Essentials for Spiritual Growth and Freedom

Introduction: 
  • Success in the spiritual area of our life, as in all the other areas, is dependent on at least six factors.
    1. A knowledge of what to do: Knowing enough about Christianity to live it. John 8:32
    2. A knowledge of how to do it: Knowing how to make decisions of faith, love, and hope, and practice the obedience that comes from within. Phil 2:5-15
    3. Personal honesty: Knowing and rejecting selfishness, pretending, manipulation, role playing, and a hardened unteachable attitude. Help only comes to those who admit then- need and are willing to change. I Cor. 2:1-5; II Cor. 7:8-11
    4. Aggressive and patient obedience: Doing what is right in spite of emotional turmoil, setbacks, misunderstanding, and apparent lack of growth/freedom. Mark 8:34-38
    5. Understanding the key is, first of all, in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and that the basic issues are usually personal and internal. Matt 11:28-30
    6. Recognizing the importance and need of others to teach, counsel, admonish, and do healing prayer. James 5:16
  • The above list does not mean that we must earn salvation or spiritual growth and freedom. The grace of God ("grace" designating all the benefits the Lord Jesus died to give us) is free. However, if we are to grow and live in freedom, we must learn to live in harmony with the truths inherent in God's grace.
Text: 
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