Go on to Profession
Receiving Jesus as your Savior and Lord is the first step. Then we are to go on
to maturity. God “gave us apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers,
for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ. That we hereafter be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness
whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up
into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4;11-16).
Jesus told us “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them
now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all
truth, for He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall
He speak, and He will show you things to come” (John 16:12-13). The Holy Spirit
teaches us by the Word of God. Paul in I Corinthians 3:1-3 explains what babes
in Christ act like. In Hebrews 5:11-14 warns us not to be dull of hearing, needing
again the first principles of the oracles of God. Peter tells us to lay aside all
malice and all guile (I Peter 2:1-2). In II Peter 1:2-10 gives us step by step
guidance to grow and never fall. James 1:2-4 says “My brethren, count it all joy
when you fall into divers temptations. Knowing this that the trying of your faith
works patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect
and entire wanting nothing”. You can count it joy because you know what Jesus
is doing in your life. In II Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all
good works. We see that it is the scriptures that teaches us. We are told to study
to show ourselves approved, rightly dividing the word (II Timothy 2:15). Psalms
119:9-11 “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed
thereto according to Your word. With my whole heart have I sought You. O let
me not wander from Your commandments. Your word have I hid in my heart, that
I might not sin against you”.
Jesus told us that He would not leave us comfortless. The Holy Spirit was given to
us, in John 14:26 says “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to
your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you” again in Luke 12:12 it says
“For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say”. In I
John 2:27 tells us “But the anointing which you have received of Him abides in
you, and you need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing
teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you,
you shall abide in Him”.
We know it is God’s will for us to grow up, in Romans 8:29 “for whom He did
foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren”. God wants us to look like Jesus.
We are told in Galatians 3:29-4:3 “And if you be Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s
seed and heirs according to the promise. Now I say, that the heir, as long as he
is a child, differs nothing from a servant, thought he be lord of all. But is under
tutors and governors until the time appointed of the Father. As we grow up in
Christ, the promises are released to us.
Growing up in the Spirit doesn’t take 18 years as it does in the natural, but you
can find some 40 year old babes in Christ. Growing in the Spirit is growing in the
Word. Make the Bible the final authority in your life. So let’s do as Jesus did: He
prayed with confidence knowing the will of God (the word of God). Remember the
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man subject
to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it
rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. Jesus spoke
to the problem, instead of talking about it, He spoke to the wind and it was calm,
He spoke to the fig tree and it dried up from the roots. He knew what was written,
and spoke what He heard from the Father. Jesus defeated the devil in the
wilderness by quoting “it is written”, and then saying what contradicted what the
devil said.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: August 29, 2006