Growth Growth Spurts

[netchaplain]

“Regeneration is a birth: the center and root of the personality, the spirit, has been re-created and taken possession of by the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:17). But time is required for that center to extend through all the circumference of our being. It is akin to a seed: the life of the Lord Jesus within must grow; and it would be against the laws of nature and grace alike if we expected from the babe in Christ the strength that can only be found in the young man, or the rich experience and stability of the fathers. Even where in the new convert there is great singleness of heart and faith, with true love and devotion to the Savior, time is needed for a deeper knowledge of the old man and sin, for a spiritual insight into what the Father’s will and grace are.†–AM

“The process of conformity to the Lord Jesus’ image is going on day by day in the growing believer’s life. It is a progression from obedience to obedience, from righteousness to righteousness, and from love to love (2 Cor 3:18). As the maturing one gets a larger vision of his perfect Pattern through the study of God’s Word, he takes higher ground along the line of that blessed revelation, so that his life is a progressive growing up into the Lord Jesus in all things†(Eph 4:15). –RP

“The more the believer abounds in the riches of the Father’s grace, the more unsearchable and inexhaustible he finds them to be. The spiritual man never stops growing, because he is always reaching upward to that still higher height that is jut beyond.†–RP

 

[Deborah13]

Good Day, Mr and Mrs Chaplain,

I very much appreciate your encouraging post. Actually, I wish I had read your post first this morning and I would have been in a much more gracious state of mind.

Your reference to Gal. 5:17 and 2 Corinth. 3:18, and being akin to a seed and how it grows or not. I hope you don't mind me sharing my thoughts and an recent experience.

A couple of months ago, my grandson was eating an apple and found a seed that had sprouted. It was about 1/4 of an inch long. We took it and wrapped in paper towel, made sure it was watered. It got bigger and even grew thin little roots. We put it in very good potting soil and kept it watered. But alas, it withered and died.
If one takes branches from other species of apple trees and does a good job of grafting them into a well established apple tree, they will grow and produce fruit. It takes awhile (a few seasons) for it to be large fruit or be very much of it. If one were to remove that branch from that tree it still could not grow or produce fruit on it's own. It has to have the nutrition that comes from the tree. Without it, it will be like that little seed that needed the nutrition from the apple to grow.
All our nutrition comes from that vine, Jesus, we can't grow or produce fruit without Him.

 

[netchaplain]

All our nutrition comes from that vine, Jesus, we can't grow or produce fruit without Him.

Hi Deb and thanks for the heart-shared reply and the encouragement form knowing your encouraged also! Discussing the fruit of the believer is always a significant issue and differentiating between bearing fruit and producing fruit is the instruction here--we are to remember that we do not produce fruit but rather bear it (display--John 15:8), and this aids us in knowing the "rest" (trust) we have in Christ to bring it forth, instead of us attempting it and wearing ourselves unnecessarily.

 

[Deborah13]

All our nutrition comes from that vine, Jesus, we can't grow or produce fruit without Him.

Hi Deb and thanks for the heart-shared reply and the encouragement form knowing your encouraged also! Discussing the fruit of the believer is always a significant issue and differentiating between bearing fruit and producing fruit is the instruction here--we are to remember that we do not produce fruit but rather bear it (display--John 15:8), and this aids us in knowing the "rest" (trust) we have in Christ to bring it forth, instead of us attempting it and wearing ourselves unnecessarily.

Yes, thank you for your correction. It is very important to use the correct terminology. A branch cannot produce fruit, only bear it.

 

[netchaplain]

All our nutrition comes from that vine, Jesus, we can't grow or produce fruit without Him.

Hi Deb and thanks for the heart-shared reply and the encouragement form knowing your encouraged also! Discussing the fruit of the believer is always a significant issue and differentiating between bearing fruit and producing fruit is the instruction here--we are to remember that we do not produce fruit but rather bear it (display--John 15:8), and this aids us in knowing the "rest" (trust) we have in Christ to bring it forth, instead of us attempting it and wearing ourselves unnecessarily.

Yes, thank you for your correction. It is very important to use the correct terminology. A branch cannot produce fruit, only bear it.

It wasn't intended as a correction as much as instruction. Thank you too Sis!

 

[netchaplain]

That was a good post.

I think 1 John is a good book to go to, to see if we are doing it. John speaks very much about this issue and there are ways to test ourself to see if we are indeed in the Spirit and growing. One of the ways I think is to look at ourselves not only to see our new relationship with Christ, but (wait for it...) but if we have a new relationship with sin. Is one now conscious of their sins? Abhor them? Sensitive to the temptations? If no, then we have a lot of praying to do.

Now we all have sin regardless, myself included. But I have noticed that, now that I walk with the Lord, that I am more sensitive to my sins and recognizing them as they crop up. What used to be no big deal to me, (little white lies and so forth) now bring enough guilt and conviction to ruin my day. It is not a fruit, (or is it?) to have the changing attitudes towards sin and some serious conviction over the littlest things.

That's not bad insight and is in the flagship area! The flagship of our sin is not necessarily sin itself but the source or producer of sin--the old nature, meaning everything it comes up with in our minds is already blood-covered and accounted for (Rom 6:6; 8:3), so we can be free to disregard its condemnation and rule (Rom 6:12, 14) and as you've hinted, expect all this to recur until death does it part--all for Christ's sake (Phil 1:29).