Ever Closer

[NetChaplain]

“Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you” (Jas 4:8). The next most important issue after regeneration (being saved) is spiritual growth in the Lord Jesus (Eph 4:15), so that we will be most used of God to encourage the saved and draw the lost. In our rebirth, God saves our life; in our walk, God “conforms” our lifestyle! Believers are united with God in redemption, and are brought closer all the time in their fellowship with Him. All who have been reborn continue to draw closer to God, and this is seen in their walk!

Union with God has to do with being saved, and fellowship has to do with growth from that union; and according to Scripture all who have been saved are unceasingly receiving from God enablement to “will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phl 2:13). Thankfully, everything God does in His Son for those who are and will be His, is permanent; a truth without which no adequate growth in Christ (not related to just being in Christ) can suffice for lasting encouragement—especially in the trials!

Granted, there are often scriptural passages that appear to present opposing doctrine to this truth, but this is just part of the difficult-to-understand portions of the Word of God (which are usually growth-related)—for the purpose of encouraging continued and increased study and research where most of the Christian growth truths are contained—within the Pauline Epistles.

A believer can and should desire a growing fellowship with God, but the nearness of it will accord with the level of application in learning to know, understand and apply the Christian growth truths within the NT. It also stands to reason that the closer the fellowship, the greater is our patience when enduring trials, and the more God is glorified.

The most significant position a believer can maintain for growing in Christ is fellowship with the saints in the Word and worship, which could never be overstated!

May “the Father of spirits” ever give us to “be in subjection” to Him (Heb 12:9)!



Blessed be God!

 

[shittim]

So many stop at salvation when we are required to be continually conformed to His image that our thoughts become His thoughts, our eyes see the world through His eyes.
Bless you brother, in Jesus name

 

[NetChaplain]

So many stop at salvation when we are required to be continually conformed to His image that our thoughts become His thoughts, our eyes see the world through His eyes.
Bless you brother, in Jesus name

Hi, and thanks for your comment! There are many who only nominally profess Christianity, i.e. in word only, and these will not grow in their walk, but eventually "depart" from professing Christ (Mat 15:8). There are also many truly reborn who are growing slowly, due to not being familiar enough with the knowledge and understanding of the Pauline epistles, which are little taught because they are little understood. In the last century or so much of the spiritual growth truths of the NT have been misunderstood by many because they have yet to be adequately taught in many Christian churches.

Thankfully all who have ever been reborn will continue to learn and gradually progress sufficiently (Phl 2:13).

 

[shittim]

Jesus modeled how we are to live, from His receiving Holy Spirit at the baptism of John and imparting to the 12, he went from the water to wine to eventually raising Lazarus, and the the great opening of the graves at the cruxifiction.
We are each required to grow likewise to where we will do greater works than His.

 

[NetChaplain]

Jesus modeled how we are to live, from His receiving Holy Spirit at the baptism of John and imparting to the 12, he went from the water to wine to eventually raising Lazarus, and the the great opening of the graves at the cruxifiction.
We are each required to grow likewise to where we will do greater works than His.

Amen, the greatest work is being used by the Father to "draw" others to the Lord Jesus, which will include many more than during apostolic times, due to there being more time. Thought you might like this below:

John Gill: "and greater works than these shall he do"; meaning, not greater in nature and kind, but more in number; for the apostles, in a long series of time, and course of years, went about preaching the Gospel, not in Judea only, but in all the world; "God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders, and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost," Hebrews 2:4, wherever they went: though perhaps by these greater works may be meant the many instances of conversion, which the apostles were instrumental in, and which were more in number than those which were under our Lord's personal ministry: besides, the conversion of a sinner is a greater work than any of the miracles of raising the dead, &c. for this includes in it all miracles: here we may see a sinner, dead in trespasses and sins, quickened; one born blind made to see; one who was deaf to the threatenings of the law, and to the charming voice of the Gospel, made to hear, so as to live; and one that had the spreading leprosy of sin all over him, cleansed from it by the blood of the Lamb yea, though a miracle in nature is an instance and proof of divine power, yet the conversion of a sinner, which is a miracle in grace, is not only an instance of the power of God, and of the greatness of it, but of the exceeding greatness of it."
https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=gill&b=43&c=14

 

[mindfulzen]

Relates to your first and last comment also. If you have fortified faith with stoicism, would that not be sufficent to walk the narrow path in truth? To put it simple, you keep faith personal, you use logic, you abide by the rules, you do not parttake in events you know are sinful. You give a dispassionate and honest reasoning for why, people accept it, or get angry. You do not overreact if they get angry. Your focus is on right and wrong regarding God no matter what. If we react in anger back,, and go into a screaming match, you are not a good example of a christian. You are not living it. I did not live it for many years, it felt wrong. And my faith was beaten down living like that. So I figure we should do the works of the apostles, without missionairing, unless we feel called upon to do that. I do not feel I should do that, just contemplate and use logic. Am I missing something, do you think? It has given me peace and strength I never knew I had in me. Problems no longer overwhelms me, I just deal with them now. Seems to me, that if people just pray to get something or comfort, miss fixing their stuff. And stoicism is a great baseline to fix things in your life for yourself, and faith is fortified by going through trials, never letting them overcome you, just do the one logical thing after the other if the first one meets an obstacle.And nothing gets you down.

Read matthew again, and your verse did not seem relevant, but reply to it too. I have never prayed, so do not do what is criticized in that phrase. I hope my heart is close enough, I believe that. I think I honour my father and mother as most of that matthew is about if we read it in context. Worded a bit different reading my hardcover bible in another language. Makes me wonder what honour means tou you, and the interpretation in the book. Being honest, doing what they ask of you, and again be honest if you cannot do what they ask of you instead of lying to them, or go along with a lie. Not going along with false expectations. Do what is best for them. Unless you must go against God to accomplish it.

 

[shittim]

Amen, the greatest work is being used by the Father to "draw" others to the Lord Jesus, which will include many more than during apostolic times, due to there being more time. Thought you might like this below:

John Gill: "and greater works than these shall he do"; meaning, not greater in nature and kind, but more in number; for the apostles, in a long series of time, and course of years, went about preaching the Gospel, not in Judea only, but in all the world; "God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders, and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost," Hebrews 2:4, wherever they went: though perhaps by these greater works may be meant the many instances of conversion, which the apostles were instrumental in, and which were more in number than those which were under our Lord's personal ministry: besides, the conversion of a sinner is a greater work than any of the miracles of raising the dead, &c. for this includes in it all miracles: here we may see a sinner, dead in trespasses and sins, quickened; one born blind made to see; one who was deaf to the threatenings of the law, and to the charming voice of the Gospel, made to hear, so as to live; and one that had the spreading leprosy of sin all over him, cleansed from it by the blood of the Lamb yea, though a miracle in nature is an instance and proof of divine power, yet the conversion of a sinner, which is a miracle in grace, is not only an instance of the power of God, and of the greatness of it, but of the exceeding greatness of it."
https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=gill&b=43&c=14

I take it to mean in kind as well as perhaps number, he did not receive results from interstate prayer on the phone as we can.

 

[NetChaplain]

I take it to mean in kind as well as perhaps number, he did not receive results from interstate prayer on the phone as we can.

Applicable and instructional question! Greater works would be in reference to numbers saved, because other than being eternally resurrected, there is no greater miracle in the natural world than raising one from the dead, which cannot be exceeded in greatness concerning power.

 

[shittim]

Or not.