Becoming more

By Charles Christmas (Contact) | Clanton Advertiser

Published Wednesday, August 5, 2009

At the time when you turn to Jesus Christ and God makes you his forgiven, accepted, saved and Holy Spirit indwelt child, it is a wonderful time of "becoming more" than you were beforehand. The Bible says "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) You have become saved in order that you may become more. Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you to become..." Becoming a saved person is only the beginning of the journey to become more and more of what you were saved to become, what you want to become and what God plans for you to become.

Let's consider the urgent call of Scripture to become more than we are. "Therefore, let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ (repentance, faith, baptism, eternal judgment) and let us go on to maturity" (Hebrews 6:1). "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). "Make every effort to add to your (saving) faith goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love" (2 Peter 1:5-7). "For those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self...and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22, 24). God has saved us and called us to become like Jesus in our character.

In the process of "becoming more," you will find that it is a double yoke journey with our Lord in one yoke and you in the other, inseparably joined together. This truth is taught in many places and Philippians 2:12-13 is one example. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." There is nothing that God will ever ask us to be or do or become but what he will be our helping Partner through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit.

With today being the introduction, I intend to write a series of articles on "Becoming More." I will begin with articles on the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Topics may be "Becoming more loving," "Becoming more joyful." "Becoming more peaceful," "Becoming more patient," "Becoming more gentle," "Becoming more of a servant," "Becoming more faithful," "Becoming more meek" and "Becoming more self-controlled." It will be a challenging personal journey for me to become more than I am, and I invite you to prayerfully take the journey with me.

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