Spiritual Growth

[soul man]

All spiritual growth is in mind, you don't grow in spirit, you can't get anymore of Christ than you already have. Years ago when giving what we called an altar call, I would make the remark " if you need more of God, come up here." Well meaning but wrong, you can't get more of God like he only gave you a little piece of Himself when you got born again.

You recieved everything God had to give the moment you believed. What you can get is more understanding of what God did to you the moment you believed. You recieved the whole bucket of grace, God holds nothing back from you. It may just take a life time for the mind to catch up with that but nevertheless it's fact.

So your mind becomes the place of spiritual growth, not your spirit. Your spirit is quite complete "in Christ, in spirit." Have you ever considered it to be fact, we let our minds wonder. We don't give time to our minds sometime neglecting the fact it takes time to get it renewed. So time is precious to you, you should never consider life as just passing the time waiting for something to happen, hoping to make the rapture. Don't waste your time with what scripture call vain imaginations. Your mind will wonder, everything comes from your mind.

The same way your spirit trained your mind in being a sinner, that is how you learn now. You must be taught about your new life in the spirit (Christ), same principle. It is the HolySpirit teaching Christ who is one with you in spirit. And that is your life now not just a sinner saved by grace trying to work out Christianity, but an understanding person who has Christ in them as their life not the old man, the new man. Your soul-mind becomes compatible with the Christ in you, the two are one, in spirit (the birthing), soul (mind renewal) and your body will always have pulls toward the flesh (mind given to body). Understanding spiritual matters is how the body is dealt with, you keep it in subjection. Example; when I know Christ as life do I want to do certain things or go certain places, no you will not. You love Christ more than you love the pleasures of this world. It is simple as that, all based on a love affair between the believer and the Christ in them.

 

[Episkopos]

You recieved the whole bucket of grace, God holds nothing back from you. It may just take a life time for the mind to catch up with that but nevertheless it's fact.

This is not true. We receive a taste of the heavenly gift. If a person only keeps what they start with...they remain as babies in Christ their whole lives.

The touch is real. But God only gives us what we can handle.

We are exhorted to go to the throne of grace to receive MORE grace when it is needed...when we are ready for it.

So then grace is the oil that goes into the container we have received. The container also can become bigger. Our capacity increases. We need to go to God to but more...with a cost to ourselves (although without money)

We are meant to go to God and buy the field...to become filled with the Spirit...over and over again.

So then what was a free gift we give ALL we have to obtain the fulness of. But only when we are ready. So we strive to enter in at the narrow gate and walk that narrow path.

Your reasoning would be like saying to the Israelites..."now that you are saved from Egypt you have come as far as God wants to take you...so settle down and enjoy and exploit that salvation IN the wilderness."

But we are not just "saved from" but also "saved to". There is a lot more to God than what He gives us at the beginning. And that is why so many of us fail. We tend to try remaining as we always were...and we are not faithful enough in the renewing of our minds. Look how few stayed in the race from Egypt all the way to the promised land...only 2.

 

[amadeus]

This is not true. We receive a taste of the heavenly gift. If a person only keeps what they start with...they remain as babies in Christ their whole lives.

"Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit." II Cor 5:5

This means that there is more to come if we move forward with Him. The "earnest" money in a home purchase situation puts on hold on the home and the home will be ours... IF we come with the rest of the money required to close the deal. How much more does God have available for us during the time that He has allotted to us? How big is our God? How unlimited is He? Can our faith be increased? Can the power of the Holy Spirit working in us be increased?

The touch is real. But God only gives us what we can handle.

And indeed is there not still available that second [or third or fourth and so forth] touch:

"And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly." Mark 8:23-25

We are exhorted to go to the throne of grace to receive MORE grace when it is needed...when we are ready for it.

So then grace is the oil that goes into the container we have received. The container also can become bigger. Our capacity increases. We need to go to God to but more...with a cost to ourselves (although without money)

Is not this increase in the size of the container what happened to Job who was at the first was called "perfect" but his perfection with all that he had at the moment. God increased the size of the container and Job trusted God to refill it and God did.

We are meant to go to God and buy the field...to become filled with the Spirit...over and over again.

So then what was a free gift we give ALL we have to obtain the fulness of. But only when we are ready. So we strive to enter in at the narrow gate and walk that narrow path.

Aye this is moving from that "earnest of the Spirit" toward a greater portion. Joseph had his portion of the inheritance doubled here by Jacob/Israel:

"And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine." Gen 48:4-5

Or we may remember also what Elisha asked of Elijah here:

"And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces." II Kings 2:9-12

Your reasoning would be like saying to the Israelites..."now that you are saved from Egypt you have come as far as God wants to take you...so settle down and enjoy and exploit that salvation IN the wilderness."

But we are not just "saved from" but also "saved to". There is a lot more to God than what He gives us at the beginning. And that is why so many of us fail. We tend to try remaining as we always were...and we are not faithful enough in the renewing of our minds. Look how few stayed in the race from Egypt all the way to the promised land...only 2.

Amen!

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Luke 2:52

 

[Episkopos]

Is not this increase in the size of the container what happened to Job who was at the first was called "perfect" but his perfection with all that he had at the moment. God increased the size of the container and Job trusted God to refill it and God did.

Amen John... Job was given double all he previously had. Even the word "Ephraim" means doubly fruitful.

I believe we are meant to be at least doubly fruitful. Look at the parable of the talents....always a double return. But the one who kept/protected what he was given initially...the servant who buried his talent....was cast out. (The OP reminds me of this)


And we can take this further...the parable of the sower has us to grow fruit to 30 fold, 60 and 100 fold. So then there is an exponential kind of growth. No limits with God.

 

[Jay Ross]

Amen John... Job was given double all he previously had. Even the word "Ephraim" means doubly fruitful.

I believe we are meant to be at least doubly fruitful. Look at the parable of the talents....always a double return. But the one who kept/protected what he was given initially...the servant who buried his talent....was cast out. (The OP reminds me of this)


And we can take this further...the parable of the sower has us to grow fruit to 30 fold, 60 and 100 fold. So then there is an exponential kind of growth. No limits with God.

But as I have previously pointed out, your understanding of this parable of the talents is not in line with the actual understanding you should hove of who the man is who goes away for a time is. The man who goes away for a time agrees with his so called "wicked" servant that he has no right to the increase of the field but the man who went away for a time still demanded that increase even though it was not his to claim when he returned.

If you are in error here with your understanding then I would suggest that you take the log out of your own eye first before trying to remove the splinter out of another member's eye.

@soul man provided a "big picture" overview and did not provide the details of how his big picture view would work out over time.

When I read Soul man's OP I said to myself that you would find fault with his thread and not show any Grace or understanding towards what he had posted.

It seems to me that your response to the OP has more to do with your own shortcomings and insecurities than with what Soul man has posted.

Shalom

 

[Ezra]

All spiritual growth is in mind, you don't grow in spirit, you can't get anymore of Christ than you already have. Years ago when giving what we called an altar call, I would make the remark " if you need more of God, come up here." Well meaning but wrong, you can't get more of God like he only gave you a little piece of Himself when you got born again.

You recieved everything God had to give the moment you believed. What you can get is more understanding of what God did to you the moment you believed. You recieved the whole bucket of grace, God holds nothing back from you. It may just take a life time for the mind to catch up with that but nevertheless it's fact.

So your mind becomes the place of spiritual growth, not your spirit. Your spirit is quite complete "in Christ, in spirit." Have you ever considered it to be fact, we let our minds wonder. We don't give time to our minds sometime neglecting the fact it takes time to get it renewed. So time is precious to you, you should never consider life as just passing the time waiting for something to happen, hoping to make the rapture. Don't waste your time with what scripture call vain imaginations. Your mind will wonder, everything comes from your mind.

The same way your spirit trained your mind in being a sinner, that is how you learn now. You must be taught about your new life in the spirit (Christ), same principle. It is the HolySpirit teaching Christ who is one with you in spirit. And that is your life now not just a sinner saved by grace trying to work out Christianity, but an understanding person who has Christ in them as their life not the old man, the new man. Your soul-mind becomes compatible with the Christ in you, the two are one, in spirit (the birthing), soul (mind renewal) and your body will always have pulls toward the flesh (mind given to body). Understanding spiritual matters is how the body is dealt with, you keep it in subjection. Example; when I know Christ as life do I want to do certain things or go certain places, no you will not. You love Christ more than you love the pleasures of this world. It is simple as that, all based on a love affair between the believer and the Christ in them.

how did you come to this conclusion?peter wrote grown in the grace and knowledge paul wrote we are changed from glory to glory..you sound like new age theology

 

[marks]

All spiritual growth is in mind, you don't grow in spirit, you can't get anymore of Christ than you already have. Years ago when giving what we called an altar call, I would make the remark " if you need more of God, come up here." Well meaning but wrong, you can't get more of God like he only gave you a little piece of Himself when you got born again.

You recieved everything God had to give the moment you believed. What you can get is more understanding of what God did to you the moment you believed. You recieved the whole bucket of grace, God holds nothing back from you. It may just take a life time for the mind to catch up with that but nevertheless it's fact.

So your mind becomes the place of spiritual growth, not your spirit. Your spirit is quite complete "in Christ, in spirit." Have you ever considered it to be fact, we let our minds wonder. We don't give time to our minds sometime neglecting the fact it takes time to get it renewed. So time is precious to you, you should never consider life as just passing the time waiting for something to happen, hoping to make the rapture. Don't waste your time with what scripture call vain imaginations. Your mind will wonder, everything comes from your mind.

The same way your spirit trained your mind in being a sinner, that is how you learn now. You must be taught about your new life in the spirit (Christ), same principle. It is the HolySpirit teaching Christ who is one with you in spirit. And that is your life now not just a sinner saved by grace trying to work out Christianity, but an understanding person who has Christ in them as their life not the old man, the new man. Your soul-mind becomes compatible with the Christ in you, the two are one, in spirit (the birthing), soul (mind renewal) and your body will always have pulls toward the flesh (mind given to body). Understanding spiritual matters is how the body is dealt with, you keep it in subjection. Example; when I know Christ as life do I want to do certain things or go certain places, no you will not. You love Christ more than you love the pleasures of this world. It is simple as that, all based on a love affair between the believer and the Christ in them.

Hi soul man,

I think that misunderstandings on the part of some aside, that we would do well to understand the true meaning and significance of:

2 Peter 1:2-4 "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

He has already given to us everything that pertains to living, and to godliness. This is our in knowing Him, which is eternal life. He has committed Himself to us - promised - greatly, and with great value, that we partake His divine nature, being free from the worldly corruption of our fleshly desires.

This is already done. We find our freedom in the certain knowledge that It Is Finished.

We've already escaped, being In Jesus.

One thing I find to be sadly lacking, in my opinion, whatever that may be worth, is a correct understanding of who we are, what God has done for is. In that we are born from God, we are God's spirit children, and just as we shared Adam's nature, now we share God's nature. Flesh gives birth to flesh, and Spirit gives birth to spirit. One caveat, just like Jesus, we are children of God living in bodies that are children of Adam.

Well, in Jesus' case, it was a body Like the children of Adam, but not actually Adam's child, lest it be sinful flesh.

This is the conflict we find ourselves in, yet just the same, when we die, when we are raptured, when we resurrect, wherever you put this in your reference, we receive resurrection body to live without a veil, but our spirit, that spirit child born from God, remains, I believe, who we are now.

Holy and righteous. It's true!

Understanding spiritual matters is how the body is dealt with, you keep it in subjection.

Precisely!

And with all this said, there remains "from glory to glory", "til Christ be formed within you", Peter's words, "til the day dawns, and the day star rise in your heart", I think this refer to that work of sanctification as the new man learns to take control, and live the Jesus life, which is fully completed when we see Him.

Much love!
Mark