Spiritual Growth - The Bible Way

Spiritual Growth - Letter #1

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How Can I be Born Again?
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When Jesus said - "You must be born again" he was not talking
physically. He was talking about spiritual re-birth.

The Bible say's that you are a three part being, consisting
of spirit, soul, and body. You are a spirit, (which will live
forever), you have a soul, (your mind, will, and emotions), and
you live inside a body, (which the Bible calls your flesh).

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I Thessalonians 5:23
And may your whole spirit, soul,
and body be preserved blameless
at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
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Your first birth was when you came into this world physically as
a baby. However, due to sin passed on to you from Adam, you were
born spiritually dead in God's eyes. You were not physically dead,
but spiritually dead because of sin.

God paved the way for you to become spiritually alive by sending
Jesus to die for your sins. When you put your faith in Jesus and
accepted Him as your Savior, God forgave your sins (and the sin
of Adam that you inherited), and you became alive in God's eyes
as a new "born again" spirit.

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Colossians 2:13
He has made alive together with
Him, having forgiven you all
trespasses.

Ephesians 2:1
And you He made alive, who were
dead in trespasses and sins.

I Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, even so
in Christ all shall be made alive.
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You are a spirit living inside the body of flesh. When your body
dies, you - the spirit - will leave the body and live forever in
one of two places. You will either be with Jesus in Heaven, or
sent to the lake of fire for eternal damnation.

Remember - it is not just saying a prayer that saves you. You must
truly believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, that He
was buried, and that He rose from the dead on the third day. Then
you must show your trust and belief, through faith.

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Ephesians 2:8/9
For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should
boast.
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When you decided to give your life to Jesus and start living for
Him, God gave you a renewed spirit. You are a new creation, a
new person on the inside.

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II Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation:
old things have passed away:
behold, all things have become
new.
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Your newborn spirit is as a newborn baby, an infant longing to
be nurtured. You must now start to feed your new spirit, according
to God's Word. There are several disciplines you can put into
practice that will help you to grow spiritually.... (continued...)



(All Bible verses from the NKJV unless stated otherwise.)



Continue - Letter #2 ............


Spiritual Growth - Letter #2

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You are a Spiritual Infant.
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Being a newborn spirit can be compared to being a newborn child.
As an infant must be fed to grow, so you must also feed your
spirit.

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I Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the pure
milk of the Word, that you may
grow thereby.

II Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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Your spirit needs and desires the pure milk of God's Word in
order to grow. Although spiritual growth is mainly dependant on
the Holy Spirit, there are many disciplines you should practice.

As you regularly practice these disciplines the Holy Spirit will
begin to do His work, teaching and guiding you, and helping you to
build your "Personal Relationship" with Jesus.

Here are some of the spiritual disciplines that you should begin
to add to your daily life; prayer, private and corporate worship,
Bible study, self-denial, fasting, confession, devotional reading,
meditation and solitude, journaling, accountability to one or more
fellow believers, serving others, and cheerful giving.

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I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
in everything give thanks.

John 9:31
But if anyone is a worshiper of God
and does His will, He hears him.

Psalm 147:1
Praise the Lord! For it is good to
sing praises to our God; For it is
pleasant, and praise is beautiful.

II Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness.

Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another in
order to stir up love and good works,
not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together.
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This is not to suggest that spiritual development is to confine
yourself, or ignore your other activities. Jeses did spend time
alone with God, as you should, but His spirituality was evident in
all of His life.

Guided by the Holy Spirit, you will grow through times of quiet
meditation and through living a Christ honored life in your daily
routines and relationships.

As you begin to add these practices to your daily life, you will
work towards a spiritual health, well-being, and stability (which
some call maturity), that brings true joy, peace, and purpose to
your life... (continued...)



(All Bible verses from the NKJV unless stated otherwise.)



Continue - Letter #3 ............


Spiritual Growth - Letter #3

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Your Helper, The Holy Spirit.
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The Holy Spirit is God (in trinity). When you accept Jesus as
your personal savior, God sends His Holy Spirit to dwell inside
you, joining with your new born again spirit.

This is essential to your spiritual growth, as the Holy Spirit
will convict you - guide you - and teach you. Jesus spoke of
this to His disciples before He was crucified.

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John 16:8
And when He has come, He will convict
the world of sin, and of righteousness,
and of judgement.

John 16:13
When He, the Spirit of truth has come,
He will guide you into all truth.
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As you allow the Holy Spirit's guidance and teaching in your new
life, and continue to practice daily spiritual disciplines, your
spirit will begin to grow and prosper in God's Word.

Christian spiritual growth is dependant on the work and power of
the Holy Spirit, however He will often use other stable believers
to guide and encourage you, to pray with and for you, and to hold
you accountable.

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Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so a man
sharpens the countenance of his
friend.
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Remember, you are a new person on the inside (II Corinthians 5:17
a new creation.) However, you still have the same flesh, and the
same soul (mind, will, and emotions.)

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Romans 12:2 -
And do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind.
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As you practice spiritual discipline, the Holy Spirit will start
to transform you by the "Renewing of your Mind."

Stop thinking like the rest of the world. Get all the old junk out
of your head and fill it with Godly thoughts.

Start thinking like Jesus. Keep away from those that continue to
pollute your mind with evil. Align your thoughts with God, and
"Renew Your Mind" according to God's Word... (continued...)



(All Bible verses from the NKJV unless stated otherwise.)



Continue - Letter #4 ............


Spiritual Growth - Letter #4

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Gradual Transformation.
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Our society has brain-washed us into wanting instant results for
everything. However, there is no such thing as "instant" or
"microwaved" spiritual stability / maturity. You can experience
spiritual growth if you are willing to develop the necessary habits.

Your daily routine holds the success to your spiritual growth. The
things you do on an occasional basis will make a small difference,
but the things you do every day can literally change the direction
of your entire life.

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Rowland Croucher wrote:
"Spiritual formation is the dynamic
process whereby the Word of God is
applied by the Spirit of God to the
heart and mind of the child of God so
they become more like the Son of God."
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Your thoughts are very powerful, controlling your every action and
behavior. You need to stop filling your mind with worldly views,
and start filling it with God's views.

Your destiny ultimately begins with your thoughts. Therefore, your
spiritual growth will come as you transform your thinking to align
with God's Word.

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Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that you may prove
what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God.
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The word "transformed" implies that, like a caterpillar grows into
a butterfly, we grow spiritually stronger as we renew our minds
with the Word of God.

Jesus said "abide in Me, and My words abide in you." As you daily
read the Bible, think about it, pray according to it, and live by
it, His Word will abide in you.

As you abide in Him, you will begin to think like God, looking at
situations from His viewpoint. You will go from just reading His
Word to understanding it, as it actually becomes a part of you.

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Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God is living and powerful,
and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the division of soul
and spirit, and of joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart.
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The Word of God is "alive" - The Word of God is "powerful" - The
Word of God has the "ability" to change you... (continued...)



(All Bible verses from the NKJV unless stated otherwise.)



Continue - Letter #5 ............


Spiritual Growth - Letter #5

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Spiritual Maturity.
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Some say that we never reach true spiritual maturity until we die
and meet Jesus. You can however, be more stable in your spiritual
walk. It doesn't matter how long you've been a born again Christian,
you can become more stable by integrating more of God's Word into
your heart and mind.

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Romans 10:17
"... faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God."
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The prophet, Jeremiah, gives an excellent idea of what spiritual
stability should be like...

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Jeremiah 17:7-8
Blessed is the man who trusts in the
Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord.
For he shall be like a tree planted
by the waters, which spread out its
roots by the river, and will not fear
when the heat comes, but it's leaf will
be green, and will not be anxious in
the year of drought, nor will cease
from yealding fruit.
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There are no shortcuts to stability / maturity. It is a process
you must actively endure. Spend time with God and in His Word,
rely on Him, and continue to grow in your relationship.

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Colossians 2:6-7
"...as you trusted Christ to save you,
trust Him too, for each days problems;
live in vital union with Him. Let your
roots grow down into Him and draw up
nourishment from Him. See that you go
on growing in the Lord, and become
strong and vigorous in the truth you
were taught" (TLB).
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Eliminate the things in your life that can choke out God's Word.
Identify and get rid of sin and sinful behavior.

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Hebrews 12:1
Let us lay aside every weight and
the sin which so easily ensnares
us, and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us.
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Be ready to endure times of trial and tribulation with thanks-
giving. God will trim your branches, (so to speak) as a tree
must be trimmed to reach maturity and produce good fruit. God
is the potter and you are the lump of clay on the wheel that
He is re-molding into His perfect will... (continued...)



(All Bible verses from the NKJV unless stated otherwise.)



Continue - Letter #6 ............


Spiritual Growth - Letter #6

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Patience and Perseverence.
===========================

Times of trials and chastening are not an option for a Christian.
They are essential for your spiritual growth. God uses them to
build your character, and show His love for you.

Just as a gardener trims the branches of a tree to make it grow,
so God will trim you, not to hurt you, but to help you.

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John 15:1-2
My Father is the gardener. He cuts
off every branch in Me that bears
no fruit, while every branch that
does bear fruit he prunes so that
it will be even more fruitful (NIV.)

Hebrews 12:11
Now no chastening seems to be joyful
for the present, but painful; never-
theless, afterward it yields the
peaceable fruit of righteousness to
those who have been trained by it.
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Endure these hardships as pruning, giving thanks and praise to God.
You are now a child of God and He loves you. He wants to mold you
into a new creation of infinite worth. Be patient, and the fruit of
your spiritual growth will soon be evident.

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Romans 5:3-4
Not only so, but we also rejoice in
our sufferings, because we know that
suffering produces perseverence;
perseverence, character; and character,
hope. And hope does not dissapoint us,
because God has poured out His love
into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
whom He has given us (NIV.)
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You are now God's child, and like any son (or daughter) you now
have access to everything God has to offer. God loves you more
than our human minds can fathom. It is an unconditional never-
ending love. In fact - God is Love - (I John 4:8)

God is King - you are His child - that makes you royalty. Start
reading your Bible and learn all that God wants to give you.


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When you start to live your life for God,
the true meaning and purpose of your life
are revealed. You no longer need to search
for that temporary carnal happiness to fill
that hole inside you. God fills that void
and emptiness with His love, peace, and joy
that surpasses all human understanding....
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To be continued in the next series...



(All Bible verses from the NKJV unless stated otherwise.)