Come up here, and I will show
you things which must take place… —Revelation 4:1
{CHAMBERS} “A higher state of mind and spiritual vision can only be
achieved through the higher practice of personal character. If you live up to
the highest and best that you know in the outer level of your life, God will
continually say to you, “Friend, come up even higher.” […] Compare this week in
your spiritual life with the same week last year to see how God has called you
to a higher level. We have all been brought to see from a higher viewpoint. […]
Your growth in grace is not measured by the fact that you haven’t turned back,
but that you have an insight and understanding into where you are spiritually.
Have you heard God say, “Come up higher,” not audibly on the outer level, but
to the innermost part of your character?”
{ELGIN} Are you satisfied with your spiritual growth? Do you even think about it? If you had a child and you noticed that they
were not maturing physically or mentally, would you be concerned? Of course.
There is a progression, changes, that happen in a person’s life that
demonstrate that they are maturing. In a
similar way, there is a progression that should take place in a Christian’s spiritual
life. Our faith should be stronger, our
light should shine brighter, our relationship with the Father should be
evidenced by the way we live and relate to others. (Hebrews
5:11-14) “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear
to you because you no longer try to
understand. 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. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have
trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” When we allow ourselves to become content
with our present level of spiritual maturity, we don’t stand still, we atrophy,
lose what we have gained. We drift
toward carnality … our old nature. Like
brackish water, we have a brackish faith.
Brackish water is water that is neither fresh nor salt, it’s a mixture
of both. Because there is a mixture you
can come to think that what you are living is the normal Christian life but it
is actually a compromised life .. you growth is stunted .. you stop maturing …
falling short of God’s intent for your life.
For many Christians, that does not matter to them. They are satisfied with the life they live, particularly
in this country of excess and comfort.
So my encouragement to you is to be careful .. be alert … Satan is like
a lion (Peter 5:8) Be sober-minded;
be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour.”
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