By Pastor Greg...
Two years ago, I replanted a small
sapling in a different section of the yard.
It’s a sugar maple that started growing on the north side of the house
too close to some other trees and shrubs. Since I had recently removed a Sweet Gum tree
from the south side of the house, I decided to replant the little maple tree
rather than pull it out and throw it away.
I hope that this little tree will grow
and provide some shade during the long, hot days of summer.
Last year’s rain was good for this
tree. It’s nearly four feet tall at this
point; it seems like it will do well in that spot. Had I allowed it to grow where it had first sprouted, it would certainly not
grow into a very healthy tree… if it would have even grown at all. And I know what I did for that tree has made
it healthy; I can tell this because of the growth.
I wonder… if that little tree
could talk, what would it have said to me as I uprooted it from where it was
and transplanted it to its present location?
Isn’t this what the Lord God does
for us? From a spiritual perspective, He
lifts us from where we are and transplants us to a better place to serve a greater
purpose. He did this for the Hebrew slaves
living in Egypt. Through Moses, God lifts them from captivity
and transplants them into the land of Canaan.
Because of God’s love, care, and
protection directed toward these people, He expected to see evidence of growth;
God expected Israel to “bear fruit.” In
other words, He expected the people of Israel to demonstrate the same love,
care, and protection toward all the other nations of the world. But instead, the descendants of Jacob never
changed; the children were just as stiff-necked and stubborn as their fathers. Even after God did all those wonderful things
for them, they gave God bitterness in return (see Isaiah 5:1-4). God
expected them to change… to show signs of growth.
God has always expected people to
be changed by their encounter with Him.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God says, 10 “The rain and snow
come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They
cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the
hungry. 11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it
always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper
everywhere I send it” [1]
(Isaiah 55:10-11).
What God has said here is deeply
important; we cannot glance over these words without seriously considering
their implication. God implies that when
He sends out His word, it will accomplish everything He has planned; things
will change. And, according to the
author of the new Testament book of Hebrews, when God sends His Spirit, He will
also accomplish God’s plans; where the Spirit of God resides, there will be
change… there should be change.
(Hebrews 6:1-8) “So let us stop going
over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and
become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with
the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith
in God. 2 You don’t need further instruction about baptisms,
the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And
so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.
4 For it is impossible to
bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have
experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who
have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come—6 and
who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to
repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the
cross once again and holding him up to public shame.
7 When the ground soaks up
the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. 8 But
if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon
condemn that field and burn it.”
[2]
God expects the same with you and
me. When we become a Christian, God expects
us to grow; He expects us to “bear fruit.”
Jesus told His followers, “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He
cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the
branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more”[3]
(John 15:1-2). And what Jesus means is
that God expects you and me to show signs of growth. We need to become “healthy Christians.” We are expected to mature.
This answers the question new
Christians often ask; “What does God expect from me?” The answer is, “show signs of spiritual
growth.” God expects you to be transformed from the person you used to be into a
Christian who is a blessing to others. But, how do we mature? How do we grow in our faith? The answer is simple; we make changes in our
life.
To mature in our Christian faith,
we move ourselves away from the things that hinder our spiritual growth and
place ourselves in an environment that promotes spiritual growth. We make
changes in our life. It’s difficult
to hear from God when the sinful influences of the world drown out His
voice. If you want to mature as a
Christian it means you turn away from certain music, movies, and habits that
fight for your attention. In order to
grow into a strong, healthy Christian, you will need to make time for God in
your life. You will need to spend time
in His word; you will need to spend more time studying the Bible than the
standings.
To grow in our faith, we must “strip off every
weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And
let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We
do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects
our faith” [4]
(Hebrews 12:1-2).
Listen, it’s this plain and
simple: if you want your life to change, then you will need to take the
initiative and make some changes in your life.
If you want to grow closer to God then you will need to move yourself away from your former life and start
spending more time with God, with other mature Christians, and in the Bible.
Or…
You can stay where you are; you
can choose to remain the same, and not make any changes. And you are certainly free to make that
choice, you know. That’s the way God
works; He doesn’t force Himself upon us; He gives us a choice. However, if we refuse to make any of the
necessary changes in our life that move us closer to God, we may soon find
ourselves right back where we started; feeling lonely, unloved, worthless, and hopeless;
overcome with worry and living in fear.
Listen, maturing as a Christian
takes time and effort on our part; it doesn’t just magically happen. Therefore, if you want to see yourself grow
as a Christian, you will need to make a choice; you will need to make changes
in your life.
So, what will your next step be?
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(Is 55:10–11). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2]
Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(Heb 6:1–8). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(Jn 15:1–2). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[4]
Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation
(Heb 12:1–2). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
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