Growing Up

The change of heart by which I become a child of God is in the Bible spoken of as birth. In another place, it is compared to the germination of the good seed sown by the farmer. In like manner those who are just converted to Jesus are, "like newborn babies," to "grow up" to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. Or like the good seed sown in the field, they are to grow up and bring forth fruit. Isaiah says that they shall "be called oaks of rightrousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." So from natural life, illustrations are drawn, to help me better to understand the mysterious truths of spiritual life.

Not all the wisdom and skill of man can produce life in the smallest object in nature. It is only through the life which God Himself has imparted, that either plant or animal can live. So it is only through the life from God that spiritual life is begotten in my heart. Unless I am "born again," I cannot become a partaker of the life which Jesus came to give.

As with life, so it is with growth. It is God who brings the bud to bloom and the flower to fruit. It is by His power that the seed develops, "first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head." And the prophet Hosea says of Israel, that "He will blossom like a lily." "He will flourish like the grain. He will blossom like a vine." And Jesus bids us to "consider how the lilies grow." The plants and flowers grow not by their own care or anxiety or effort, but by receiving that which God has furnished to minister to their life. The child cannot, by any anxiety or power of its own, add to its stature. No more can I, by anxiety or effort, secure spiritual growth. The plant, the child, grows by receiving from its surroundings that which ministers to its life -- air, sunshine, and food. What these gifts of nature are to animal and plant, such is Jesus to I who trust in Him. He is my "everlasting light," "a sun and shield." He shall be as "the dew to Israel." "He will be like rain falling on a mown field." He is the living water, "The Bread of God ... who come down from heaven and gives life to the world."

In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. If I choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere I will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.

As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should I turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven's light may shine upon me, that my character may be developed into the likeness of Jesus.

Jesus teaches the same thing when He says, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you reamin in mee. ... Apart from me you can do nothing." I am just as dependent upon Jesus, in order to live a holy life, as is the branch upon the parent stock for growth and fruitfulness. Apart from Him I have no life. I have no power to resist temptation or to grow in grace and holiness. Abiding in Him, I may flourish. Drawing my life from Him, I will not wither nor be fruitless. I will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.

Might I not do some part of the work alone? I have trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, but am I now to seek by own effort to live aright. Every such effort must fail. Jesus says, "Without Me ye can do nothing." my growth in grace, my joy, my usefulness -- all depend upon my union with Jesus. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly, -- by abiding in Him, -- that I am to grow in grace. He is not only the Author, but the Finisher of my faith. It is Jesus first and last and always. He is to be with me, not only at the beginning and the end of my course, but at every step of the way. David says, "I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

How am I to abide in Jesus? In the same way as I received Him at first. "As you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him." "The righteous will live by faith." I gave myself to God, to be His wholly, to serve and obey Him, and I took Jesus as my Saviour. I could not myself atone for my sins or change my heart; but having given myself to God, I believe that He for Jesus' sake did all this for me. By faith I became Jesus', and by faith I am to grow up in Him -- by giving and taking. I am to give all, -- my heart, my will, my service, -- give myself to Him to obey all His requirements; and I must take all, -- Jesus, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in my heart, to be my strength, my righteousness, my everlasting helper, -- to give me power to obey.

I need to consecrate myself to God in the morning; make this my very first work. Let my prayer be, "Take me, O Lord, as completely Yours. I lay all my plans at Your feet. Use me today in Your service. Stay with me, and let all my work be din in You." This is a daily matter. Each morning I should consecrate myself to God for that day. I should surrender all my plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day I may be giving my life into the hands of God, and thus my life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.

A life in Jesus is a life of restfulness. There may be feelings of ecstasy. There may be no feeling of ecstasy, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. My hope is not in myself; it is in Jesus. My weakness is united to His strength, my ignorance to His wisdom, my frailty to His enduring might. So I am not to look to myself, not to let my mind dwell upon self, but look to Jesus. Let my mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Jesus in His self-denial, Jesus in His humiliation, Jesus in His purity and holiness, Jesus in His matchless love -- this is the subject for my contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that I am to be transformed into His likeness.

Jesus says, "Stay in Me." These words convey the idea of rest, stability, confidence. Again He invites, "Come to Me, ... and I will give you rest." The words of the psalmist express the same thought: "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him." And Isaiah gives the assurance, "In quietness and trust is your strngth." This rest is not found in inactivity; for in the Saviour's invitation the promise of rest is united with the call to labor: "Take My yoke upon you: . . . and you will find rest." The heart that rests most fully upon Jesus will be most earnest and active in labor for Him.

When my mind dwells upon self, it is turned away from Jesus, the source of strength and life. Hence it is Satan's constant effort to keep my attention diverted from the Saviour and thus prevent union and communion with Jesus. The pleasures of the world, life's cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or my own faults and imperfections -- to any or all of these Satan will seek to divert my mind. I must not be misled by his devices. As I strive to be really conscientious, and who desires to live for God, he might lead me to dwell upon my own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating me from Jesus he hopes to gain the victory. I should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether I shall be saved. All this turns my soul away from the Source of my strength. I must commit the keeping of my soul to God, and trust in Him. I need to talk and think of Jesus. And, let self be lost in Him. I should put away all doubt and dismiss my fears. I may say with the apostle Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." I can rest in God. He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him. If I will will leave myself in His hands, He will bring me off more than conqueror through Him that has loved me.

When Jesus took on human nature, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power except by my own choice. Satan will constantly present allurements to induce me to break this tie -- to choose to separate myself from Jesus. Here is where I need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice me to choose another master; for I am always free to do this. But let me keep my eyes fixed upon Jesus, and He will preserve me. Looking to Jesus, I am safe. Nothing can pluck me out of His hand. In constantly beholding Him, I am "being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

It was in this way that the early disciples gained their likeness to the dear Saviour. When those disciples heard the words of Jesus, they felt their need of Him. They sought, they found, they followed Him. They were with Him in the house, at the table, in the closet, in the field. They were with Him as pupils with a teacher, daily receiving from His lips lessons of holy truth. They looked to Him, as servants to their master, to learn their duty. Those disciples were people just like me. They had the same battle with sin to fight. They needed the same grace, in order to live a holy life. Even John, the beloved disciple, the one who most fully reflected the likeness of the Saviour, did not naturally possess that loveliness of character. He was not only self-assertive and ambitious for honor, but impetuous, and resentful under injuries. But as the character of the Divine One was manifested to him, he saw his own deficiency and was humbled by the knowledge. The strength and patience, the power and tenderness, the majesty and meekness, that he beheld in the daily life of the Son of God, filled his soul with admiration and love. Day by day his heart was drawn out toward Jesus, until he lost sight of self in love for his Master. His resentful, ambitious temper was yielded to the molding power of Christ. The regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit renewed his heart. The power of the love of Jesus wrought a transformation of character. This is the sure result of union with Jesus. When He abides in my heart, my whole nature is transformed. Jesus' spirit, His love, softens my heart, subdues my soul, and raises my thoughts and desires toward God and heaven.

When Jesus ascended to heaven, the sense of His presence was still with His followers. It was a personal presence, full of love and light. Jesus, the Saviour, who had walked and talked and prayed with them, who had spoken hope and comfort to their hearts, had, while the message of peace was still upon His lips, been taken up from them into heaven, and the tones of His voice had come back to them, as the cloud of angels received Him -- "And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." He had ascended to heaven in the form of humanity. They knew that He was before the throne of God, their Friend and Saviour still; that His sympathies were unchanged; that He was still identified with suffering humanity. He was presenting before God the merits of His own precious blood, showing His wounded hands and feet, in remembrance of the price He had paid for His redeemed. They knew that He had ascended to heaven to prepare places for them, and that He would come again and take them to Himself.

As they met together after the ascension they were eager to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, "My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." They extended the hand of faith higher and higher with the mighty argument, "Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right had of God and is also interceding for us." And Pentecost brought them the presence of the Comforter, of whom Jesus had said, He "lives in you." And He had further said, "It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Conselor will not come to you; But if I go, I will send him to you."Henceforth through the Spirit, Jesus was to stay continually in the hearts of His children. Their union with Him was closer than when He was personally with them. The light, and love, and power of the indwelling Christ shone out through them, so that men, beholding, "They were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

All that Jesus was to the disciples, He desires to be to me today; for in that last prayer, with the little band of disciples gathered about Him, He said, "My prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message."

Jesus prayed for me, and He asked that I might be one with Him, even as He is one with the Father. What a union is this! The Saviour has said of Himself, "The Son can do nothing by Himself;" "it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." Then if Christ is dwelling in my heart, He will work in me "to will and to act according to his good purpose." I shall work as He worked; I shall manifest the same spirit. And thus, loving Him and abiding in Him, I shall "grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."

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