Spiritual Progress

Philippians 1:25 And being confident of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of the faith,

1 Timothy  4:15 Practice these things; be in them, that your progress may be manifest to all.

1 Corinthians  9:26 I therefore run in this way, not as though without a clear aim; I box in this way, not as though beating the air;

The last weekend, in fellowship with a senior and matured brother, the Lord spoke a very definite word to me concerning my spiritual life. If I have to be useful in the hand of the Lord or if I have to be in the building work of God and be intrinsically a part in the building work, I must progress in my spiritual life. I cannot remain the same year after year. I must daily pursue the growth in life. For this, two main burdens were released.

Spiritual progress comes through the ministry of the word through the ministers of the word.

For spiritual progress, the Lord has given me the blueprint, the Holy Bible. This is outward and external. In the Bible, everything needed for my spiritual growth has been written. For me to receive the proper supply from the Bible I also need a proper and accurate understanding of the word. The word of God needs revelations and interpretation to make it applicable to me. For this, there are ministers of the word.

The ministry of the word with the ministers of the word is needed to help me know the word. The ministers may be many, but they minister the life supply I need for my spiritual progress. Paul was one such for the growth of the believers in Phillipi. That's why he could boldly say. "I will remain and continue with you all for your progress"

In this age, we have many brothers who have been perfected to some extent to render me spiritual help. Brother Watchman Nee and Witness Lee had done their parts perfectly and left us with the spiritual heritage, the ministry of the word; the collected works, the life-studies, and the ministry books. Now, these are being digested and ministered to me by the brothers who have as well been perfected through the ministry through decades of life experience in the church life. I am blessed that I am one of the recipients of this rich heritage and this rich ministry. I feel I am sitting under the "feet of Gamaliel" like Saul did, learning from the matured brothers. That was my experience whenever I attended the fellowship with a mature brother. 

I have been richly blessed to be under such a rich ministry. I am to declare that I have the blueprint now. A beautiful divine and heavenly scenery have been shown and given to me. In fact, it has been imprinted in my being day by day, month by month, and year by year. Praise the Lord!

Spiritual progress comes through the discipline of the Holy Spirit

All the truths and revelations revealed to me, I must practice them. "Practice these things; be in them, that your progress may be manifest to all." These practicing is on my part, the coordination required from my side to go along with God in His speaking and doing. Then, there will be a gradual manifestation of my spiritual progress.

Whatever the Lord has intended for my spiritual progress, He will sovereignly use my environment, persons, matters, and things to deal with me negatively and work Himself into me positively. This is the discipline of the Holy Spirit, God working behind every situation, to burn the beautifully crafted divine scenery into my being. So that dust, winds, storm, or rain can not erase or deface it ever. In this process, there is the burning fire to solidify the scenery permanently. These are the pressures from my environment for His perfecting work in me.

The brothers serving with me in coordination, the saints in the church life I am in, my family members, the new ones, and the people I am in contact with, are all the objects God uses for the discipline of the Holy Spirit in me. Having seen the invisible hands of God, I dare not complain or murmur even a little bit anymore. Nothing happens by chance; there is no accident or coincidence in my Christian life. Everything has been sovereignly and perfectly arranged for my good. Seeing this vision is a great relief to me. Life is truly at rest and peace ever since I understood the work of God in me in all things. There is nothing to worry about. What a blessed life I am living today! Praise the Lord!

Spiritual progress comes with a definite goal

With the above two crystals of the ministry of the word and the discipline of the Holy Spirit, I can progress with a crystal clear goal in every circumstance to grow, transform, mature, be conformed to His image, and be fitly framed in the building up of the Body to accomplish the Lord's will on the earth even through me. 

Lord, grow in me...