GROW UP INTO HIM
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." (1 John 3:2, 3).
Scripture
declares that we are now the sons of God. Sonship is not a state that we must earn, wait
for, or work toward. When a male child
is born or adopted into a family, he becomes a son immediately. He does not become more "son-ish,"
or more "sonny," over time; he is already 100% a son from the
beginning. What is not clear, however,
is what that son will become. It does
not yet appear what he shall be once he is fully mature. It is apparent then, that as sons and
daughters of our heavenly Father, we must grow up and mature.
It
is natural for every living thing to go through a state of growth; and when
this does not occur, then we know something is amiss. As Christians, we must understand that it is
not a normal state for us to remain spiritually immature. We are admonished to, "be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into Him in all
things, which is the head, even
Christ." (Ephesians 4:14, 15).
Our
goal is not merely to grow in Bible knowledge, but to gain an intimacy with the
Savior. As we spend time with Christ,
our character is transformed by His presence in our lives. The more we sit at
His feet and drink in the Living Water of His Word, the more we grow into the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
The
question is: are we different people today than we were when we first accepted
Christ? I don't mean, "Are we more
religious?" Religion only manages
to make us more the children of hell than we were before we got it! The Jews were religious when they rejected
and crucified the Savior. Paul was
religious when he rounded up Christians to have them slaughtered. The Catholic church was religious when it
carried out the inquisition and murdered countless of God's children. The Muslims are religious when they strap
bombs to their chests and blow themselves and fellow human beings to
pieces. It is our religion that causes all
the division that we see among God's children today. Again, the question is: are we becoming more
Christ-like? When we are cursed, do we
bless? When we are rejected for Christ's
sake, do we rejoice? When we are hated,
do we love? When we are crushed, is the
fragrance of the rose released, or some vile stench? Little by little, we should be changing into
the likeness of Christ. This is the
normal Christian experience. What God
begins, He intends to finish. He has
given us the power to become the sons of God.
His intention is that we receive that power and grow into mature, responsible
sons and daughters of our heavenly Father by faith.
How
do we ensure that we will grow normally?
"Wherefore laying aside all
malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere
milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." (1 Peter 2:1-3). Feed on God's Word, and believe what you read. Apply it to your life. Don't lean on your own understanding, or try
to reason why you can't live the way God is asking you to. Simply obey what He says, and allow God to
iron out the details. God is
faithful. What He promises, He is more
than able to perform. Remember that
Jesus Himself is the key of knowledge.
When you read the Bible, don't just accumulate facts, but seek to see
Jesus revealed in the scriptures. Nurture
an intimate relationship with the Son of God.
Learn to abide in the True Vine which is Jesus Christ. Receive from Him the spiritual life that
flows only from Him. As we are nourished
by Him daily, we will begin to mature in Him and put on His likeness.
Also,
remember to "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18).
It is not a matter of our own works.
We cannot add one inch to our stature or our spirituality. Salvation is the gift of God, by His grace. If we are willing and obedient, we will be
blessed; but if we refuse and rebel, we will reap only trouble in our lives.
"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12, 13).
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