Building up believers and the New Testament church
Growing Up Into Christ
Faith to Walk Above
This pamphlet examines questions about temptation and carnality by giving a clearer understanding of Christ's temptations, and then encouraging us to see who we are in Christ. Many have misunderstood the verse saying that Jesus was "in all points tempted as we are" (Heb. 4:15), and this has led to misconceptions about temptation and sin in the believer's life. But if we know what God has done in Christ, we will realize that God's grace is greater than the pull or power of sin. Abiding in Christ will enable us to overcome the world, and as we now live "by the faith of the Son of God" (Gal. 2:20), we are "more than conquerors" (Rom. 8:37). Complex issues are clarified by this simple teaching about the new and living way that Christ has made for us. [Read Full Article]
Spiritual Maturity
No matter how wonderful the birth of a child, our joy would be short-lived if the child never grew up. Spiritual birth is the same. We must be "born again"--and then we are to "grow up into Christ." After the foundation is laid, the building begins, and building is not automatic. "...Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love" (II Peter 1:5-7). This booklet outlines the joys and challenges we will experience as we persevere in responding to the discipline of the Holy Spirit. As we are changed "from glory to glory," the character and nature of Christ will be formed in us and we will grow up spiritually. [Read Full Article]
The Will of God
If we have committed our lives to God, we know He must lead us, and we want to do His will in every circumstance. But how can we know God's will? Two or more paths are before us, and we do not know which one to take. The first issue to consider is whether we understand and are fully committed to God's overall purpose. This will immediately guide many of our choices. Our choices may also be determined by their effect on the relationships God has placed us in. Then, as we continue in fellowship with God, we will be able to sense His mind in specific situations. As we yield to Him, He makes the way plain. The simple teaching of this article can help to clarify the perplexities we all face, showing us how to stay open to God's leading and committed to His will. [Read Full Article]
Fellowship With God
"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23). As Christians, our calling is nothing less than continuous personal fellowship with God. We may shrink from this thought, feeling that we are not worthy or that this place is only for a special few. But God created us for this very purpose! God does not build His plans around us. He builds everything around Himself and His ultimate purpose. Because of His love, mercy, and provision in Christ, we may participate in God's plan. This booklet helps to outline the privileges, responsibilities and joy of our true position in Christ. As we adjust our perspective, we will see the necessity of beginning, continuing and moving on with God, now and into eternity. [Read Full Article]
Waiting On God
The world rushes madly on, pressing us to keep up with the demands of modern life. We want instant food, instant solutions, instant success, and of course with all of that, instant spirituality. We know there is no such thing, and we know that "those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." But what does it really mean to wait on God, and why is it is so important? In the New Covenant, everything is built around an expanding revelation of Jesus Christ. For Christ to be revealed to us, in us, and through us, we must learn to wait on God. No matter how much life pushes us, we must not allow this intimate place with God to be pushed aside. This booklet discusses both profound and practical aspects of the essential discipline of waiting on God. [Read Full Article]
The Discipline of Obedience
Christ has made our relationship with God new, our hearts new, and our ability new. But from this foundation it is our responsibility, through obedience to the Holy Spirit, to receive the "engrafted word which is able to save your souls." We are to be "doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:21,22). When we are born again, life has only begun. Until the living word is acted upon, it does not take root in our lives and begin to profit us. God is looking for finishers. Here is where we need the power of God, to learn of Christ and bring glory to Him, and for godly character to be built in our lives. This teaching brings out the importance of not only hearing and obeying God individually, but also discerning spiritual authority and the way God uses other men in our lives, having a submissive heart, and knowing in what we obey. [Read Full Article]
The Hope of Glory
The final earthly prayer of Jesus to His Father (John 17) contains many profound truths, including this: "...And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one..." What is this "glory" that the Father gave Jesus, and Jesus gave us? The testimony of John was that in Jesus Christ they beheld the "glory" of God in human form, "full of grace and truth." John goes on to say, "...of His fullness we have all received." If this is true--if all the fullness of God is now available to us--the possibilities are beyond natural comprehension. Have we even begun to see what a glorious salvation Jesus paid for with His blood? Have we partaken of His glory? This exploration of John 17:22 uses related passages to seek a better understanding of the meaning, purpose and reality of the "hope of glory" that should be the experience of every believer. [Read Full Article]
Growing Up Together Into Christ
"...Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children..." These statements from Ephesians 4 are so challenging as to make us almost afraid to inquire more closely. Often we earnestly desire to grow up in God but we do not clearly see the way. What is this unity of the faith? Does God truly require such a perfection of relationship? The purpose of all proper ministry and the supply of God coming through each member is to attach us to the Head and grow us up into Christ. This is God's perfect plan, the new man created according to Christ Jesus, and can only take place together with our brothers and sisters. Now is the preparation time, so let us give attention to these questions, and grow up together into Christ. [Read Full Article]