prescribes our travels accordingly. "For all things are for your sake....that the abundant grace of God might through the thanksgiving of many will rebound to the glory of God" 2 Cor. 4:15.
Youth is really a great failure as all things get old. We have all seen the sorry state of those who try desperately to hold onto their youth. It is no different with spiritual growth. We might remember the first blush or pink cloud of our born again experience, I sure do. Oh how we wish to recreate it. I know I did, especially when I discovered I really was not so different within, even after seeing the light and gaining a eternal security in Christ. What a great disappointment!
The world does its best to exploit the needy youth syndrome we all seem to seek to fill the void. That should be very obvious. Its no different with the spiritual. The man made organized modern church is constantly working to exploit a fresh feeling via a new program, a sense of excitement to keep the youthful glow of attraction for the purpose, with good intent of course, to stimulate spiritual activity. But is that God's way? "Knowing this that the testing of your faith works patience" James 1:3.
If we focus in on our failing natural flesh features it can be quite depressing. On the other hand if we exploit the opportunity of maturity, even our very weakness, to grow in wisdom and knowledge in the spiritual we gain positive traction. But we need motivation for this! What is it that will push us forward? The Lord has said; "For we....worship God in spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and put NO confidence in the flesh" Phil, 3:33.
Perhaps the most paramount motivator then is first we must suffer in the flesh. We must leave it and this world behind for a new creation. Our Lord Jesus Christ should be our primary example of this truth; as a important catalyst for our growth in the spiritual life. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ....if indeed we suffer with Him, that we might be glorified together" Rom. 8:16,17. Certainly we need go no further than the Apostles martyrdom and the historical [and present] persecution of Christians to see suffering has evidently been allowed by God and our daily struggle with sin confirms this, and in fact is used for His Glory. We must assume all for His purposes.
So what is it we must suffer on too in this age to find the maturity God so wishes for us? Is it the loss of our spiritual excitement? Perhaps becoming stogy inward grouchy know it all self righteous old timers? That doesn't seem very appealing. Yet many have accepted the loss of the first glow, the dewy continence once so fresh, trading it in for traditions and a certain church programed comfort. But then if satisfaction with the status quo will not due what are we to replace it with? Certainly not a little positive stimulation, a few songs and then its back to business. No we must acquire a life made available within God's new creation embracing the oneness [Heb. two] we have with Him. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" Rom. 8:18.
A wise man once said; "we will always be the same tomorrow as we are today, except for the people we meet and the books we read". So by that measure then it is knowledge and change which we must seek, to be attracted to a new creation identification and aware new creation existence. But again we must be motivated. Suffering usually does that. In our case, for the spiritual new creation to grow, we must first morn the loss of our connection to the old creature, to our inner worldly identification and the world system. Only the acceptance of the death of the old will suffice for that. Also the attraction to youthful stimulation and dependence on the usual must be set aside; as it is often being mistaken for spiritual activity, even spiritual growth. "My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials" James 2:2.
The great tragedy for the believer is the loss of conscious connection to the Lord Jesus Christ in glory; the very position and identification we occupy in the Lords mind, His intention for us morally. The lack of which will leave us to ourselves with only our own self sufficiency or wordily desire and stimulation for comfort. A position which many have taken on in substitution for a lack of the knowledge of a true spiritual reality. Missing that which the Lord has given in grace for our conscious awareness to contain; His very life and identification, the oneness of sanctification us together with His Son in the glory of His presence. All to be contained in our mind in a trusting attitude of responsible faith based upon knowledge of His Word!
Nothing but a intelligent and growing knowledge in attraction to the new creation we have become in the Lord Jesus Christ will satisfy the suffering heart. A personal knowledge of just who and what we now are in Christ is our only alternative for holding a conscious awareness of His provided heavenly moral position. Without which we suffer not only conscious loss of that provision, given in grace, but are left to our own devises. The very mercy that has delivered our souls becomes a hindrance, unless the Lord Jesus Christ Himself be the only object of attraction! We are finite, the object is infinite; confidence grows in the apprehension of Him! "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves, but out sufficiency is of God" 2 Cor. 3:5
Youth is really a great failure as all things get old. We have all seen the sorry state of those who try desperately to hold onto their youth. It is no different with spiritual growth. We might remember the first blush or pink cloud of our born again experience, I sure do. Oh how we wish to recreate it. I know I did, especially when I discovered I really was not so different within, even after seeing the light and gaining a eternal security in Christ. What a great disappointment!
The world does its best to exploit the needy youth syndrome we all seem to seek to fill the void. That should be very obvious. Its no different with the spiritual. The man made organized modern church is constantly working to exploit a fresh feeling via a new program, a sense of excitement to keep the youthful glow of attraction for the purpose, with good intent of course, to stimulate spiritual activity. But is that God's way? "Knowing this that the testing of your faith works patience" James 1:3.
If we focus in on our failing natural flesh features it can be quite depressing. On the other hand if we exploit the opportunity of maturity, even our very weakness, to grow in wisdom and knowledge in the spiritual we gain positive traction. But we need motivation for this! What is it that will push us forward? The Lord has said; "For we....worship God in spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and put NO confidence in the flesh" Phil, 3:33.
Perhaps the most paramount motivator then is first we must suffer in the flesh. We must leave it and this world behind for a new creation. Our Lord Jesus Christ should be our primary example of this truth; as a important catalyst for our growth in the spiritual life. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ....if indeed we suffer with Him, that we might be glorified together" Rom. 8:16,17. Certainly we need go no further than the Apostles martyrdom and the historical [and present] persecution of Christians to see suffering has evidently been allowed by God and our daily struggle with sin confirms this, and in fact is used for His Glory. We must assume all for His purposes.
So what is it we must suffer on too in this age to find the maturity God so wishes for us? Is it the loss of our spiritual excitement? Perhaps becoming stogy inward grouchy know it all self righteous old timers? That doesn't seem very appealing. Yet many have accepted the loss of the first glow, the dewy continence once so fresh, trading it in for traditions and a certain church programed comfort. But then if satisfaction with the status quo will not due what are we to replace it with? Certainly not a little positive stimulation, a few songs and then its back to business. No we must acquire a life made available within God's new creation embracing the oneness [Heb. two] we have with Him. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" Rom. 8:18.
A wise man once said; "we will always be the same tomorrow as we are today, except for the people we meet and the books we read". So by that measure then it is knowledge and change which we must seek, to be attracted to a new creation identification and aware new creation existence. But again we must be motivated. Suffering usually does that. In our case, for the spiritual new creation to grow, we must first morn the loss of our connection to the old creature, to our inner worldly identification and the world system. Only the acceptance of the death of the old will suffice for that. Also the attraction to youthful stimulation and dependence on the usual must be set aside; as it is often being mistaken for spiritual activity, even spiritual growth. "My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials" James 2:2.
The great tragedy for the believer is the loss of conscious connection to the Lord Jesus Christ in glory; the very position and identification we occupy in the Lords mind, His intention for us morally. The lack of which will leave us to ourselves with only our own self sufficiency or wordily desire and stimulation for comfort. A position which many have taken on in substitution for a lack of the knowledge of a true spiritual reality. Missing that which the Lord has given in grace for our conscious awareness to contain; His very life and identification, the oneness of sanctification us together with His Son in the glory of His presence. All to be contained in our mind in a trusting attitude of responsible faith based upon knowledge of His Word!
Nothing but a intelligent and growing knowledge in attraction to the new creation we have become in the Lord Jesus Christ will satisfy the suffering heart. A personal knowledge of just who and what we now are in Christ is our only alternative for holding a conscious awareness of His provided heavenly moral position. Without which we suffer not only conscious loss of that provision, given in grace, but are left to our own devises. The very mercy that has delivered our souls becomes a hindrance, unless the Lord Jesus Christ Himself be the only object of attraction! We are finite, the object is infinite; confidence grows in the apprehension of Him! "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves, but out sufficiency is of God" 2 Cor. 3:5
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