GROWING SPIRITUALLY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY OCTOBER 07, 2023.

SUBJECT: GROWING SPIRITUALLY!

Memory verse: "But by the grace of God I am what I am. And His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (First Corinthians 15 vs 10.)

READ: Philippians 2 vs 12 - 13; Hebrews 13 vs 20 - 21:

Philippians 2:12: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

2:13: For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Hebrews 13:20: Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 

13:21: make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen. 

INTIMATION:

Spiritual growth is a collaborative effort between you and the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit works with us, not just in us. The spiritual growth path is made up of two parts: the "work out" and the "work in."parts. The "work out" is your responsibility, and the "work in" is God's role. In one of the passages we read today, the Scripture says, “For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2 vs 13.) This verse written to believers is not about how to be saved, but how to grow. It does not say "work for" your salvation, because you can't add anything to what Jesus already did. It says “work out” your own salvation. The salvation has already been delivered to you through Christ’s substitutionary work on the cross. 

The “work out” is like thinking of exercising your body; you exercise your body to develop it, and not to get a body. It's the same with the farmers who work on the land, they work not to get land, but to develop what they already have. God has given you a new life; now you are responsible to develop it "with fear and trembling." That means to take your spiritual growth seriously! 

When people are casual about their spiritual growth, it shows they don't understand the eternal implications. "Work out your own salvation" in the light of being careful to obey Christ wholeheartedly. We must be careful about what we believe and how we live, especially when we are on our own. We must focus our attention and devotion more on Christ so that we won't be sidetracked. 

God works in us as we have responded to His work for us. He worked for us through the cross. Our sense of gratitude to the work of God in reference to our salvation, therefore, should move us into action. In this way God is living in us (Galatians 2 vs 20; First Timothy 4 vs 15). 

When we are motivated into action by the redemptive work of God, then we work according to the purposes of God (Second Corinthians 3 vs 5). And when we work according to the purposes of God, it is God who works in us. Christians do not work in order to be saved. They work out their salvation because they are saved.

The calling of the apostle Paul into apostleship illustrates the work of God through His grace. He did not earn his call into apostleship. He was not a self-proclaimed apostle. In fact, his persecution of the church placed him as far away from God as one could possibly be. However, God knew that Paul was a sincere and honest personality, and thus, He provided for him the opportunity to respond to the miraculous appearance of Jesus. The apostle Paul could claim no meritorious accomplishment for either his calling or his salvation. All were by the grace of God. 

All that God did toward the apostle Paul by His grace was not a wasted effort. It was not useless because he responded with thanksgiving (Second Corinthians 4 vs 15). When God’s grace was extended toward him, he worked more abundantly than when he lived under a legal system of religiosity. He really worked out his own salvation with fear and trembling, and labored more than all other apostles. He knew he could do all that because of God’s grace with him. When one is motivated by grace, he or she cannot do enough in thanksgiving for his or her salvation.

Prayer: Abba Father, I will forever remain grateful for your gift of salvation, and Your subsequent work in me both to will and to do for Your good pleasure. I commit myself entirely to Your care and leading, and Your empowerment to live in accordance with Your precepts, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!