I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, written about it, or implied that Everything that is of major importance in life is a process! Nothing is instantaneous… and when it comes to essential issues, it probably is never ending too. Experience suggests that whatever the major issue is.. it is either atrophying or growing. It never is both. And one of the 2 positions dominates.
Have you made the same discovery too? Actually, the reality that the critical components of our lives are in a process of growth, improving, refining, etc. is quite relieving. As a new Christian I thought I had to ‘know it all’ right away. I had read in scripture that:
“No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)
“And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.” (1 John 2:27)
There are others that also say similarly. True… but I think I didn’t understand the verses and probably mis-applied them in my life. The first verse is implying a future reality. The second is telling us about the baptism in the Spirit. This second aspect is always ongoing as long as we live in this realm. Where we are now is our learning lab. We are continually building line upon line, precept upon precept (Isaiah 28:10)
However, there is a caution in this. While I do believe that we are constantly growing in those important components, it isn’t license to sit on what or where we are … nor is it an excuse. We are beckoned into a deeper relationship and understanding. This can’t be accomplished until we act on ‘moving on’. Never forget Who it is you are following – the Lord. Would you consider yourself, or the church having attained ‘perfection’? The following is an excerpt from Ephesians 4 and is Paul’s prayer for the church and indicates what Jesus prepared as we grow.
“…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (v. 12-16)
Are you and your brother and sisters in the Lord: equipped, built up, in unity of the faith, in knowledge of the Son – to a mature man, no longer children, speak the truth in love, providing your part, building the body in love? If so, then you may have accomplished the goal of bringing to the Lord a church without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:26-27). Probably not though.
We are still in process. Attainment will occur – at the Second Coming. That’s not a negative or put down. We have a goal set before us – that doesn’t change. The wonderful news is if you go to the end of the book you’ll see… we win.
