Understanding how to grow up spiritually Session 1 Lesson 5

Understanding how to grow up spiritually

Session 1 Lesson 5

Introduction: Everything living is proven by its growth. We were raised from death to life, therefore we must grow. We entered this new life as seeds or children and once admitted into this new life, what is required next is growth. [John 5:24; Col.1:13; 1Pet.1:23 and 1Pet.2:2]

After redemption comes a new war

This war is called spiritual warfare. Since Satan could not stop God from actualizing His redemptive plan for man through the Lord Jesus Christ, he has been trying to make it impossible for man to attain to the realization of God’s dream for man. He tries to do this by attacking man with the following weapons:

1.     Ignorance: He first tries to make man ignorant of the following:

·        The gospel of man’s redemption: The majority of people that are unsaved today are not saved because they are ignorant of the truth that God has already sent a messiah in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem man from sin and therefore spiritual death to which he was subjected through his sin. In 2Cor.4:3-4, we are told that our gospel is hidden from the ignorant because their minds have been blinded by the devil. In that text of scripture, the devil was referred to by Apostle Paul as the god of this world. The reason for this as we have seen in the course of this series is that by his sin; Adam lost his place as the god of this world to the devil who wrested it from him in the garden of Eden by deceiving Eve with Adam’s cooperation. See Gen.3:6-7; Lk.4:5-6 and 1Tim.2:14. In light of this, our business as believers is to ensure that we win the lost for Christ. If you do not know how, start by sharing your testimony with them. Then you can read how to on my blog at www.flourishinggirl.blogspot.com.

·        The truth about man’s freedom: Another thing people are ignorant of is the truth that man’s freedom from sin and therefore the devil’s jurisdiction has been fully paid for by Christ and all man has to do now is take it through repentance. In John 3:16-18, this truth is clearly stated and we are expected to pay attention to it and take advantage of it. All who believe this truth and repent are saved. They are saved form damnation. This is why we preach the gospel because we understand that what people do not hear about, they cannot believe.   The devil works hard to keep people in the dark of this truth. This is why the word of God refers to him as the prince of darkness. Therefore in any area of life you are ignorant of the truth, he can reign over you. The need for being enlightened by God cannot be overemphasized as a result of this. See Jn.8:31-32; Lk.22:53; Acts 26:18; Eph.2:2-3 and John 5:24.

·        The truth about man’s healing rights in Christ: Encapsulated in the redemption package is the complete list of what Jesus died to pay the prize for. This comprehensive list includes our total healing. The healing of our souls and bodies inclusive. Sadly, many believers know that they have been saved because they have the assurance of salvation by the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in us, but they are not sure if healing is God’s will for them. The good news is that we can access these truths from the bible if we care to read it. God can not only heal you, he really passionately wants to heal you. See 3Jn.1:2 which says that God wishes above all things that we prosper and be in health even as our souls prosper. This healing package was prophesied in Isa.53:1-5 and declared as having been fulfilled in 1Pet.2:24. Furthermore, the bible proves that with God, there is no incurable disease. The prayer of faith would save the sick and if he has committed sins, God would forgive him if he goes for prayer help from the Church. See Jas.5:14-15; Mat.8:16-17 and Acts 5:14-16.