Key to growing spiritually
Spiritual growth in the life of a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is as important as breathing air every moment of life.
One
cannot neglect this aspect of being a Christian. These few guidelines should
help you grow in Christ and become stronger in Him.
Confession
of sin, repentance of the sin, attending church services and home cell, reading
the Bible and praying to God regularly are all keys to successful spiritual
growth.
If
you develop a lifestyle around the following spiritual exercises you are on the
road to growing in the Lord:
- After confessing
Christ as Lord and Saviour the first step of obedience is to be baptized
in water.
Romans 6:4
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (NKJV)
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (NKJV)
Acts 2:38
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)
- The empowerment of
service comes through the baptism with the Holy Spirit which was promised
by Jesus.
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (NKJV)
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (NKJV)
- Develop the ability
to praise and worship God. This means to magnify the virtues of God
through an act of our will. The Psalms are full of references where David
praised and worshipped God.
Psalm 100:4
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (NKJV)
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (NKJV)
- Increase your faith
in God and His Word.
Romans 12:3
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (NKJV)
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (NKJV)
God has given to each believer a measure of
faith. Faith grows through hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (NKJV)
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (NKJV)
- Be an accountable
steward of the Tithe and giving financially into the kingdom of God.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
17 then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.'
18"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (NKJV)
17 then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.'
18"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (NKJV)
God wants us at all times to recognize Him and
give Him the glory for our success.
Malachi 3:8-11
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
11"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the LORD of hosts; (NKJV)
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
11"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the LORD of hosts; (NKJV)
- Discern the Enemy
(the devil) and understand your authority as a believer over the kingdom
of darkness.
Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- (NKJV)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- (NKJV)
- Discipline yourself
to personal and group prayer times. Give much attention to prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
pray without ceasing, (NKJV)
pray without ceasing, (NKJV)
- Become a witness to
others of your faith in Christ.
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (NKJV)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (NKJV)
Develop a passion for the lost. Salvation is the
heartbeat of God.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)
The
Four Spiritual Laws
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)
Just as there are physical laws that govern
the physical universe, so are there spiritual laws that govern your
relationship with God.
God’s Love
‘The wages of sin is death’ [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).
‘Christ died for our sins... He was buried... He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures... He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred...’ (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
It is not enough just to know these three laws …
We Must Receive Christ
The following explains how you can receive Christ:
You Can Receive Christ Right Now by
Faith Through Prayer (Prayer is talking with God)
Does this
prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, I invite you to pray this prayer
right now, and Christ will come into you life, as He promised
Law 1: God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
God’s Love
‘God so loved the world that He gave His
one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have
eternal life’ (John 3:16, NIV).
God’s Plan
[Christ speaking] ‘I came that they might
have life, and might have it abundantly’
[that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).
[that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).
Why is it that most people are not
experiencing that abundant life?
Because...
Law 2: Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for his life.
Man is Sinful
‘All have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).
Man was created to have fellowship with
God; but, because of his own stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own
independent way and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will,
characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an
evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
Man Is Separated‘The wages of sin is death’ [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).
Law 3: Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Through Him you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life.
He Died In Our Place
‘God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8).
He Rose from the Dead
‘Christ died for our sins... He was buried... He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures... He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred...’ (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
He Is the Only Way to God
‘Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the
truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me” ’ (John 14:6).
It is not enough just to know these three laws …
Law 4: We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.
We Must Receive Christ
‘As many as received Him, to them He gave
the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name’
(John 1:12).
We Receive Christ Through Faith
‘By grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as result of works that
no one should boast’ (Ephesians 2:8,9).
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8.)
We Receive Christ Through Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] ‘Behold, I stand at the
door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to
him’ (Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God
from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive
our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins
is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We
receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
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Self-Directed Life
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Christ-Directed Life
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self is on the throne
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Christ is on the throne
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Christ is outside the life
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Self is yielding to Christ, resulting in harmony with God’s plan
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Interests are
directed by self, often resulting in discord and frustration
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Interests
are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God’s plan
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Which one best represents your life? Which
one would you like to have represent your life?
The following explains how you can receive Christ:
God knows your heart and is not so
concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The
following is a suggested prayer:
| Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for
dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as
my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal
life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. |
