Who gets stuck spiritually?
How do you grow spiritually?
“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.” – Hebrews 5:12-13
It always amazes me how much time some people spend learning and teaching “the law.” “The law” is holy and just and good BUT the law isn’t Jesus! “The law” led me to Christ BUT the law isn’t Jesus!
If you don’t believe me that is fine but I would challenge you to answer the questions here:
https://www.begracefull.com/let-the-journey-begin/
At the point a person gets stuck spiritually they become religious- following a doctrine which becomes a dogma which will NOT create a more Loving being but instead it will alienate them from everyone sooner or later. Even people who think like them will then feel a competitive nature to preach it more or obey the dogma better than others.
This is why Christ came to share the new covenant- a covenant based on Love and Forgiveness from Him that can never be earned and is offered freely to all who believe.
Move away from the milk! Stop being a baby and grow up!
To grow spiritually stop looking at Jesus as a rule book, start looking at everything He did for you and focus on that.
As you focus on what He did and His Love for you, have faith that each moment is a gift from Him and walk in the awareness of that- this is when His great Love will begin to flow through you!
Find a time when you can have a moment of quiet and just breathe. After you take several deep breaths and you feel a bit more relaxed, get back to normal relaxed breathing and:
Breathe in and say:
“Righteous by”
Breathe out and say:
“Christ alone”
Practice this way until you realize that your best is filthy rags and ONLY what He has done will create righteousness in you, once there- rest in that! It’s not your doing but His Did!
Don’t worry- BeGracefull.com!!
That’s all well and good, but what does this mean practically? I think most people get wrapped up in religiousity and legalism because it gives them a nice structure for their life. It tells them, “This is how you live in Christ, and this is how you worship.” And for us that’s wonderful because we’re a broken species and we don’t know the first thing about worshipping God.
I agree that legalism is wrong and Phariseic. But I’m hesitant to throw it out without looking at the hole it leaves behind. There are a lot of people out there who don’t know how to worship, who don’t know what’s okay and what they should be repenting for, who don’t know how Christ wants them to be, and who are hesitant to accept the “just love people, that’s all it takes” crowd. Because there are a lot of ways to love people and some of them are decidedly ungodly.
And while I’m on it, you say to love people like it’s that simple. I hate a lot of people. I have a hot streak a mile wide and a temper. I can’t tolerate most people I come across in the day. Telling me to just love is a little useless because I kind of don’t know how and even if I did I’m struggling to find the motivation. We’re a depraved species, there are a lot of people like me.
Thank you for sharing Harriet!
You brought out some great questions and made some very good points.
Perhaps this is why the weaker brother is the one that is under the most law- not the least?
What does Jesus want you to look like? He made you the way you are at this moment you are exactly what He wants in exactly the right place where He has you. He is God so I have to think He could change anything about our current situation or who we are- so there must be a lesson or a journey that He has for us right here and now- right?
You are asking some questions that still have a legalistic overtone, no disrespect intended but what does Jesus look like and what “should” a follower of His look like? Its my personal experience that the answer is as various as there are people that He made because He is at work to make us more Loving and more kind and more at peace- He will and is able to do that only as we learn to listen to Him. That listening comes from seeing what He wants me to see in this moment and allowing Him to grow me through it.
If this sounds strange all I can tell you is that Grace as is described in this document was the start of a journey for me where all I know for sure is “God Is Love.” I know its not much but its all I know and really all I need to know.
https://www.begracefull.com/let-the-journey-begin/