What does it mean to grow up in
Christ in all aspects?
Actually, exactly what God's Word
says - in all aspects.
In reviewing what all aspects might
mean, the reality is that God has called us into His Son - the new creation AND
to be conformed only to His image.
So, in thinking about Christ Himself
- His mind, the fruit of the Spirit, that He is Wisdom, the Prince of Peace,
and Life - that's a pretty good indication that he desires us to experience the
reality of this.
When I look back on my life, I
wanted to remember where and how God started to even begin this maturing
process (not that I'm fully matured yet).
And this is what He brought to mind
- that He started with a personal revelation of my problems! He opened my eyes to the fact that I was
"knee deep" in struggle. This
was after I had been "trying" to be a good Christian. He wanted me to know that I was failing.
When He got through to me that He
did not want some semblance of an outward form of Christianity, but an inward
reality of a living Christ who came to save me, it helped me to know I could
get real with Him - about everything! I
could then come to Him really as I was, yet in faith that He Himself would grow
me into the person He wanted me to be.
This is a far cry difference of me
trying to do it (all by my efforts) versus trusting HIM to do it in me.
We do indeed grow by grace in Him -
not our striving to do something on our own.
His salvation truly is not about our performing (in solo flight) on the
outside doing all the right things, and yet on the inside being grumpy and with
poor attitudes and thoughts.
No, praise the Lord He wants a REAL
Salvation on the inside and in our whole being:
spirit, soul, and body springing forth to the outside!
Through the years I have discovered
more and more that His Life within not only grows us, but His Life is real
PEACE - peace in the mind, strength of Him bringing about real fruit - and a
blessed continual hope. A hope that He
will continually take us there Himself to that conformity to Him.
It is a life of faith, a life of
hope and trust in Christ.
I do not
believe this is automatic though. Again,
I've had to look back on my life and see that my part was to pray and ask Him
to lead me on.
And part of the motivation would be
when I would hit another part of my life that was NOT reflecting Him, I found
myself in another place of asking - looking to Him.
Asking what?
"That He would grant me those
insights into Him (Ephesians 1:17-21); that He would strengthen me in my inner
man by His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:14-20); that He would teach me ALL things
(I John 2:27); that He would fill me with the knowledge of His will in all
spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9-14).
By having to be dependent on God and
Christ for ALL spiritual enlightenment, growth, conformity - you name it - it
keeps us in personal relationship, fellowship with God! AND in constant need for HIM!
This is EXACTLY what He wants!
I believe we are to hate ALL sin and
evil. But I also believe that if we see
that in ourselves in any way, the GRACE of God teaches us continually to run to
the Lord, be real with Him, and then by grace through faith, BELIEVE in Him to
deliver us, strengthen us, empower us, teach us, fill us, and keep us moving in
God's direction to be conformed to His Son and filled with Him.
We really have a marvelous salvation
in Christ. God does understand all our
weaknesses, yet is able to do more in us than we have ever asked, dreamed, or
thought.
Ask. And only believe.
Sue Gaither
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