Title: Faith that continues to grow
Contents
Faith that continues to grow
<Ephesians 4:11-16>
Today is Children's Day.
Here are some of the greatest strengths children have. Do you know what it is?
That is, children have tremendous growth potential.
The current state of the children is very insignificant.
He knows little, lacks wisdom, and lacks strength. There is very little you can do on your own. Most of them are dependent on their parents to live. Nevertheless, the future is not sure how it will change.
In other words, some ordinary-looking child can grow up to be the president of this country, a minister, or a general. Or you could be a great doctor, you could be a scientist, you could be a teacher.
But it can also be the other way around. Growing up wrong can lead to thugs, homeless beggars, and crooks going to jail.
Plants should be planted so that they grow upright when they are very young. However, if you prune it well, plant it well, and take good care of it, it will grow into a big and beautiful tree.
That is why the role of parents and teachers is very important.
However, the church is a place that plays the role of a very precious teacher receiving the teachings of God. Therefore, if you learn God and the word of God from an early age through the church and grow up well, no matter what kind of person you grow up to, you will become a good person who plays the role of light and salt in the world.
However, the word 'child' comes from the word 'young', but it is not necessarily used only for people. People who are new to a certain field, i.e. beginners, are also called children. For example, English spoken by people who are learning English for the first time or by people with limited English proficiency. In other words, “I am very weak in English.” This is how you say it in English. “I am a baby in English” This means ‘I am a baby in English’, which means ‘I am at the level of a baby in English.’
Or, people who have grown up in body and still think like children are said to be “not yet mature” or “adult children.”
1 Corinthians 3:1 Brethren, I am unable to speak to you as I do to spiritual people, but as to the carnal, to little children in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:2 I fed you with milk and not with rice, because you were not worthy, and you cannot now.
1 Corinthians 3:3 You are still carnal, since there are envy and strife among you, how is it that you are not carnal and walk after men?
Now, people who believe in Jesus for the first time or believers who believe in Jesus but still have weak faith and still live their lives like those of the world are called “spiritual children.”
Therefore, even if a grandmother believes or believes in Jesus for the first time for a long time, if her level of faith is still at an elementary level, she is spiritually a child.
% Spiritual Growth Goal
The goal of our Christian spiritual growth is Jesus. Jesus is the perfect image of God. Therefore, becoming like Jesus is the goal of spiritual growth, and when you reach the image of Jesus, you can say that you have grown up.
Ephesians 4:13 And we will all become one in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, until we become a perfect man, to the stature of the stature of the fullness of Christ
Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, grow up in him in all things, who is the head, which is Christ.
% Subjects for Spiritual Growth
(1) We must grow in our worship life.
The most basic thing in faith is holy water and worship on Sundays. Meeting with God and God's blessings are given to us through worship. Without worship, we cannot receive God's salvation and blessings. If you fail in worship, you are failing to be saved. Therefore, while worshiping in spirit and truth, I must concentrate my whole heart in every order of worship. Then we will experience that God is really with us. If you think about something else or move back and forth during the worship service, the worship service will be messed up.
We need to raise the level of worship. There are forces that hinder worship spiritually. In order to prevent us from attending worship services, when we go to church on Sunday, we make sure that something upsetting happens in the family. There are also disturbances from family and relatives.
(2) prayer life
1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us to “pray without ceasing”. Prayer is a conversation with God. When people talk to each other, intimacy develops. The God we believe in is a God who hears all our prayers without exception. Therefore, we must have fellowship with God through prayer and attain the filling of the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will feel the presence of God. The beginning of the Holy Spirit is peace and joy. If the Holy Spirit is in our hearts, first, a fountain of joy will flow from the depths of our hearts.
Therefore, Jesus said, “John 4:14 Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never thirst. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water springing up to everlasting life.” It is a pointing word.
However, the devil is constantly testing us, believers in Jesus Christ, in order to prevent the work of the spring of the Holy Spirit from gushing out or the work of the fountain of eternal life. make you sin. Temptation to follow greed.
Therefore, to overcome all these temptations of the devil, we must always watch and pray. Because there are temptations and temptations from the devil in the unseen realm, we should always focus on prayer. That is why He is saying, “Pray without ceasing!” Otherwise, we will be tempted by the devil, and like the fallen Adam, we will not receive God's blessings, but rather lead a painful life. Like Judas Iscariot, he commits the sin of betraying Jesus.
(2) A life of keeping the Ten Commandments (a righteous life)
The Ten Commandments refer to a life free from sin. When we do not commit sins, God is more pleased with us, loves us, and listens to our prayers. In order to pray to the fullness of the Holy Spirit, we must keep the Ten Commandments carefully so that we do not commit sins. Of course, it is also important not to sin in our hearts as the Lord taught us through the Sermon on the Mount.
If we break the Ten Commandments and sin, God is grieved. So, after warning us several times, if we continue to commit sins to the end, He disciplines us. Of course, God's prayers cannot be answered, and it is difficult for believers to experience the blessings they will receive.
(3) The life of keeping the new commandments (the life of love)
The new commandment goes beyond simply not sinning, and more actively living a life of love for our neighbors. This is what the Lord who saved us desires more. So Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Is not even a publican like this? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you more than others? Are not the Gentiles like this?” (Matthew 5:46-47).
God heard Cornelius's prayer, who liked to help his neighbors in need, and gave him a blessing. God sent an angel to meet the apostle Peter so that I could be saved through the gospel (Acts 10). He also gave the blessing of resurrecting Tabitha, who lived by giving through the Apostle Peter (Acts 9:36-41).
(4) Life of evangelism
Evangelism means preaching the gospel to save the souls of unbelievers. If you love your neighbor, you will of course have to do evangelism. However, evangelism has the character of spiritual warfare. We must be armed not only with a heart of love but also with the filling of the Holy Spirit. Evangelism strategies, wisdom, and training are also needed.
<Conclusion>
We Christians must continue to grow in the life of worship, in keeping the 10 commandments and not committing sins, in carrying out the work of the reconciler as the new commandment, and in evangelism. You must pray hard for this. You must study the Word. This doesn't happen overnight. It has to be trained through many years of trial and error. So, I bless you all who will receive God's great grace in the world and will receive great glory and rewards in the kingdom of God even after you die. ◎