The process of spiritual growth (part 2)

The same way Ishmael who was born according to the flesh persecuted Isaac who was born according to the Spirit, even so now, the life in the flesh is opposing and persecuting the life in the Spirit and so, we have been duly admonished saying; “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5: 16-17).

The life in the flesh stems from the works of the flesh, through the passion and lust of the flesh. It is sustained by the breath of life, and God's goodness who supplies it with food and drink.

The life in the Spirit however, stems from Jesus Christ who is the resurrection and the life, and in whom we live and move and have our existence. He is the vine and we are the branches.

Spiritual life is extracted from Jesus Christ through faith, and it is being sustained and developed by the grace of God, which is defined as God's unmerited favor, and comprise of:

(a)        God's favor,

Which is His great love in giving us His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

(b)        His gifts, talents, and abilities,

Which makes everyone unique, and it is given to the honor and glory of God and to serve one another.

(c)        His forgiving mercy

Which is the means by which we can have our sins forgiven, in order to maintain our relationship with Him.

(d)        His Gospel –

The good news of His salvation, the medium by which we can grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Spiritual growth begins with the activation of faith in the grace which we have all received according to the measure of Christ's gift.

We are told that, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as we were called to the one hope that belongs to our call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift" (Ephesians 4:4-7).

It is written, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not our own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast."

Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.

The faith that is required for salvation is not our faith, but faith in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who has given us a new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

As it is written: "As one man's trespass led to condemnation of all men so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. For, as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners; so, by one man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:18-19).

This is the gospel which, "Those who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, and have believed in Him, are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians1:13-14).

Then the Holy Spirit "As God's divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, that through these [His divine power and promises} we may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature"(2 Peter 1:3-4).

To grow in the nature of God, and have dominion over His creation, is God's original and ultimate plan for man. For, from the beginning He said, "Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth" (Genesis 1;26).

For this reason, we are admonished to, "Let no one glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come - all are ours; and we are Christ's, and Christ is God's" (1Corinthians 3:21-23).

We should at no time lose focus of the main objective of our human life for, we have been admonished saying, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.

He destined us in love to be His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace which He freely bestowed on us in [Jesus Christ] the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:3-6).

Spiritual life originates from Jesus Christ Who is the resurrection and the life. He is the vine we are the branches. We extract spiritual life from Christ in Whom we stand. Now without faith it is impossible to please God. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

However, faith is insufficient of itself to help us grow in the nature of God, because faith by itself if it has no works is dead.

Therefore, faith has to be supplemented with virtue, and virtue with knowledge. Because the new nature is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator; for we all with unveiled face, are beholding the glory of the Lord, and are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

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To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Then knowledge because it makes one arrogant, has to be supplemented with te
 

The process of spiritual growth

 Man's duality is symbolic to Abraham's two sons Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was born from Hagar a bond woman, and he was born according to the flesh. Signifying that, his birth was orchestrated and carried out by the will and passion of the flesh.

 On the other hand, Isaac's birth was from Sarah a free woman and came as the result of Abraham's faith in the promise of God. Abraham, "Not being weak in faith, did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what God had promised, He was also able to perform" (Romans 4:11-12).

 The same way Ishmael who was born according to the flesh persecuted Isaac who was born according to the Spirit, even so now, the life in the flesh is opposing and persecuting the life in the Spirit.

 Comparing the Life in the Spirit with that of the Flesh

 Living in the spirit to some people is something vague and nebulous: they see it as something figurative, a metaphor and not something that is real and literal. We have been told however that, what may be known about God is plain, because God has made it plain. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities His eternal power and divine nature… have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Therefore, exactly what is seen and known about the life in the flesh, reveals what is taking place in the life in the Spirit. The only difference is that they move in opposite directions, they are in constant conflict with each other, and the end result is in contrast to each other. The comparison between the two natures, are like two different trees and each bearing its own fruit and so, we have been duly admonished saying; “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish…And, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16-17;25).

For example, the practicality of the life in the spirit in comparison to the life in the flesh is as follows:

Life in the Flesh                Life in the Spirit

 1. Breath of Air                                                          1. Jesus Christ the life-giving Spirit

2. Water                                                                      2. The Blood of Jesus Christ

3. Food                                                                       3. The Body of Jesus Christ

4. Exercise                                                                 4. Renewing the Mind (Study the word)

5. Sleep and Rest                                                       5. Prayer and Fasting

6. Recreation                                                          6. Rejoice before the Lord

7. The End result              7. The End result

Differentiating the children of God from those of the devil (part 4)

2. The second identifying sign is “He who does not love his brother is not of God”

Loving one’s brother is not so difficult to understand as practicing righteousness, for it is clearly defined saying; “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us, we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed (action) and in truth” (1John 3:16-18).

One important admonition we have regarding the poor is; “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need whatever he needs,” For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 11).

These are the two outward signs or hallmarks that differentiates and identifies the children of God from the children of the devil, the question is, are we able to identify ourselves with them? For in the scripture it states: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, ‘A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for” (1Peter 2:6-7).

The message or word which they were destined to do, but stumbled because of disobedience is no other than the message of the cross and of Course its practical application. To the Jews a stumbling block: and to the Gentiles and those who are perishing foolishness, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.

Jesus Christ plainly stated; “I am the way (representing His body depicted by the unleavened bread), the truth(representing Jesus Christ Himself the Word of God sitting at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf) and the life (representing the blood of Jesus Christ for the life of every creature is in the blood, depicted by the wine). No one comes to the Father except through Me.

And so, we have been duly forewarned saying; “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (fellowship) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion (fellowship) of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1Corinthians 10:14-17).

It is the lack of understanding and proper application of this very important message of the cross that many believers perish as we have been duly instructed saying; “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep” (1 Corinthians 11:27-30).

It is the improper discernment of the message of the cross and its application as to when and how to apply it that is the main downfall of the Christian community despite the fact that we have been duly instructed saying; “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time” (Numbers 28:2).

And the appointed time to offer the Lord the food for His offerings is clearly defined in scriptures. These times of ignorance God has winked at and now commands every man everywhere to repent.

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 With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

 

 

Differentiating the children of God from those of the devil (part 3)

Observing the Lord’s Sabbaths is also part and parcel of this act of righteousness which differentiates the people of God from those of the devil. Although, “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” and we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:20; 28).

Nevertheless, observing the Lord’s Sabbath/s is part and parcel of the sign which distinguishes the people of God from those of the devil although not legally imposed as stipulated by the apostle Paul saying; “4Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks” (Romans 14: 4-6).

The crux of the matter however is, the Sabbaths were designated specifically by the Lord as the time to offer to the Lord the food for His offerings as clearly stated saying; “These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day ---besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:37-38).

As one can clearly see, offering the Lord the food for His offerings is the main objective for having a holy convocation, it is besides or in addition to observing the day and besides or in addition to all vows and freewill offerings which one gives to the Lord.

Observing the Sabbaths, not just the weekly Seventh Day Sabbath but also the annual Sabbaths is part and parcel of the sign which identifies the children of God from those of the devil, For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”

“You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore, the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:12-17).

To the prophet Ezekiel the Lord also said; “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.” Also, “I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God” (Ezekiel 20:12;19-20).

The Sabbaths (plural) in conjunction with offering the Lord the food for His offerings is the visual sign that differentiates the children of God from the children of the devil.

"It is this act of righteousness that when practice produces holiness, and ultimately everlasting life. It is this same act of righteousness that when practice, one becomes righteous even as Christ Himself is righteous. Therefore, we have been warned saying; “Dear children, do not let anyone deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous just as He is righteous” (1John 3:7).

The same way Abel was commended as being a righteous man because he offered the Lord the offering which was pleasing to Him, in like manner, righteousness is attained by faith in offering the Lord His offering, His food for His offerings, His pleasing aroma at their appointed time.

The children of God are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, in order that they may declare the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. They are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. They come to Mount Zion (the Church) and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in joyful assembly, and to the assembly of the first born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a Judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks better things than that of Abel.

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To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Differentiating the child of God from those of the devil (part 2)

The righteousness which when practice differentiates the children of God from the children of the devil is having faith in the act of righteousness by which man was imputed with righteousness. And since faith without works is dead, it means demonstrating this faith by whatever symbol that proclaims this act of righteousness.

 It is clearly stated that, “As the result of one man’s act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19).

The act of righteousness which imputed righteousness and brought life to all men, is the offering of the body of Jesus Christ which He offered to the Father as a sweet-smelling aroma, and which satisfies His will.

Righteousness has been attained on this basis from the very inception of humanity beginning with Abel. Immediately after we are given the two signs which differentiate the children of God from the children of the devil it is stated, “For thus is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brothers righteous” (1John 3:11-12).

So, what made God to regard Abel’s offering and disregard the offering made by Cain? Not only did God highly regard Abel’s Offering, but he was also commended as being a righteous man.

How did Abel attain righteousness? This is what we learn from the scriptures; “In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the first fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord has regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard” (Genesis 4: 3-5).

We are further told that, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, by faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings” (Hebrews11:4).

The reason why Abel’s offering was accepted, and Cain’s not accepted is because Abel offered to the Lord the sacrifice, the sweet aroma which satisfies His will, one which depicts the best one can offer for man’s redemption. For the life of all flesh is in the blood; and God has given it to us upon the altar to make atonement for our souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

The Lord instructed the priests saying, “You must not redeem the first born of an ox, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” Again, the Lord said to them; “The priests shall burn them (the fat) on the altar as food, and offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the Lord’s. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. You must not eat any fat or any blood” (Numbers18:17; Leviticus 3:16-17).

The sprinkling of blood and the burning of the fat of clean animals which were offered by Abel and also the Levites the priests were a type, that foreshadowed the real sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the best and only sacrifice that can fulfill the Father’s will in presenting the worshiper holy and blameless before Him.

 It is this secret mystery that was hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the church His manifold wisdom might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

This secret mystery was according to the eternal purpose which God has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in Him. Therefore, the practical righteous act which distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil is faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which is demonstrated by partaking of the bread and wine. For it is written: “For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup you proclaim (demonstrate) the Lord’s death until He comes.”

It is this act of righteousness that the children of God have become enslaved to for having been set free from sin. They are enslaved to this act of righteousness because God requires that this offering, the food for His offerings, His sweet-smelling aroma be offered to Him at its appointed time. In fact, God set aside specific times for His children to come together before Him, specifically to offer to Him His offering.

For thus says the Lord; “These are the Lord’s appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the Lord by fire – the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. These offerings are in addition to observing of the Lord’s Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord” (Leviticus 3:37-38; Numbers chapter 28 and 29).

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To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Differentiating the children of God from those of the Devil

  

Identifying the Children of God

It is without a shadow of doubt that the majority of people especially in the Christian religion believes that there is but only one God, the Father of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through Him we live, because in Him we live and move and have our being; He is the vine and we are the branches.

Nevertheless, it is stated quite distinctly that there are those who are regarded as the children of God, and those who are regarded as children of the devil; for thus it is written; “This is how we know who the children of God are, and who the children of the devil are” (1John.3:10).

In order to differentiate one from the other, two identifying signs have been given, but before we examine these two signs it is imperative that we know first of all how one can be regarded as a child of God and the other a child of the devil.

God the Father in His great mercy has given us (humanity) new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade away reserved in heaven for us. We were created through the resurrection of Jesus Christ to be like God in righteousness and true holiness.

Nevertheless we all have a human spirit which was dead (separated from God), because of the transgression of the first Adam, but was made alive again (given access to the Father), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but remains a free moral agency with the prerogative to join itself with either the spirit of the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, and thereby becoming a child of the devil.

Or, the prerogative to join our spirit with the Spirit of God and becomes one spirit with the Lord. When joined to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Authority is given to be called children of God only to those who receives Christ, and believes in His name. At this point the Father qualifies them to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light, for He has rescued them from the kingdom of darkness, and translated them into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom they have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The fact that there are those who are the children of the devil should not be a surprise because Jesus Himself said to the descendants of Abraham; “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of My own accord, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear My word.’

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him, when he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:42-44).

Having established the fact that there are children of God and children of the devil, it is therefore imperative to know how we are able to differentiate them.

It is stated quite explicitly, “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother” (1John 3:10).

It is imperative that we first establish and prove what is this act of righteousness, that when practice differentiates the children of God from the children of the devil.

Certainly, it cannot be our own righteousness, because it is clearly stated that, “We are all like an unclean thing and all our righteousness are like filthy rags. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” We are all under the power of sin as it is written; “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands, no one seeks for God, all have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one” (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10-12).

Neither can it be righteousness from the keeping of the law, because it is again stated quite clearly that; “Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith, but as it were based on works. They stumble over the stumbling stone.” It is well understood that, “No one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the law; rather, through the law they become conscious of sin” (Romans 9:31-32; 3:20).

What therefore is the act of righteousness which, when practice differentiates God’s children from the children of the devil?

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The manifestation of God’s glory

The Prophet Ezekiel in describing the glory of God wrote; “Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (Ezekiel 1:28).

The rainbow is the sign of the covenant God made between Himself and man, and every living creature that is with man. In fact, it is God’s perpetual covenant with the earth (Genesis 9:12-17).

The rainbow with its seven splendid colors depicts the seven attributes which when formulated together, produced the divine nature of God which is love (1John 4:8).

The seven colors of the rainbow which depicts the glory of God are:

1.     Red - depicting our precious life we give in service to God and planet earth. It is the service of brotherly kindness.

2.     Orange- depicting godliness, our moral and virtuous living, by abstaining from what is evil, and be obedient to the word.

3.     Yellow - depicting the genuineness of our faith which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1Peter 1:7).

4.     Green – depicting perseverance/ patience, a by-product from the testing of faith. Because, “The testing of faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-3).

5.         Blue – depicting the color of a clear blue sky, reflecting godly divine knowledge.

6.         Indigo – depicting self-control, standing between knowledge and virtue.

7.         Violet – depicting virtue, which is the application of godly knowledge, with sacrificial love.

Virtue is more than simple moral goodness. It is a source of inner strength/power, by which the moral goodness is executed. It is the power which exercises or executes faith (Mark 5:30; Luke 6:19;.8:46),

These seven traits as depicted by the colors of the rainbow, forms the composition of love, and therefore we should make every effort to add to our faith goodness; and to goodness knowledge; and to knowledge; self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For, “If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins” (2Peter 1:5-9).

Our spiritual growth can also be measured by our relationship with the world. For whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God (James 4:4).

We are therefore admonished saying; “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world” (1John 2:15-17).

Spiritual growth can also be measured by one’s zeal and desire to worship and fellowship with God and His Son Jesus Christ, by fellowshipping with one another at God’s appointed times, known as holy convocation.

May the eyes of our spiritual understanding be enlightened.

Lucius Joseph

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