Sunday, March 1, 2009
My brothers and
sisters, we are not finished products. "We have not
reached the end of our journey," but we are on our way. New
believers in Christ need to learn, to understand, to practice, and to
model the meaning of being a disciple of our Lord and Saviour. Day
by day, year by year, children pass through stages of growth on the
way to maturity; so do believers. Christians (newborn) are expected
to grow spirituallyt just as newborn children are expected to grow.
Just as small children need help and encouragement to talk, walk,
an ultimately become responsible adults, new Christians need the
support and guidance of the church to grow and to mature spiritually.
Peter urged all believers to:
"Grow in grace, and in the knowledge
of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory
both now and for ever." (II Peter 3:18)
Disciples are at various stages of maturity. Some
are babes in
Christ. Some are growing
and struggling to become like Him.
Others are
spiritually mature. Some, unfortunatley, are doing
little or nothing to grow in Christ. First Baptist, Jesus commanded us
to make disciples. He also demonstrated in His life what the life of
a disciple is like. And spiritual growth is addressed
abundantly
throughout the Scriptures.
Moses admonished the Israelites to
love the
Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and might. Then
in words that should leave no doubt in anyone's mind that God's
word must be taught to His children so we can live pleasing to Him:
"And
though shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and
shalt talk of them when thou sitteth
in thine house, and
when thou walketh by the way, and when thou liest
down, and when thou risest up." (Deut. 6:7)
It's imperative that the church be busy at the task
of teaching if
believers are to grow spirtually.
In Him,
Reverend John O. Veasey, Jr.
