A. Represent Christian Righteousness.
1. James. 2:17 "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
2. Rom. 8:2 "Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death".
3. Eph. 4:24 "Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness".
B. Offer the Ministry of Reconciliation
1. Mark 16:15 “He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation”.
Every Born-Again Christian has been given the command to go into all the world and preach the great news to everyone, everywhere
2. 2 Cor 5:18 “this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation”
a. God has given you the ministry of reconciliation.
b. The English word "reconciliation" comes from the Greek word “katallage” and means to be renewed in friendship.
c. To be reconciled to God means to have God not just as Lord, but as a your friend!
C. Fulfill the Will of God.
1. 1 John 2:17 "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
2. Matt. 12:50 "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother"
a. Doing the will of God is a very vital matter. The man who does his will abides forever. The one who is spiritually kin to Jesus does the will of God. The man who does the will of God is the one who shall enter heaven.
3. Phil. 2:12-13 "Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose"
a. The Born-Again Christian endeavors to seek God's will for their life and to perform it. God not only works in us to save us; He also works in and through us to fulfill His purpose in the world. He continues to energize us through His Spirit that the divine life implanted may be the instrument of his will.
D. Lead Others Into a Saving Knowledge of Jesus.
1. John 1:42 "And he brought him to Jesus"
a. It should be the supreme desire of every redeemed individual that every other individual person knows the atoning power of Christ also. He should want to be instrumental in bringing others to Jesus.
2. John 4:42 "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and know that this man really is the Savior of the world"
a. The woman at the well of Jacob went immediately to bring her villagers to Jesus. Every Christian should be a proclaimer of good news, possessing the impulse of the woman at the well that others know Jesus also. He should want his fellow man to experience the blessings of the discipleship that he finds so rewarding. The Great Commission is for every Christian, not just those in full-time church-related vocations or those on a foreign mission field. He should possess a love for souls that is akin to that of God himself. Every Christian should be an evangelist.
E. Perform Works of Service.
1. Matt. 23:40 "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these bothers of mine, you did for me"
2. Jas. 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
3. Matt. 10:42 "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple. I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
4. 1 John 3:17 "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"
5. James 2:15-16 "Suppose a brother of sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?"
a. The Christian should seek to do all the good he can do as many as he can in every way he can. Helping one's fellow man is about as Christian an activity as any to be found. Jesus commands feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, displaying hospitality, clothing the naked. Jesus healed maimed bodies and fed hungry multitudes. Every mountain peak experience should lead immediately into the valley of service below. Soul winning is very important; but so is the alleviation of suffering and anguish.
F. Produce The Fruit Of The Spirit.
1.Gal. 5:22,23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love; joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control"
a. It is part of the mission of the Christian to produce this spiritual fruit. The manifestation of these nine great qualities is certain proof that one is walking in the Spirit.
2. GROWTH IN GRACE
A. Biblical Demand For Growth.
1. 2 Pet. 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"
a. The life implanted in regeneration needs developing and nurturing. Paul's favorite term for undeveloped Christians is "babes in Christ," whom he calls "carnal" Christians in contrast to "spiritual" Christians.
2. Eph. 4:15 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ."
B. Forgiveness is the Key to Growth
1. Fundamentals of Forgiveness
a. Heb 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
i. Jesus forgave your sins past – present – future.
b. Col 3:13-14 ”Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
c. Eph 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
i. Your life should be characterized by forgiveness because Jesus first forgave you.
d. Matt 6:12-15 “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
i. Jesus taught that the fundamental guiding principle of being a disciple of His was to live and breathe forgiveness toward one another just as He had forgiven them
ii. Jesus taught that the direct evidence of being a Christian is to forgive beyond the limits of human comprehension.
2. Why You Need To Forgive
a. Matt 18:23-35 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him go. "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed.
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
i. When we forgive a person we cancel the debt and all its effects – which have far-reaching consequences.
ii. Jesus taught that their sins against one another were far smaller than their sins against God.
b. 1 John 2:1 “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One”
i. God has given us His assurance that our sins have already been forgiven
c. Rom 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express”
i. The constant intercession of Jesus assures us that we have forgiveness - right now!
d. John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."
i. Jesus has given the world the right to judge whether or not you are His disciple by the way you love and forgive others.
ii. The word disciple means a “student of”. As a Christian, you are a Christ-one, a mirrored image of Jesus Himself.
iii. Forgiveness should now flow from you naturally because you took on His nature and character, His beliefs and behaviors.
iv. If you do not forgive others with the same love that Jesus uses to forgive you, then the world has the right to believe and proclaim that Jesus is not the Son of God.
C. The Enemies Of Growth
The factors that war against spiritual growth, odds that must be surmounted if development is to materialize are present, both within and without. Never for a moment should we think that are struggles are over; they have really just begun! The prime difference is that now we have a nature that revolts against sin and cannot be content to dwell in its destruction. Now we have Jesus dwelling within, and He will help us in our battles against the satanic powers that would attempt to overcome us.
1. FORCE WITHIN
i. The Flesh
a. Gal. 5:16,17 "For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.... But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.... So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; butt if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live." He also declares, "Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would" KJV
1) The term flesh denotes human nature in its sinful and evil tendency. The Christian finds that he is never out from under this power but must always fight the "fleshly" nature of his being. This ceaseless warfare is vividly portrayed by the great apostle in Romans 8:1-13. The flesh cannot be struck a once-forever blow but instead must be subdued constantly. Paul glories in the fact that he has been "crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20), but by no means does he infer that his struggles against the flesh have ceased. In the regenerate man, the Spirit predominates over the flesh, and not vice versa, as in unregenerate nature; but that very flesh must be constantly quelled, nevertheless. And only as that flesh is crushed and God's will performed will there be progress in gracious Christian living.
2. FORCES WITHOUT
There are certain objective factors that must be reckoned with if Christian grace is to be augmented.
ii. Prince of this World
a. John 12:31 "Now is the time for judgment on this world: now the prince of this world will be driven out"
1) The prince of this world is a positive deterrent to development, directing all evil forces to the detriment of Christian character. With the cross, the power of Satan is broken in the heart and life of everyone who accepts the atoning work of Calvary.
b. 1 Pet. 5:8-9 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
1) Satan is still present in the world and wants to test all God's people.
c. James 4:7 "Submit yourselves then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you"
1) We are admonished to resist and be submitted to God.
d. Eph. 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
1) The power of this resisting comes through the blood of Christ and the witnessing of Christians (Rev. 12:11). Unless Satan is resisted there can be no growth.
iii. The World
a. John 1:10 "He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him"
b. Luke 6:26 "Woe to you when all men speak well of you"
1) The world, or the sphere of all evil impulses working in human society, is another adversary to spiritual development. Even Jesus did not receive a friendly welcome from the world. He also warns his disciples that they can expect from the world exactly the same treatment.
c. 1 John 4:4 "You dear children, are from God and have overcome them because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
1) The child of God has the power within which will help him overcome the world.
d. 1 John 5:4,5 "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
1) Overcoming the world is an important factor in Christian growth.
C. Aids to Growth.
1. The Church
2. Preaching of the Word
3. Reading of the Scriptures
4. Prayer
5. Personal witnessing
6. Christian example
7. The influence of the Spirit
8. Music ministry
9. Christian home
10. Godly parents
11. Christian school teachers
As we are saved by grace, so we develop by grace. As we are justified by grace, so we become more Christ-like by grace. Again we see that it is all of God, for God takes the initiative in everything.. Where the means of grace have been minimized or stifled proper growth is lacking and a dwarfed character ensues.
D. Goal of Growth.
1. Matt. 5:48 "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect"
a. The aim and goal of growth are a character like unto Christ. Christ is our example as well as Savior, being the embodiment of that which God would have redeemed man to become. The Greek word translated "perfect" does not mean without blemish; it denotes maturity, completeness, having the ability to function. Therefore to be "perfect" means to have grown to the point of completeness, to be able to function as a Christian should.
CONCLUSION
From this study, it has been shown that Salvation is more than a passport from Hell to Heaven. It is not something possessed by the hand, it is in the heart. In fact, it is an entire change of a person’s position before God. Salvation involves the total change of a person before God because he is now a new creation in Christ Jesus. Salvation is not purchased by a believing sinner, it is given by a gracious loving God. Because of this, we can eternally cry "Abba Father".
"PRAISE BE TO THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO HAS BLESSED US IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN CHRIST." Eph 1:3
