Thursday, January 10, 2008

Spiritual Big Five

I Thes. 4:1- Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

When we really mature in our spiritual life, we see more, we know more, we feel more, we do more, and we repent more. It is all in proportion to our closeness to God! We are, in short, growing in grace (as Peter said in 2 Peter 3:18).

No one who neglects the spiritual big five—daily Bible study, prayer, meditation, weekly fasting and obedience—can expect to make much progress in sanctification because these are the channels through which spiritual strength flows from God. This is why having access to God through Jesus Christ is so important. These efforts produce faith and then with obedience, the result being a fresh supply of His grace flowing in our lives.

There are no spiritual gains without pains. Would we expect a crop from a farmer who never even looked at his fields until harvest time? That is ridiculous!

The farmer has to get out in his fields and sow the seeds. Does not God say in that "the fruit of righteousness are sown in peace by those who make peace"? This means that you can’t run around being contentious and fussing with every one or acting like you have a chip on your shoulder or you got up on the wrong side of the bed. Because you are not walking in the Spirit and you are not a peacemaker so you are not sowing in peace. Unless you sow in peace you are not going to reap the fruits of righteousness. The fruits of righteousness have to be sown! That is work.

What are the fruits of righteousness? They are love, joy peace, gentleness, goodness, meekness, kindness, faith, temperance (self-control)—but they have to be sown, fertilized, cultivated, and pruned. How we act and how we treat one another it is a choice that we make all the time! Someone was making fun of me the other night and got others to laughing at me! I made a decision right then and there to not make a snide or sour remark and put myself on their level. The world sees meekness as a weakness but it takes a man or woman of God to exhibit the fruit of righteousness with self control or temperance.

I have been laughed at and told that I was too weak to be involved in leadership that I couldn’t accomplish things that needed to be done. But I realize that they just want me to lay down some of my fruits of the Spirit and act like the world with like retorts and responses! But I am told in Proverbs 23:23 - Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. A great preacher and founder of the United Pentecostal Church "Oliver Fauss", wrote a book with that title “Buy the Truth and Sell it Not”.

We see a process in bearing the fruits of righteousness. As the fruits begin to be produced, sanctification cannot be hidden any more than the fruit on a tree can be hidden. We will never attain to holiness without daily Bible study, daily prayer, daily meditation, weekly fasting. Then you have to obey what the Pastor teaches and preaches! You can’t say:
· "Well I don’t see it in the Bible",
· or "He can’t expect us to follow everything he says, let's see what we can get by with"
· or "Rules are made to be broken"

Remember Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Growing spiritually is done by daily Bible study, daily prayer, daily meditation, weekly fasting and daily obedience to the word of God and the Pastor!

That is how spiritual life is sown, cultivated, fertilized, and tended so that good fruit is produced.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is the Big 5 Club for me - and just think, the Lord charges no membership fees.

Linda Elms said...

Kevin, I enjoyed reading this. You're doing some great teaching in this post. Thanks!

iluv2prshim said...

Amen. This was good teaching. We can't make it without prayer and living a devoted life.
Blessings

Kevin Hopper said...

Thanks for the comments! After 30 years (scary thought, someone is getting old) of being involved in church leadership and ministry you see a lot of things! Sometimes the ways and attitudes of the world want to creep in and we have to raise the awareness of it to ward those trends off. Which leads to another topic that my Dad talked to me about the other day dealing with rebellion. I'll share it when I get it researched.

Karen J. Hopper said...

Start researching. I want to hear your thoughts. Me and Uncle Harold have already heard it from your dad (I think). Love ya, Aunt Karen

Kevin Hopper said...

I started researching today since I am laid off work again. I will blog it ASAP. Yes, I called and picked my dad's brain a little more today! He can't get it on paper anymore so I talk to him and I'll get it on paper for him. He is still teaching me after all these years.

Anonymous said...

This was good. Thanks for sharing.

Look forward to your new post on "Rebellion".

Anonymous said...

Wonderful and truthful post, Bro. Kevin. I will say a loud, "AMEN" to all written here. Thank you!