CHAPTER FOUR

IN THE GROWTH OF THE BELIEVERS

Scripture Reading: John 3:5-6, 15; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23; James 1:18; Matt. 13:3; 1 John 3:9; Rev. 14:1-5, 14-16; 1 Cor. 3:6-7; 1 Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:14; Col. 1:28; Eph. 4:15b, 11-13; Col. 2:19; Gal. 5:25, 16a; Rom. 8:4b; 1 Pet. 2:5; 1 Cor. 3:12

OUTLINE

1. Having been regenerated by the Spirit with the life of God as the seed contained in God's word—John 3:5-6, 15; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23; James 1:18; Matt. 13:3; 1 John 3:9.
2. Growing to be:
   1. The firstfruits as the overcomers—Rev. 14:1-5.
   2. The harvest ripened for reaping—Rev. 14:14-16.
3. Having been planted and watered for God to cause the growth—1 Cor. 3:6-7.
4. Growing unto salvation by drinking the milk of the word—1 Pet. 2:2.
5. Growing unto maturity by eating the solid food—Heb. 5:14; Col. 1:28.
6. Growing up into the Head, Christ, in all things—Eph. 4:15b.
7. Growing unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ by being perfected by the gifted persons—Eph. 4:11-13.
8. Growing with the growth of God—Col. 2:19.
9. Growing by:
   1. Living by the Spirit—Gal. 5:25a.
   2. Walking by the Spirit—Gal. 5:16a, 25b.
   3. Having our being only according to the spirit—Rom. 8:4b.
10. Growing for the building up of the Body of Christ through transformation—Eph. 4:12b; 1 Pet. 2:2, 5; 1 Cor. 3:12.

In the previous three chapters we saw that God created man after His kind. He prepared a spirit within man that man might contact Him, receive Him, and contain Him by the way of taking God as his life. This is fully signified in the tree of life (Gen. 2:8-9). Eventually, God came to be a man. First, He created man; then He came to be a man in order to make man God in life and nature but not in the Godhead, not in the position and rank of God. Then He went to die, and He resurrected. In His resurrection He became a life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b) that He might enter into our spirit to be one with us in this spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). Now He is within us so that day by day we may live Him, express Him, and magnify Him by walking and doing everything according to the Spirit (Phil. 1:20-21; Rom. 8:4; Gal. 5:16). This is wonderful, but still there is the need of something further: we need to grow. In order to grow, we need to know the way to grow and also the purpose for which we should grow.