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Bible Study- Lutz, Florida
Established
November 2008
Rightly
Dividing the Word of Truth
(2
Timothy 2:15)
This is
good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:3-4
Sanctification
Welcome, one and all to Home
Bible Study. We’re going to
continue studying the book of Romans in due course, but I wanted to take time to
wish you a Blessed
2014 and begin the New Year with this reflection.
I’m a Believer…now
what?
Once
you become a Believer, a process of change begins in your life called sanctification. This is a period of Spiritual growth in
Christ Jesus.
Let’s
begin with this Bible verse.
Ephesians 5
1: Therefore be
imitators of God, as beloved children;
We
must not compare ourselves to men.
Instead
we must heed the Word coming from the Apostle Peter,
1 Peter 1
1: but like the
Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
2: because it is
written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”
The
Apostle Paul writes regarding our spiritual growth,
Ephesians 4
13: …until we all
attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to a
(what’s the next word) mature man
(or woman), to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness
of Christ (this is our goal).
For
example in Ephesians 4:32 we are commanded: Be
kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in
Christ also has forgiven you.
From
this we know God’s behavior towards us becomes our measure for our behavior towards one another.
Now
we’re not going to get there overnight.
This is going to take time.
Can I get fries and
a coke with that?
Unfortunately,
we live in a world where we want to fast-track just about everything.
We
may be used to drive-thru restaurants, microwave ovens, and smart phones, washing
machines that do everything but fold our clothes for us, computers, and the
like. These objects speed up our chores,
boost our productivity, and increase our already fast-paced lives. But downsides exist to modern technology. One that goes undetected by the user (for the
most part) is that it produces an inner desire for instant solutions to every
problem that is encountered.
But
not every process lends itself to acceleration.
Sanctification is one of these.
Sanctification is a life-long journey. We have so much to learn along the way about
the Lord Jesus Christ and ourselves and there aren’t any shortcuts.
Truth
is people grow little spiritually after salvation. Although there is usually a burst of
excitement and enthusiasm following one’s salvation experience this fades in
time. Most Believers fail to pursue spiritual
maturity through prayer, Bible reading, Bible study and fellowship.
Believe
me when I say God is not pleased when His children opt for comfort and
complacency. This is why God’s Word commands
each one of us to “grow in
the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:17.
How
can you “grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior if your Bible remains on the bookshelf unopened and
unread?
How
can you “grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior if you don’t understand
what you are reading? And how can you
mature as a Believer if you read your Bible but you don’t know what it means?
Therefore
the first step in Spiritual growth is “cognition.”
God’s
pattern for Spiritual growth starts with understanding what the Bible says and
what it means. If you don’t know what it means, you don’t
have the Truth.
Scripture
is its own interpreter, as you spend more time in each book, studying as you
go, you too will come to know this truth.
But what does this book say?
Isaiah 28
10: “For He (the LORD God) says, ‘Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A
little here, a little there.’ “
In
other words, the best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself.
Scripture
must harmonize. Therefore when trying to
examine one Bible verse we must approach it with an eye to what the whole
Bible says about that topic.
The
next step and true sanctification begins with the "renewing" of your mind.
You
must know the Truth – it’s a simple as that.
You’re not going to get there any other way. It’s not an emotional or mystical
journey. Spiritual growth won’t happen
by osmosis either. Sanctification
requires the discipline of constantly putting God’s Word in your mind.
Please
understand this:
- Without the Truth of Scripture, there is no mechanism to restrain your sinful flesh (1 Corinthians 10:13).
- The only certain method for true Spiritual growth starts with absorbing God’s Word routinely (Romans 10:17).
This
is a command to Believers from Scripture.
It is not a suggestion my friends.
Romans 12
2: ...And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the (what) renewing of your mind, so
that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect.
Cognition leads to
“Conviction"
As
you grow in your understanding of the Bible, you begin to develop convictions
out of that understanding. These beliefs
determine how you live.
As
God’s Truths take hold in your life, they produce principles that you desire to
live by and that you do not want to violate.
This is sanctification. It’s the
transformation of your heart (first) and then your mind
that compels you to obey God’s Word.
Consider
this: when you read the Bible you’re not
just trying to know it academically.
You’re studying the Word of God to develop a set of convictions that
will rule your life, the lives of your loved ones, and guide you all toward
greater Christlikeness.
If
you’re truly growing spiritually, you don’t read the Bible for educational
purposes, or because you “feel” the need to do so. You don’t approach the Bible casually or
carelessly and you don’t flippantly disregard its truths.
If
you’re truly growing spiritually, you come to Scripture eager for spiritual
nourishment which it alone provides.
Just as Peter wrote,
1 Peter 2
2: like newborn babies, long for the
pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”
During
the first 4-8 months of life, newborns need only breast milk or formula to meet
all their nutritional needs. This is the
analogy Peter is using in this verse. A
new Believer should be content with “the
pure milk of the word” until such time as they are able to handle the meat or deeper Truths of God’s
Word.
In
closing I want to leave you with these thoughts. Your parents may not have told you everything
you wanted to know while you were growing up in their care. This
act was based on their good judgment and sensitivity to your needs.
In
truth, Scripture may not tell us everything we want to know.
But
the Bible does tell us everything we need to know.
But you won’t
truly love God’s Word if it’s not already shaping the way you live today. And
it can’t shape the way you live today if you don’t understand what it is saying
and what it means. This is why any
pattern for spiritual growth that doesn’t start with the study of God’s Word
cannot lead you to sanctification.
John
F. MacArthur
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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