Your Daily Devotional for March 31, 2006

March 31, 2006

 

The Process of Christian Growth

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

John 15:2

 

Once someone accepts Christ as his Savior, God says that His will is that he would begin to grow. To grow, we must first be in Christ. Two specific ways of growth are purging and abiding. Purging removes the impurities from our lives. The Father is the husbandman, which means He has authority over the branches and is capable of helping us to grow in the Christian life. He will lovingly prune our lives that we may bear more fruit.

 

The goal of God’s purging and pruning in my life is to clean and purify my life of wrong motives and sin that would hinder the testimony of Jesus Christ. Sometimes God will clean us through His Word. John 15:3 says, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” God also purifies our lives through trials. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:5, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.” When trials come, many Christians quit attending church or reading the Word of God because they are unable to face what is going on. God says,”For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Hebrews 12:6)

 

A few years ago, I called a pastor friend and was telling him about some problems and trials I was having. It was difficult to share these things with him. At the end of the conversation, he said, “Just hearing these problems you have been having, Brother Chappell, makes me so happy.” I thought, “My problems make you happy. Why do my problems make him happy?” I will never forget what he said next, “God wouldn’t allow this purging and these trials into your life unless He was going to allow you to bear more fruit as a Christian.” Pruning is a process whereby we are disciplined to become more like Christ and to conform to the image of Christ and to follow the ways of Christ. Pruning will make a way for us to have greater growth in the future.

 

The second way to grow is by abiding in Christ. The word “abide” means to remain with Him. The problem with most Christians today in America is that we want instant gratification. We want to pray once and have it answered. God does not always work this way. God wants people who remain in Him daily.

 

The Bible likens the Christian life to being planted by a river of water. “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3) If you want to grow in Christ, then be faithful to the Word of God, faithful to the house of God and daily abide with Jesus Christ.

 

If you will abide in Christ and allow Him to purify your life you will be, “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:7) Your life will be marked by growth, and your faith will become strong in the Lord. You will not only abound with fruit, but also with thanksgiving to our wonderful Heavenly Father.

---

================================================
THIS IS AN AUTOMATED MESSAGE PLEASE DO NOT REPLY
================================================
Manage your online subscriptions at
http://www.dailyintheword.org/email/user-login.aspx

To Unsubscribe from this list please follow this link
http://www.dailyintheword.org/email/user-unsubscribe.aspx?s=4159&l=1