SPIRITUAL GROWTH ARTICLES
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chastening, Greek:paideia (Strong’s number: 3809): Chastening, Nurture, Instruction, Discipline:
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; All scripture is…profitable…for All discipline (3809) for the moment seems |
At this point of your spiritual growth, you can limit His transforming work in your life through disobedience to your Father’s chastening; or you can open the door to transformation as you respond to His chastening by obeying Him willingly.
Some women become immobilized at this point of their Christian walk because they overspiritualize this part of the growth process. They may believe things like, “If I just pray enough and read the Bible enough, God will change me. I need to wait on Him.” Yet they continue to be complacent about obedience.
Others believe that obedience means asking the Lord to set a course for their lives, so their prayers are geared towards, “What should I do next?” and they become frustrated because they cannot discern what God wants them to do or, conversely, they often preface their talk with “God told me to…” Both of these courses also overspiritualize the growth process.
Transformation occurs on the inside—who you are—which affects what you do. And as you are transformed, you have much liberty in Christ to choose the course of your life.
God’s transforming work in your life.
This is a heart-wrenching time of wrestling with who you currently are. You will experience many struggles with your own flesh; but it is through these personal struggles that you either choose to obey or choose to disobey.
When you become tired of constantly struggling with your flesh, the Spirit of God will lead you to the cross so that you can cooperate with Him to put to death the deeds of the body.
mortify and putting to death Mortify
therefore your members… ~Colossians 3:5
From Vine’s Expository Dictionary: Putting to Death you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death (2289) the deeds of the body, you will live. ~Romans 8:13 From Vine’s Expository Dictionary: |
If you continue to repent of the same things over and over again, it is time to move forward in obedience in your personal conduct. Do you lack diligence or discipline? Do you become angry easily? Are you overemotional? Are you controlling? If so, in these and similar areas, the flesh rules. Willing obedience in your conduct lets the Lord in so He can begin His transforming work.
~Luke 16:10
As you cooperate with the Lord by obeying Him in the seemingly small areas where He has already given you revelation about your flesh as manifested by your personal conduct, you will begin to have victory over those seemingly small things. Don’t simply follow ritualistic disciplines. Wrestle with your flesh one step at a time.
For an example of the difference between ritualistic works and wrestling with your flesh as you obey, click here.
Relationship with God is not driven by the expectations of others.
happens moment by moment throughout your real life,
not through a contrived set of circumstances.
One often-overlooked key to spiritual growth is embracing the struggle with the flesh (Romans 7:20, 25). Willingness and obedience (Isaiah 1:19) to the Lord in the everyday things that He allows into your life to bump your heart open the door to the process of transformation.
| As you willingly choose not to give in to the flesh but struggle with it, you are cooperating with the Lord, demonstrating that you are willing to receive His chastening, which is painful for a time but in the end produces the fruit of Christ-righteousness (Hebrews 12:11). More time in prayer (Matt. 7:20-23, Luke 6:46) or reading Scripture (John 5:39-40) will not bring about the transformation. Unfortunately, practicing those two disciplines without obedience may grow pride in your life if your flesh is strong (in other words, it's easy to live out what you perceive as good) or depression and a defeatist attitude if your flesh is weak (in other words, it's hard to live out what your perceive as good). It's your cooperation with the Lord's will (through your willingness to accept His ordering of the circumstances of your life) and discipline (as you obey Him, especially when your flesh needs to die) that opens the door of your life to put to death the deeds of the flesh—destroying the strength of it, depriving the flesh of power over you—and makes room for the Spirit of His Life. |
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help us to see Your Hand of chastening and discipline
in our everyday circumstances as we rejoice in our reality.
Teach us to respond—through obedience—to your chastening.
Thank You that You love us through this process to abundant Life.
that we may share in His holiness.
~Hebrews 12:10b
Go to Part 4 of this series: Believe and Abide, Part 1 of 3
SERIES
Links and Navigation Help
- Create Margin
Purposefully develop an environment that fosters spiritual growth. - Hearken!
Cultivate discerning the meaning of His message to you. - Invite the Lord’s Chastening through Obedience
Obey—through your personal conduct—the seemingly little things God has set before you.- Distinguish Between Works and Obedience
A practical example - Love is Born of God
A Failing Marriage Testimony
- Distinguish Between Works and Obedience
- Believe and Abide, Part 1 of 3
Believe and Abide, Part 2 of 3
Believe and Abide, Part 3 of 3
Believe Him as you abide and be released to love. - Simply Surrender
Now that the flesh has no power over you, walk in the Light and simply surrender. - Worship and Pray Without Ceasing
God seeks you to worship in spirit and in truth moment by moment. - Be Content and Hope in Christ
Serve the Living God, in Whom you find your contentment. - Wisely Steward Your Liberty
You are free indeed! Praise the Lord!
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