The Christian Life Begins With A Birth

When we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior we are born again. John 1:12-13
Read John 3  Gives the account of Nicodemus and the new birth. Jesus says to Nicodemus in John 3:3;  "Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
The "born again" experience is what separates the gospel from religion.
Religion is mans´ effort to reach up to God.
Salvation or being born again is God coming down to man and making him a new creature.
"If a man be in Christ he is a new creature born again old things pass away, behold all things become new."

So what happens after the birth?    Growth! hopefully

I have three questions to ask

What is Growth in Grace?    First what it is not.

It is not becoming more saved than at the moment of conversion.
It is not becoming more pardoned than when converted.
It is not becoming more justified than at salvation.   length of Christian Life does not guarantee Maturity

What Christian Growth Is    by J.C. Ryle
"When I speak of growth in grace I mean increase in the degree, size, strength, vigor and power of the graces which the Holy Spirit plants in a believers heart."

Consider for a moment the expectations of physical growth.

In a child, a flower, a tree.
The gardener and his garden.

Consider Bible examples of growth in men.

Peter: From backsliding to a blessing
Paul: From the road to Damascus to the Roman Road
John: From the Son of Thunder to a disciple of Love

What are the Evidences of Growth?

An increase of Love   1 Thessalonians 3:12
And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.
read  John 13:35    By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
If ye have love one to another.
read  1 Corinthians 13 says   Without Love we are nothing.
An increase of Faith   2 Thessalonians 1:3
We are bound to thank God always for you brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly."
Most of us are just in the kindergarten of faith   And without it we can´t please God!

An increase of the Knowledge of God

1. Do you know more about God now than when you were saved?
2. Is there any difference in how you viewed Christ from the very beginning and now?

A greater desire for Holiness in your life

read  Philippians 3:13-14
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
read  14

What are the means that God uses to help us grow in grace?

He uses His Word   1 Peter 2:2
"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby."
He uses trouble and experience   Romans 5:1-5
He uses a private devotional life
He uses the Bible when you read to show you things He wants you to know and understand, and shows you through His Word what He is asking you to do, whether it be on tithing, witnessing.
He uses Public Worship and Service to have fellowship with other Christians,
to learn of what God is doing for them, to teach us from others experiences in life, to also show us by what others are saying on what He wants us to do.
He uses the fellowship of believers   1 Corinthians 12  "Gifts of the Spirit"

I want you to be honest with yourself!

Are you growing in your faith?

Are you becoming a mature Christian or are you still a babe in Christ?

And what are you going to do about it?

Bible Studies Home

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever.
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John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
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John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
² The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
³ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
⁴ Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother´s womb, and be born?
⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
⁷ Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
⁸ The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
⁹ Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
¹⁰ Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
¹¹ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
¹² If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
¹³ And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
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1 Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you. ¹³ To the end he may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
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John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
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1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.
⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.
⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.
⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
¹⁰ But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
¹² For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face, now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
¹³ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
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2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth.
⁴ So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure.
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Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
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14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
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1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
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Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
² By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
³ And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.
⁴ And patience, experience; and experience, hope.
⁵ And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
⁶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
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1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
² Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
³ Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
⁴ Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
⁵ And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
⁶ And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
⁸ For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.
⁹ To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.
¹⁰ To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.
¹¹ But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
¹² For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
¹³ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many.
¹⁵ If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
¹⁶ And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
¹⁸ But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
¹⁹ And if they were all one member, where were the body?
²⁰ But now are they many members, yet but one body.
²¹ And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
²² Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.
²³ And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
²⁴ For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
²⁵ That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
²⁶ And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
²⁷ Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
²⁸ And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
²⁹ Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
³⁰ Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
³¹ But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.
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Last updated on May 31, 2005