How God Causes Us To Grow. (Pt 2)

1John 2:12-17

 

The real youÉ

á      Anyone in Christ is a new creationÉ a being that never existed before. (2Cor 5:17)

á      To understand who you are, you must focus on GodŐs Word (Ňabove lineÓ Truth), not your thoughts based on Ňbelow lineÓ observations.

á      Our identity comes from spirit union w/Christ & we are who God says we areÉ righteous.

á      The real you is who you are at the spirit levelÉ holy, righteous, & blameless.  Only by accepting the real you by faith can you begin to experience its reality.

 

Growth is expanding your awareness of Christ in you. (Gal 2:20)

á      Just as you know that your sins are forgivenÉ so the Father wants you to know that you were crucified with Christ & that you no longer live, but Christ lives in you.

á      Growth in spirit life is really expanding your awareness of Christ in you.

á      When you see that Christ is your lifeÉ you learn you are not becomingÉ you are.

á      We cooperate with GodŐs revelation to us by believingÉ believing even when it doesnŐt look true in your life.

á      Everything we truly know of God comes by revelation of H Spirit. (1Cor 2:12)

á      H Spirit gives us revelation & then gives us experiential teaching so we can know it.

á      Your life experiences are what H Spirit uses to teach youÉ & He is in control.

á      God uses our difficulties in visible realm to force us to seek answers in unseen realm.

á      We become more aware that real life isÉ Christ expressing Himself thru us, as us.

 

GodŐs process of growthÉ the process God uses to mature us.

á      Christian growth is H Spirit wooing our soul back from its fascination with world (1Jn 2:15-17), to a fascination with H Spirit/spirit union.

á      Process God uses to mature us will take us from external focus, to internal experience of true union of our spirit with GodŐs Spirit.

á      You have died w/Christ (Gal 2:20)É evil was erased from heart, but it remains in soul.

á      Your soul must be renewed (Rm 12:2) because spirit is only expressed thru soul & body.

á      Growth in Christ does not mean increasingly getting our act together, but being wooed back. Entirety of our Christian walk is process of our soul turning back to our spirit.

o     God wants to woo us back in every area that our soul is turned outward.

á      Wherever we havenŐt been wooed back, weŐre vulnerable to call of world, & body.

á      GodŐs process is to turn the entire soul back to HimselfÉ to union with Spirit of Christ.

o     He is not concerned with instant below line perfection. He wants steady progress in our inner knowing, & trust & rest in Himself.

á      Christian growth is not us strivingÉ itŐs us desiring & letting the Spirit woo our soul back, so that we are focused on, & a vessel of, Christ in you.

 

Stages of growth that believers go thru. (1Jn 2:12-14)

á      In the church, John sees three stages of believers. (not chronological age) 

o     All believers may not go thru these exact stages, but they are descriptive of GodŐs path for most of us. (Stages are not good or bad, but where we are)

á      Little children know two things: (1) their sins are forgiven, & (2) they have a relationship with the Father. They may know about a lot of things, but they know two things.

á      Young men know three things in addition to what they knew as children: (1) they are strong, (2) the Word of God abides in them, & (3) they have overcome the devil.

o     Their emphasis is still on themselvesÉ they are strong, they overcame, Word abides in themÉ focus is still largely on themselves.

o     They probably know Christ is in them to help them, but not to live His life thru them.

á      Fathers know one thing: they know Him who is from the beginningÉ fathers know God! They know they are in union with GodÉ itŐs not what you know, but who you know

o     They rejoice in their weakness, not their strength. (2Cor 12:9-10)

o     ItŐs a stage of complete dependence on H Spirit to know God. (1Cor 2:12)

o     ItŐs a stage of fellowship of His suffering (Phil 3:10), where death operates in our soul so His life can touch others. (2Cor 4:12)

o     They rest from their labor, & thru union with Christ, yield to become His vessel.

o     ItŐs a stage whereÉ He must increase & we must decrease. (Jn 3:30)

o     God invites us all to the father stageÉ living by faith, not sight.

á      Knowing God means being passionate about letting God live His life thru us, as us. The process of God refocusing our soul on Himself may be painful at times, but that process is always moved & motivated by His love for us.

á      God calls us to be respondersÉ to seek & hear Him, & to be obedient.

á      The only one who can live the Christian life is Christ. (Col 1:27)

á      When God works on our soul, He doesnŐt give you a list of choices to pick from. God has already ordained the way He is going to work on youÉ its called life.

o     God uses trials & difficulties to force us to turn back into the Spirit/spirit union.

á      God takes the world, which lies in hands of Satan, & uses that world system to purify us.

á      We must see beyond the human situation to the divine purpose in itÉ then even in the midst of difficult situations, youŐll rest in peace knowing Christ in you.

Father, touch our hearts & draw us deeper into Yourself.