Scripture

Hebrews 10:14 (NIV)

For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Observation

I like fruit. From blueberries to watermelon I just can’t get enough. While I know that a lot of fruit contains seeds that might grow if I just stuff the fruit into the ground, it’s not likely going to happen. I’m better off buying a packet of seeds that are ready to be planted. Once I plant them, I’ll have to take care of them. I’ll need to plant them into good soil, water as needed and make sure that they get the sunlight that they require. These are basic truths for growing plants, flowers, or trees. If you look around the world, you’ll see that most of life follows a similar pattern.

We aren’t born with adult bodies, and except for a dozen or so other creatures, most creatures have to go through a growth process to reach maturity. However, we seem to live in a world where we want it now. We don’t want to have to wait for anything. If we’re honest with ourselves then we can agree that we don’t like to wait. We wait because it’s necessary.

Our growth as Believers is a process. We are called to be holy. However, being holy is a process that we need to allow God to work on, in us, as we grow in Him. When we first accept Jesus into our lives we must allow the Holy Spirit to come into us and fill us. Too often, we look at holiness as either on or off. We are “holy” because God makes us holy. However, at best you can say that we are saints who sin. I have heard the term, “sinner, saved by grace” and that’s wrong. We identify with Christ who is holy. When we accept Christ into our hearts we are changed. We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). However, that creation still needs to be in a relationship with God in order to be made holy.

We are saved, by faith, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. However, we are in the process of being saved, changed into a holy being like God, as we walk through our salvation. You don’t plant seeds, leave them to their own devices for a while and then go back to check and see if they grew up, do you? If so, you’ll likely find barren ground or some dead plants.

Therefore, like plants that require water, good soil, and sunlight to grow, we need to nurture our hearts and minds in Christ. This is a daily process that is dependent on the choices we make. What do we feed on today? We are in this world but we are not of this world (John 18:36). When we accepted Jesus into our hearts we became citizens of Heaven (Philippians 3:20). Subsequently, our daily focus ought to be on doing our part to advance God’s Kingdom here on Earth.

We advance the Kingdom of God here on Earth by doing the things we have to do every day. However, whatever we do, we must do it in love, as if we are doing it for God (Colossians 3:17). While our daily lives may look very different from one another, certain things should be the same. We ought to read our Bibles and pray every day.

When we read our Bibles we are being nurtured by the word of God, and our minds and hearts will change.

Remember that growing in the Lord is a process that doesn’t take place overnight. It is a process though, that when it’s done, will be sweeter than the sweetest fruit.

Do you know God? God knows you and He loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. Nothing is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, right now, and He wants you to know Him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so that we could be free of guilt, be freed from death, and live eternally with Him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

Advertisement