08/30/2017
The Growth and Learning of Life in Christ
There is no growing without grace through which the love of God flows freely. There is no growing and learning in grace without the love of God that causes us to be exercised. Just like physical exercise causes muscles to grow so that they don't atrophy, so does the love of God through grace cause us to grow so that we don't enter into spiritual atrophy. This is the love and wisdom of God as He uses all circumstances and situations to bring us unto the light of His love for us in intimacy. We learn truth either because of our need or for our need. "For" our need means the need has not yet come or hasn't been realized yet. In both cases, "because" and "for", there can be no real learning without suffering and exercise. Again, just like physical exercise to grow and increase muscle growth. The mistake many believers make is that they think because they can describe a truth, that therefore they have learned it. When a truth is really accepted, the conscience demands that my experience is equal to the truth of my position in Christ as I grow in intimacy in and with Him. No one can teach well what he has not had much trouble in learning. The exercise in learning acquaints each one of us in the care and attention of intimacy with Christ. This and only this causes us to be proficient in God's order. You and I can not teach and impart Christ in intimacy of His exceeding love until we can tell what hinders it in ourselves. Job was learning this in the trouble of his circumstances and situations in Job 23:10-16, as well as the apostle Paul at the end of his life on earth in Philippians 3:9-10. So are everyone of us that Christ has made us to be in the intimacy of his eternal love.
JN 1:14,16; 2 P 3:18; 5:5-10; GAL. 1:6-9; 2:20:5:1; PS. 119:67;HEB. 12:1-3: PV. 3:11-12; EPH. 3:19-21; PHIL. 4:6-9, 13,19; 2 TIM. 2:12-13
