Motivation for Holiness

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Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................. 2

CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................................... 4

CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................................ 8

Why Should I be Holy? ......................................................................................................................... 9

You are light and righteous: ................................................................................................... 10

God lives in You. ..................................................................................................................... 11

God has promised you his continuous presence ..................................................................... 12

Don’t Wait for God to Force You!....................................................................................................... 13

CHAPTER TWO ...................................................................................................................................... 18

Change Your Holiness Strategy .......................................................................................................... 19

How Not to be Holy? ......................................................................................................................... 20

STOP Closing Yourself Off From God! ................................................................................................. 21

Teach Your Heart to Be Joyful and Thankful ....................................................................................... 23

CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................... 25

The Wilderness of Consecration ........................................................................................................ 26

Understanding Your Part in Consecration and God's! ......................................................................... 26

Consecration First .............................................................................................................................. 27

Do your part! Trust God to do His ...................................................................................................... 28

CHAPTER FOUR ..................................................................................................................................... 31

Why Should I Grow Up? ..................................................................................................................... 32

Stages In Spiritual Growth ................................................................................................................. 33

I: BABYHOOD ................................................................................................................................. 33

II: CHILDHOOD ............................................................................................................................... 35

III: MANHOOD ............................................................................................................................... 37

Why Do I Stumble Often and Easily? .................................................................................................. 39

How Do I Know I Am Growing? .......................................................................................................... 39

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I appreciate Apostle Greg Atiyota– Senior Pastor, Faithworld Ministries. Your deep insight and

understanding of the word of God helped me to reinforce and channel my path in Ministry.

Those years of labour over me and exposure to the truth are priceless.

I take immense pleasure in thanking God’s servant, Professor F.M Aderibigbe – Senior Pastor,

Grace Covenant Centre. Your exceptional teaching on grace undeniably solidified and fortified

my foundation. Many thanks for the permission to use the bible study outline on spiritual

growth as a perfect conclusion for this book

My dear wife Ekemini, you are a precious gift to me from God. Your support, understanding,

and a haven of peace you have made my home is beyond comprehension. Thank you.

Special thanks go to Faleye Ibukun; my dear friend.

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CHAPTER ONE

WITHOUT HOLINESS…

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Hebrews 12:14

Trusting the Holy Spirit for insight and understanding, we will together ponder upon an

important factor for daily victory, and an essential requirement to seeing God in our daily

experiences in life.

Holiness is not what is needed to please God; faith is, rather it is the only condition to see God,

and it is indispensable for daily and total victory in every area of life; victory over failures,

victory over the enemy, victory over delays and setbacks, and bringing victory to the lives of

men.

I do not intend to write this book as another thesis of rules and regulations, laws and principles,

or dos and don’ts on pleasing God. Not at all! We do not walk by rules or laws in pleasing God.

Accepting the grace of God through faith is all that is required to please God and for God to be

pleased with us. But without Holiness, no man shall see God. Therefore, there is need for you

and me to be holy, not necessarily for God’s sake, but as a condition to see the Lord Work and

Walk everyday in our lives.

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that

ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 Corinthians 6:1

Do not let the opportunity that God has provided you to walk

with him waste; do not let it be in vain, do not squander the

grace of God.

It is not your ability to obey laws and rules that makes you holy, rather it is how much gain you

make of the grace of God; how much you allow the operation of God’s grace in your

consciousness, how much understanding of the measure of grace that is working within you

both to will and to do according to His purpose, and how soon you realize that there is nothing

you can do to please God without faith. God has called us unto grace. He has called and

empowered us to do what humanly speaking we cannot do, except by faith.

The call unto holiness is not

a call to please God, but a

call to see God

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The call unto holiness is not a call to please God, but a call to see God: sustaining and

maintaining the presence of God in and around us. So as we explore together the motivation

for holy living, I want us to take along with us the understanding of the following truth:

1. Holiness and sorrow or sadness are not synonymous, they are not identical in any form.

2. Holiness is not poverty, and cannot flow together. What makes you poor is not because

you are holy, and you are not holy because you are poor or rich.

3. Holiness is not for people that are struggling with their identity as a believer. Rather it is

for people who are conscious of the presence of God in their lives, and desire to

cultivate and sustain it.

4. Holiness is not for people that are confused about life. But it is for people who have an

understanding of God’s will and purpose for their lives, and who are ready to follow it

through with God.

5. Holiness is not for the complacent, self-righteous, self-satisfied, and the presumptuous.

But for an individual who is mindful that God Is Holy and His eyes cannot behold sin.

Our God is glorious in Holiness, and the glory of God

manifests in Holiness. The reason for many failures and

weakness is because God has not found a place to dwell

in us. So no matter what we do or want to achieve in life,

if we cannot get God to go with us, it is all a waste of

time. The essence of Holiness is remaining the temple

where God can dwell.

Notice that I said remaining and not becoming, because we have already become the temple of

the living God on the premise of grace obtained by faith through Christ.

… For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in

them; ... 2 Corinthians 6:16

So the issue of holiness is:

1. Not becoming a dwelling place for God, but remaining a dwelling place

2. Not obtaining grace for supernatural living, but cultivating the innumerable measure of

grace we have received in Christ so that it won’t be in vain,

3. Not fighting for victory in our daily experience, but sustaining the presence of God for

constant victory,

4. Not encountering divine visitation occasionally, but experiencing unbroken divine

presence

5. Not obeying rules and regulations to be holy, but maintaining your status of Holiness

obtained in Christ.

The reason for many failures

and weakness is because God

has not found a place to dwell

in us.

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The truth is, there cannot be total victory, if your life cannot create room for God to work and

walk. I do not see godly success if you cannot harbour and retain the presence of God. What

makes the difference is whether God is present in your life.

Therefore, do not let the opportunity that God has provided you to walk with him waste. Do

not let the grace of God be useless in your life as an individual. Maximize the grace of God over

your life according to His will, word and purpose for your life. Be Holy.

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Reality Check

Points to Note: holiness is the only condition to see God while faith is the only condition to please God.

List other points you noted from this chapter.

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Verse to Memorize: Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

Personality Check: write the misconceptions you have held unto in the past about holiness.

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Prayer: Lord, help me to be holy so that I will always see You at work in me and walking with me everyday, amen.

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For further help or counseling, contact us at Divine Realities Ministries

Helpline: +234 809 3333 224

E –mail: [email protected]

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CHAPTER TWO

Not a Routine, Not a Burden

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find

rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:29-30.

Yoke of guilt, and the burden of routine; dos and don’ts, cannot promote holiness in a life.

Do not force yourself to be holy without understanding. Holiness will be killing and

cumbersome if you do not know why you have to be. You will not enjoy its fruit, nor rejoice in

the experience, if you do not understand the need for it. Holiness is not about rules and

regulations; do not touch, do not do that or this. Rather, holiness is a glorious experience. It

should be with utmost pleasure and joy that you want to keep yourself clean and habitable for

divine residence. That is to say, I understand that my life must be maintained and cultivated for

God’s presence to be with me always.

When I decide to live the sanctified life, and

consciously keep away from filthiness and sin, I am

doing it out of the pleasure and understanding of

God’s presence. The reason I decide to stay out of sin

and run away from compromise is not because of

consequences but because I treasure and love the

presence of God and I do not want to soil or offend it.

. The motivation for holiness is in the understanding of its concept and necessity, as it affects

your progress, success and relationship with God.

You will become bitter, sad, frustrated, and traumatic when you labour to be holy without this

understanding. You will cringe in fear towards God rather than being motivated by his love and

grace. You will be taunted and tormented by guilt rather than walking in the liberty that the

grace of God affords. You will keep toiling under the yoke of sin rather that triumphing in

victory through the grace of God which is stimulated by love.

I once toiled and labored without understanding too. My spiritual walk and experience was

gloomy and miserable. I carried sad faces up and down, and was constantly disappointed in

myself and my ability to please God with my works of holiness. There was no fruit of Joy in my

life. I fear God rather than love him. I dread the consequences of sin rather than love the fruit

The motivation for holiness is in the

understanding of its concept and

necessity, as it affects your

progress, success, and relationship

with God.

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of obedience. My motivation for holiness was to impress God with my works rather than enjoy

and maintain His works of grace. I was always under constant depression of my past mistakes,

and always under the oppression of the fear not to offend God.

Such experience as mine is not healthy. It lacks the right motivation for holiness, and an

understanding of its concept.

This usually ends in misery and bitterness.

Why Should I be Holy?

For you to be rightly motivated towards holiness and not see it as a burden, you must

understand the idea and need for holiness. That is, you need to first and foremost understand

the bases for holiness, and why you have to be holy.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:

for what fellowship hath righteousness with

unrighteousness? and what communion hath light

with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with

Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an

infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God

with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and

walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from

among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will

receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the

Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

With the scriptural verses above, we are going to bring out three reasons God stated as bases

and motivation for our holiness. God did not say “Be ye not unequally yoked together” or “be ye

separate” because He wants to put us under mere performance pressure, or desires to watch

us struggle and battle spiritually as gladiators; knowing our limitations. Not at all! God is

neither a spectator nor a wicked Lord. His demands are not without the grease of grace neither

are His instructions without lotion of love.

Like I stated in my introduction that, being holy is not for God’s sake but it is essential as a

condition for total and daily victory in every area of your life. For you and me to be able to

effectively enforce the victory Christ has afforded us by his death; triumphing and exercising

For you to be rightly motivated

toward holiness, and not see it as a

burden, you must understand the

idea and need for Holiness

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your authority and dominion over the kingdom of the devil and his demons, holiness –

maintain and sustaining divine presence - is indispensable.

Now, let us together consider THREE grounds God has established as reasons for you to be holy.

You are light and righteous:

I have mentioned this before, and I will say it again. God has not called you to labour or

work to become righteous, neither has He demanded that you become a light. No, that is

not the essence of holiness. He has made you righteous and turned you into light when he

died and resurrected unto glory.

What God is saying is this:

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Ephesians 5:8

In essence, God is saying you were once darkness - totally blind, unrighteous, and ignorant.

Walk as children of light - suitable to your present

knowledge and status in Christ. Become conscious

of who you are, and walk as such.

. Why many believers do not walk in holiness is

because they lack the knowledge of their worth as

a believer.

It is so amazing how the children of this world are wiser in this regard than the children of

light. When they have a change of status in regards to their lives; maybe as a celebrity, or

pop star, or even a change in professional status, the ease with which they switch behaviour

and posture is so fast and spontaneous. They immediately change their friends,

associations, and become choosy about how and where they live. They immediately begin

to walk in the realm of their new status; they know and understand the worth of their new

identity, and everything around them adjusts to this reality.

Why are believers not waking up to the reality of their worth and identity so fast? It is

Satan’s strategy to keep them in a position of weakness and feebleness. So that they will

not work and walk as they ought to, and possess what is theirs in Christ.

God is crying out to you invariably: “Be ye not unequally yoked together” and “be ye

separate” because of who you are, and what you are worth.

The walk of holiness becomes

natural when you know and

understand the worth of your

identity

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God says it is unwholesome and ridiculous for darkness and light to mingle together, and for

righteousness and unrighteousness to fellowship together.

God lives in You.

Hey, you are the temple of the Lord Most High. God dwells in you!

“for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said…” 2 Corinthians 6:16

God is jealously mindful of you I began to ponder and evaluate my attitude towards my own

house as I write this chapter. Some of the questions I asked myself were:

1. For what purpose do I keep my house clean?

2. Why do I pay security guards and fit burglary steels to secure my properties?

3. For what purpose are the decorations and furniture?

4. Whose sake am I doing all of these things?

5. How comfortable will I be if I abandoned care

for it?

6. Are there any social or environmental

consequences if I stop caring for my house?

I paused and reconsider over and over again these

questions in order to provide sincere answers for

them. And I came to two major conclusions.

1. As the owner of the house, and considering the purpose for which I built the house; as a

dwelling place for comfort, and also considering my investment, I am under continuous

obligation to maintain it. Otherwise, the house will decay and I will suffer the loss of it

all.

2. On the other hand, as the occupant of the house, and considering my social status and

responsibilities, hygiene, health, peace, and general comfort, I am under continuous

obligation to keep it clean. Otherwise, the house will decay and I will suffer the loss of it

all.

So also dear friend, God, being the owner of your life, has a purpose for it. He has set you

apart to be His habitation of comfort; a dwelling place of His glory. He made you to be the

temple that He can dwell, work, and walk, in this crooked and perverse generation. He has

chosen you to become his place of power and residence of glory. He has invested so much

God is jealously mindful of you

because of what you are to him. You

are God’s dwelling place; The House

of God.

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in you; hence He desires and demands your holiness. For this reason, God will ensure He

preserves, protects and cares for you.

But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 2:20

In your daily experience, in as much as you can retain and sustain the presence of God in

your life through conscious and holy living, your victory will keep the whole earth silent,

because the LORD is his holy temple. And your peace will be calmer than that of a quiet

river.

Moreover, as the Lord’s temple, you are responsible to

keep it and tender it. No important guest will visit or stay

in a house that is rough and dirty, so also God will not

dwell in an unclean temple.

Likewise, the amount of money you will spend in hospitals

due to infections and unhealthy environment will far outweigh the cost of maintenance.

Infact, one may end up losing his life to his own undoing.

God is Holy and his eye cannot behold uncleanliness. And any man that defile His temple,

either by commission or omission, after the knowledge of the truth does so to his own

undoing. For it is written:

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy,

which temple ye are. 1 Corinthians 3:17

God has promised you his continuous presence

Beloved, a comforting reality is this:

“… God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they

shall be my people”. 2 Corinthians 6:16

This promise does not suggest occasional habitation but a perceptual indwelling. Not a

momentary event, but continual presence of the Almighty. God did not promise to visit, but

He has promised to stay in you, walk in you, and work through you.

God’s estimate is that He is not just a visitor in your life, but a resident Lord.

God is Holy and his eye

cannot behold uncleanliness

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I marvel at times when I see posters and publicity of church programmes tagged: “Divine

Visitation”, “Divine Encounter”, “Divine Appointment” and so on. As nice as they appear

and great as it sounds, it shows how completely

we have lost God’s presence in our lives and in

the church today.

Where is God that He is visiting?

Where has he gone that He needs to be booked

for an appointment?

Whose side is He that you need an encounter with Him?

This apparently depicts how far we have lost touch with divine realities and God’s presence.

We talk so much about Divine Visitation in church today because we cannot retain the

presence of God.

New international Version translated as saying:

“I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my

people…”2 Corinthians 6:16

This scripture clearly expressed God’s intention to dwell and live in us and walk with us

continually and not occasionally.

Therefore, the reality of God’s presence necessitates a preparation and a cleanup to retain

and sustain it. Because God is not just visiting, He is coming to stay. Not a Divine Visitation,

but a Perpetual Dwelling.

My motivation for holiness is this: God lives in me; the Almighty God, Kings of Kings, and

Everlasting King dwells with me.

Just pause and think. How would you prepare and behave? If you were told that the

President of your country has decided to operate and rule the entire country from your

home. Will business continue as usual?

The truth is that, a greater personality than your president has promised you his continuous

presence. Glory to God!

Don’t Wait for God to Force You!

Do I intend to contradict myself by what am about to let us consider?

… the reality of God’s presence

necessitates a preparation and a

cleanup to retain and sustain it

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You just said Holiness is not a burden or routine, so then, why talking about God applying force

again?

My intention is to provide a balance perspective of how our walk of Holiness can be enjoyable

and comfortable, free of detours and hassles.

The Bible tells us as believers, "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first...

(Rev. 2:4, 5). Our problem is that we have grown to love

the earthly ways of fulfilling our desires for God and

become complacent with other sources of satisfying our

spiritual appetite —apart from Him. We are clinging to

earthly sources when we should be clinging to God.

We are the ones who need to take action to humble

ourselves and repent. The Bible also tells us to "Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and remove

the foreskins of your heart" (Jer 4:4a). Even though that sounds painful, it is because of what

God offers freely that repentance is something we should delight to do.

When I listen to people praying I often hear a desperate cry to God for help. They plead with

God to turn them around and make them holy. That would mean God would have to intervene

and take their earthly attachments away from them. The problem is that it is not pleasant when

God has to get involved in the process of helping us to repent and walk in holiness by taking

what we love away from us. It hurts.

Longing for God to make you holy is asking for something that would be very painful. I don’t

think He wants to have to do that—on an individual, or on a societal level. He will if He must,

but He doesn't want to. Like any loving parent, God doesn’t take pleasure in having to discipline

His children. That is why God tells us to repent. The problem is that I don't think we have much

time left.

Rather than wait for God to change us, we need to be the ones to take assertive steps towards

repentance.

End times are getting closer to us every day. At some point, God will not be able to wait for us

any longer and He will have to "cut" our earthly attachments from us: "every branch that bears

fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." (John15:2b). When God does have to cut

away our earthly attachments, the outcome is always good, but going through it can be

difficult.

Rather than wait for God to

change us, we need to be the

ones to take assertive steps

towards repentance

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When you are going through difficult times try to keep in mind that God has the best plan at

heart concerning you. Even though the "pruning" of God may be difficult, it is only because He

loves you and knows you would love it most to be closer to Him.

The Bible says, "For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom

He receives." (Hebrews 12:6). But it also tells us the reason why; it says, "He disciplines us for

our good, so that we may share His holiness." (Hebrews 12:10b). God sees the bigger picture.

He knows that if we could see it also, we would want to be rid of the earthly sources to which

we cling.

God wants what is best for you. When He looks at you He sees you in terms of what you can

become. The Psalmist wrote, "Know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself"

(Psalm 4:3b). Don’t just consider difficult times as difficult times. God may be separating you

unto Himself because He knows what you can become.

However, if you wait too long and God does have to

help you repent, "do not regard lightly the discipline

of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him;"

(Hebrews 12:5b).

You don’t have to "faint" when you are disciplined by

God because it also says, "Come, let us return to the

Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He

will revive us...That we may live before Him. So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.

His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain

watering the earth" (Hos.6:1-3).

Again let me emphasize it is much better for us to take action now than to wait and have God

do it later:

"Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all

things; therefore you shall serve your enemies" (Deut. 28:47,48a).

God is good. The Bible says,” ‘For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, ‘declares

the Lord God. ‘Therefore, repent and live.’" (Ezek.18:32). Serving and single-heartedly loving

Him is far better than serving our enemies.

It is never too late to turn to God!

Thank Him that it is right and good and safe for you to move forward with holiness: "...the Law

has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith." (Gal. 3:24).

It is out of an increase in your ability

to hear the truth of God that you

will see an increase in the quality of

your behaviour

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We are to live by faith—the pressure is not on us to perform better. The pressure is on us to

believe.

It is out of an increase in your ability to hear the truth of God that you will see an increase in

the quality of your behavior. I.e the more you listen to the truth, the better your behavior

improves per excellence

Hearing the truth is your capacity for faith and growth in the Lord.

Sowing seed in your heart until you are able to "hear" and believe will pave the way for

repentance and holiness experience that lasts.

Don't make this mistake:

"...do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing

that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" (Rom. 2:4).

Don't regard lightly the kindness of God. Let His kindness lead you to repentance. Soften your

heart so that you increase your ability to "hear" and find freedom to turn to God.

I am praying for the Lord's abundant blessing on your efforts to direct your heart toward Him.

Don't wait for a disaster that forces you to repent and make you begin the sweet walk of

holiness with God! Taking assertive steps toward holiness won't hurt nearly as much as if you

wait for God to discipline you.

Take action now!!!

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Reality Check

Points to Note: Holiness is not meant to be a burden but a pleasurable experience.

List other new discoveries you made in this chapter about holiness.

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Verse to Memorize: “… God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their

God, and they shall be my people”. 2 Corinthians 6:16.

Personality Check: Am I conscious of who I am, and am I walking as such? List the ways you have been taking for granted the kindness of God? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Prayer: Thank Him that it is right and good and safe for you to move forward with holiness.

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Helpline: +234 809 3333 224


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CHAPTER TWO

The Joy and Excitement

For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her

wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found

therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. (Isa 51:3)

True holiness is characterized by Joy, and its fruit are Peace and Confidence.

The Lord’s promise to be a Father unto you, and accept you as a son or daughter when you

walk in holiness, is not empty, it is not an anonymous promise; rather it is authentic with full

seal of His authority.

Let us take note of the signature God appended to the trail of His promises in 2 Corinthians

6:18. “… And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord

Almighty. “

Before this point, reading through from verse 12, you will come across many phrases like: “as

the Lord has said”, “declares the Lord” and so on. But as relating to God’s promise of

welcoming and receiving you as a family member when you walk in holiness, He reinforces this

assurance with a stronger signature “saith the Lord Almighty”. That is to say, I the Lord who is

great and above all things has said this and it is

undisputable. Halleluiah!

Imagine the lofty feeling you will have assuming you

get an invitation letter sealed and thumb printed by

the President of your country inviting you as a guest

to a dinner. Imagine the exciting feeling such can produce in a man’s emotional bank, despite

the fact that even before the dinner, the President could have been overthrown or even cancel

the appointment as a result of emerging national concerns. Yet, God never changes, and His

Words are immutable, unchangeable and absolute.

Permit me to state this again. The call unto Holiness is not for people that are struggling with

their identity as a believer. It is not for the emotional and the complacent Christian who desires

nothing from God other than bread and butter. Rather it is for people who are conscious of the

presence of God in their lives with the desire to cultivate and sustain it, people who want to go

higher in their experience with God and divine realities, people whose affection is for the glory

of God and whose hunger is more of God.

The call unto Holiness is not for

people that are struggling with their

identity as a believer

19 | P a g e

The message of holiness is to the dearly beloved, those that the Lord loves and pays special

attention to. The Lord Almighty is committed to the life and welfare of those who love Him and

are brave enough to separate themselves unto God.

The fear of God alone cannot produce and stimulate a lasting experience of holiness in a life,

but the love of God engenders and promotes holiness without struggling.

Fear terrorizes the mind and ultimately produces rebellion, whereas, Love stimulates affection

and fuels intimacy.

Change Your Holiness Strategy

Our theology of how change and spiritual growth happens is one of the most underdeveloped

areas of understanding in the church today.

For most of us the ways we try to grow involves monitoring how well we keep away from doing

bad things. We gauge our love for the Lord, how much we are reading the Bible, the quality of

our prayer life, the depth of our worship, how much we are sharing our faith—and at times,

what can seem like a million other things. These are good things.

But while this approach is common, the improvements that result come slowly and are often

very frustrating. It can also make you very tired!

It is not my intention to multiply the behaviours that

you need to monitor and maintain in your walk with

God. I want to help make you free. So, please don’t

take what I give you here and simply add it as just

another area for you to monitor.

Like a tire with a hole in it, you would just have to

keep on pumping yourself up. That will not work.

I am suggesting that you completely change the way

you try to change, and review your holiness theology. What I am suggesting will help you stop

doing the things you don't want to do. It will also help you find greater freedom, strength, and

joy to do the things you should be doing.

The fear of God alone cannot

produce and stimulate a lasting

experience of holiness in a life, but

the love of God engenders and

promotes holiness without

struggling

20 | P a g e

How Not to be Holy?

One of the first steps you have to take is re-train your heart about how you should not try to be

Holy.

The ONLY effort required in our walk with God is to maintain constant fellowship with Him, and

sustain His presence around us. We also understand that sin is what breaks the flow of this

fellowship many times. If you have ever enjoyed fellowship with God, you would have realised

how empty you felt each time sin truncated the flow and how it may take a while to be fully

restored back to fellowship. The presence of God is enjoyable, and the feelings of being in

fellowship we so much desire to sustain, but there is a constant enemy that always interferes;

sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 Jn 1:8)

The truth of the matter is that we cannot claim we are sin-less, yet we cannot avoid being

sorrowful and sad each time we allow sin to break our fellowship with God. But the point is

that, the sorrow or sadness you feel – which is a normal feeling, being the reactions of the Holy

Spirit dwelling within you – should not be allowed to

steal your joy and keep you out of fellowship for too

long.

Your active response each time sin breaks in to

destroy your fellowship must be swift repentance

without regret. Make it a habit to confess your sins, in

his faithful righteousness He will forgive you for those

sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

The Bible says, "...the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces repentance without

regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death." (2 Corinthians 7:10 )

You should feel sorrow because of sin, but God's will is a repentance that is "without regret."

Biblical repentance is not to improve yourself by making yourself feel "bad" because of what

you have done wrong.

Even though you may not know how to change by any other means, it must be repentance

without regret. Learn to accept God’s forgiveness immediately you confess your sins, and do

not allow trauma or sorrow keep you out of fellowship. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John

1:9

Your active response each time sin

breaks in to destroy your fellowship

must be swift repentance without

regret

21 | P a g e

Making yourself feel bad about what you have done wrong may punish you into a temporary

appearance of outward conformity, but it does nothing to help change your behaviour long

term.

The Bible says, "...the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement...are of

no value against fleshly indulgence." (Colossians 2:23). Repentance by regret is self-abasement

and is of "no value against fleshly indulgence."

Greater severity in your self-condemnation may feel religious, but it is not God's will for you to

grow that way. Making yourself feel bad for what you do wrong is "self-made religion" because

the pain you feel seems to justify your wrongdoing.

But no amount of feeling bad will ever make the payment or justify what you have done wrong.

Self-inflicted pain from guilt doesn’t justify you

before God because, "God is the one who justifies;"

(Romans 8:33b)

Condemning ourselves after we have done

something wrong gives us a false sense of being

"good" again. Self-condemnation keeps us bent on

earning a sense of right standing before God and

prevents us from putting our faith in suffering of Christ and the pain He felt on our behalf.

Self-condemnation gives us a false sense of goodness before God, "for the anger of man does

not achieve the righteousness of God" (James 1:20)

Maintain your strength; the joy forgiveness and promise of comfort that comes from God

alone. Rejoice in the salvation that Christ has purchased for you and get excited about His

promise of redemption “For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places;

and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and

gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody”. (Isa 51:3)

STOP Closing Yourself Off From God!

Motivating improvement by condemnation makes you want to hide from God - not draw near

to Him. It closes you inside.

Jesus told the religious leaders of His day, "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,

because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people..." (Matthew 23:13); see also (2

Motivating improvement by

condemnation makes you want to

hide from God - not draw near to

Him. It closes you inside

22 | P a g e

Corinthians 3:17) When you try to motivate repentance and change by condemnation you are

being pharisaic and are shutting yourself—and others—from the freedom necessary for

experiencing closeness to God.

Underlying any philosophy of ministry is a belief about how to best help people grow. It is true

towards other people—it is also true towards ourselves. The Bible refers to the old covenant of

the law as a, "ministry of condemnation" (2 Corinthians 3:9). It also says that, "the ministry of

condemnation has glory"(2 Corinthians 3:9a).

Trying to help ourselves grow by a ministry of condemnation seems religious because it has an

appearance of glory. But, in contrast, it also says, "For indeed what had glory; in this case has

no glory because of the glory that surpasses it." (2 Corinthians 3:10). Paul asks, "How shall not

the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?” (2 Corinthians 3:8).

If you have been keeping yourself holy by self-condemnation, you are trying to change in a way

that is according to the law and “works of the flesh."

In contrast the Bible tells us, "and through Him

everyone who believes is freed from all things, from

which you could not be freed through the Law of

Moses" (Acts 13:39)

If there is only one "rule" I could give you about being

holy according to grace it would be this: You have to

die to a "ministry of condemnation" towards yourself.

Directing your heart away from self-condemnation should be ruthless, strongly assertive, and

unbending.

Don’t miss these two things. Experiencing the Joy and Excitement of Holiness requires that you

retrain your heart to stop trusting self-inflicted guilt and that you start trusting Christ's payment

for your sin. Enjoying the liberty of holy living also requires that you retrain your heart about

what your heart believes is the best way to correct yourself and do better next time.

Observe your reaction when you do something wrong.

Do you stay away from God?

What gives you freedom to draw near to God again?

Do you trust the forgiveness of God because you made yourself feel bad for long

enough?

You should trust the forgiveness of God because of power of the cross and the cleansing of

God.

Experiencing the Joy and Excitement of Holiness requires that

you retrain your heart to stop trusting self-inflicted guilt and that you start trusting Christ's payment

for your sin.

23 | P a g e

It won't ever be "righteous living" if it is motivated by self-condemnation! Consider it sin to feel

any sense of justification or righteousness because of how much pain you feel from self-

condemnation. The security you need is not from how well you protect yourself from God. Hate

any sense of "righteousness" you feel because of self-inflicted pain from condemnation; rather,

train yourself to love God.

Teach Your Heart to Be Joyful and Thankful

Discipline motivated by fear, self-condemnation, and guilt won’t change you at the levels that

are needed. Earthly pursuits, concerns, and seductive attractions are too many to be dealt with

by these means.

It is not enough for you to know in your head that self-condemnation is an ineffective and sinful

motivation for holiness. Your heart has to learn a more effective way to correct unwanted

behaviours and maintain the presence of God.

Use thanks and praise to help your heart hear how good and safe it is to trust the cross of

Christ. Listen to what you are thanking God about! React with thanks and praise at the slightest

indication of self-condemnation or self-based righteousness. Get your heart to hear that it is far

more effective to change and retain God’s presence by hearing thanks and praise for the truth.

The cross is more powerful than your sin and mistakes. Thank the Lord with great joy that you

do not have to put your faith in the severity of your self-condemnation. Thank God for His

promise never to leave nor forsake you. Praise Him for His faithfulness and Justice. Thank Him

for the power of the Holy Spirit within you.

Delight your heart by praise towards God that you

don’t have to wait to trust the forgiveness of God

until you are "done feeling bad."

Biblical recommendation of how to be holy is a more

effective way to grow—a way of delight towards

God—not of contempt towards yourself. You have to get to the heart of the matter—without

self-condemnation.

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Delighting yourself in God helps you maintain His consciousness always, and keeps you in

constant fellowship with Him.

React with thanks and praise at the

slightest indication of self-

condemnation or self-based

righteousness

24 | P a g e

Reality Check

Points to Note: the call unto holiness is NOT for the emotional and complacent Christians who

desire from God nothing more than bread and milk alone.

List other lessons in this chapter.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Verse to Memorize: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in

us. (1 Jn 1:8)

Personality Check: Am I truly living a holy life? Explain in your own words what “how not to be holy” means according to this chapter. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Prayer: Father, help me to experience the joy and excitement of holiness always, amen.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


Helpline: +234 809 3333 224


25 | P a g e

CHAPTER THREE

Consecration

“… Keep away from everything impure…. For the LORD your God moves about in your

camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that

he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.”

Deuteronomy 23: 9b, 14

It is a comforting truth that God lives and moves in us to protect, deliver and grant us total

victory over the enemy, but a solemn reality is that anything indecent, ungodly, and unholy can

easily turn him away and deprive us of his presence, thereby making us vulnerable to our

enemies; not because they have the right of victory over us, but because we have failed to

maintain and retain the presence of God which is our only guarantee for victory. “…And grieve

not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

Consecration is a requirement to retaining God’s presence around you. God has come and

reveal himself to us through Christ Jesus, and the question is, can we retain, hold, and maintain

his presence?

Consecration is not what qualifies you for salvation, but it is what matures your salvation

experience. It is neither what brings God blessings nor favour, rather it is what helps you build

capacity and fortitude to accommodate God’s blessing and favour.

Many are called into the priviledge of service, but it is

the sacrifice of consecration that qualifies the chosen.

Consecration is a spiritual engagement and instrument

useful for effective preparation for service and for a

smooth daily experience of holiness. When God calls

you into service, it usually requires that you offer the

sacrifice of consecration, and this makes you

predisposed to godly influences, and susceptible to divine inclinations. Consecration engenders

unction, equips with power, breaks and destroys self, and qualifies the chosen.

A man that allows God to actually work on his life during this period will eventually discover

that submission and obedience to God becomes easy. He may discover that the power of the

Consecration is not what qualifies

you for salvation, but it is what

matures your salvation

experience

26 | P a g e

flesh becomes weak while his spirit man gains strength of control and he can exercise his will

without much confrontation from the flesh.

The Wilderness of Consecration

In the wilderness of Consecration, it is important you understand that you are alone with God.

People around you may not have an understanding of what is going on with you. Few may

become curious about your new attitudes, dispositions and situated restrictions around you.

Some may ask spurious questions and tag you with a

label, but they will never understand, even if you try

to explain.

You are alone; it is a wilderness.

You are separated unto God.

You become exclusive to Him.

Also take note that God alone works on you during this period if you sincerely submit to him.

Satan is kept at arm’s length while God himself shields and protects your affairs. So it is God

alone that can satisfy you and quench your thirst during this period.

You may become strange to things and people around you and you may no longer fit into some

circles. You may eventually feel lonely until God leads you into fellowship with pilgrims in the

wilderness of consecration.

Understanding Your Part in Consecration and God's!

A technical definition of consecration means that you are to set yourself apart from evil, turn to

the Lord, and be prepared to be used by God.

Consecration plays an important role in your growth towards God. But consecration has two (2)

parts; our part and God’s. Our part is the practical side of separating ourselves from sinful living

while God’s part of our being consecrated, is to prepare us for His use by actually making us

holy. Note that in being prepared for holy use, God has to also prepare our body for being used

in ministry.

If you are a Christian, God has already cleansed you on the inside and made you holy. But

consecration in the Old Testament was for cleansing the outside of vessels which was not

sufficient in completing the work of holiness, because a vessel cannot be fit for use until both

the inside and outside is clean. But after salvation, God's part in consecrating us for His use

includes washing our body with His presence.

Consecration engenders unction,

equips with power, breaks and

destroys self, and qualifies the

chosen

27 | P a g e

Both our part and God's part in consecration work together.

Half of our part in consecration involves separating ourselves from evil by continually working

with our heart so that we drink from earthly sources less and less all the time. But doing that is

only half of what we can do for practical holy living.

The other half of our part in consecration is that of actually drawing near to God and drinking.

God designed us so that we have to be "drinking" from something. By our drinking from God,

purity works its way into our experience because enjoying God's presence becomes our

preferred way of quenching our thirst, not sin or unwanted behaviors. By drinking from God,

the earthly ways of unrighteous living become less and less attractive to us.

But by our turning to God and drinking, something else happens: God is able to do His part in

consecrating us. By our drawing near to God and our letting Him draw near to us, God is able to

prepare us for His use because He washes us holy all

the while He is drawing near to us.

Do you want to be prepared for God's purposes? You

have to draw near to God and let Him draw near to

you, or the outside of your vessel won't be

consecrated to God.

God will do His part. We just have to do ours. Practical holiness and the cleansing of God for

holy use cannot be separated. One without the other is not possible.

Consecration First

The Bible says, "...Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near..." (2

Chronicles. 29:31). The cross of Christ is the doorway to experiencing the presence of God. We

have to consecrate ourselves before we enter the throne room to draw near to the Lord.

But please note that consecration is not something that you can do and then think you are

done with it. The Bible says that "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me

cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:27). But "carrying outcross" is something that you will always

have to do.

None of us will ever grow enough to put down our cross.

The Bible talks about "always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus..." (2 Corinthians.

4:10). Since we won't ever grow out of it, consecration has to become a way of life.

Consecration is not something that

you can do and then think you are

done with it.

28 | P a g e

Our consecration won't ever be complete. So when it says, "...Now that you have consecrated

yourselves to the Lord, come near..." (2 Chron. 29:31), this does not mean that you should be

fully consecrated before you draw near to God.

I am praying for the Lord's abundant blessing on your efforts to direct your heart towards Him.

Don’t wait for the day when you look at your practical righteousness and say, "Now I think I am

doing good enough to draw near." If you do that, you will only be depending on the

righteousness you think you have achieved and not God’s.

Be in consecration for several days or just a few weeks and then take steps to draw near to

God.

Practical purity from consecrated living is not possible without also drawing near and quenching

our thirst with God: you have to enter and drink the Spirit. Otherwise, your thirst will drive you

back to earthly sources. If consecrating yourself doesn't also turn you to God, you will find

yourself just as bad off as when you started.

Do your part! Trust God to do His

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,

an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should

show forth the praises of him who has called you out

of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time

past were not a people, but are now the people of

God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have

obtained mercy

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war

against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they

speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify

God in the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:9-12)

You have a role to play in other to walk in the realty of this scripture above. It is consecrating

engagements that will facilitate the reality of this truth in your experience.

To walk in His marvelous light, you may need to step out of darkness and be committed to

walking in the light; for he has called you out.

Practical purity from consecrated

living is not possible without also

drawing near and quenching our

thirst with God

29 | P a g e

To remain a holy nation, there may be need to separate from contamination of Sin which is a

reproach to any people, and become committed unto righteousness which exalts a nation.

(Proverb 14:34)

To fulfill your mandate as a royal priest, you may

need to step higher in self-discipline and self-control.

Not after the flesh or after the law, but in keeping

with the grace of God with praise and thanksgiving.

God’s part is to sanctify you on the inside and furnish

you with inward capacity to be holy and maintain his

presence by the power of the Holy Spirit. For it is God who is producing in you both the desire

and the ability to do what pleases him (Philippians 2:13)

Therefore I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown you, offer

your lives as a living sacrifice to him--an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him.

Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should walk with him in this way.

Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly

and change your way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God

wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

(Romans 21:1-2)

Consecration is the key that makes the power of God available for your daily victory.

Consecration is the key that makes

the power of God available for your

daily victory.

30 | P a g e

Reality Check

Points to Note: Consecration is not what qualifies you for salvation

List other new things you learnt about consecration.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Verse to Memorize: “… Keep away from everything impure…. For the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.” Deuteronomy 23: 9b, 14

Personality Check: What steps have I been taking to draw near to God thereby quenching my thirst with God? Identify and list practical ways you intend to begin or continue your walk of consecration. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Prayer: Father, help me to draw near to You and quench my thirst with you, amen.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


Helpline: +234 809 3333 224


31 | P a g e

CHAPTER FOUR

Why the Stumbling and Conflict?

“…for though a righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again, but the wicked stumble into

calamity” (Pro 24:16)

As a young believer, I struggled to align the reality of why a righteous man is not the perfect

man.

Why is it that after being born again and became the righteousness of God in Christ (2

Corinthians 5:21), I can’t just be perfect and live on without sin’s tendencies and

susceptibilities? Why is it that after being possessed by the Holy Spirit and the old things had

passed away, the new creation that I am can’t just express its reality in my body automatically,

and lead me on as a perfect man before men and before God?

Many and more of these questions troubled my mind in the past and held me bond to my

works of righteousness and deprived me of growing in grace and walking in the liberty afforded

me in Christ.

I craved for instant perfection, but I did not get my freedom and begin to walk in the liberty of

the Spirit until I realized that though I am righteous and a saint, I am being transformed into His

likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit of

righteousness, as I unveil and reflect upon the glory

of his grace and word without doubt or disbelief. (2

Corinthians 3:18)

A baby is not in any way an animal or a beast because

he has not grown to become a man; neither will a

mother gorilla be classified as a human because it

looks like one. The fact is that the little child is a

human being as much as a grown up man, and the truth is that the little child will eventually

grow up to become a man. So when a census of human being is taken, both the baby and the

men are reckoned.

A baby might not be able to walk, talk, run, do stuffs like the adult, and may fail and fall often

while attempting to do them. But as he grows and develops, he perfects his skills by consistent

attempts and faith in the fact that he can do all things.

The inward conflicts and

intermittent stumbles you make are

signs of spiritual growth and

development

32 | P a g e

The inward conflicts and intermittent stumbles you make are signs of spiritual growth and

development. Just like a child falls and stumbles until his feet becomes firm and steady, so also

your experience as you grow and strive to develop into Christ’s likeness as a righteous man.

Therefore, it is not a question of being perfect, but a matter of whether you are growing and

maturing as a righteous man.

The standard or yardstick of our growth is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. We are to grow “up to

Him in all things”- Eph. 4: 15; that is, we are to become like Him in mind and in every way. This

should be our longing and aspiration daily. With this in mind, our growth cannot end. We keep

on growing to be like Him, until we see Him face to face.

I found this teaching about spiritual growth very precious and priceless when I was exposed to

it several years ago at my local church – Grace Covenant Centre. Since then it has become a

plumb line against which I measure my spiritual progress and development periodically.

I am very certain that you will likewise find it helpful as I share it with you.

Why Should I Grow Up?

Our physical lives begin with a birth. So do our

spiritual lives. Spiritual maturity is a process that

begins when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, and it is

an ongoing process. This means that we start our

lives only when we are born again and not before!

Our days outside Christ are not part of our Christian lives no matter how ‘religious’ we were. No

one then is really a Christian until he/she is born into the kingdom of God.

It is true that nobody is ever born an adult. No one is born already grown up. It is contrary to nature. This truth applies spiritually too. When we are born again, we start our lives out as spiritual babies, no matter our physical age or the status we have attained in the world before the new birth.

“Like newborn babies, thirst for the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in your salvation.” (1Peter 2:2)

To grow means to increase in proportion or size; to develop or to evolve into a better state or form. Hence growth is a dynamic process and not a static one. Growth is a tangible thing. It can be seen, felt, and measured. No one who is growing remains on the point, or at the same level day in day out. If you are growing, you will notice it too. We notice it when we are growing physically.

You need to have your eyes open to the need for growth in your spiritual lives.

Our days outside Christ are not part

of our Christian lives no matter how

‘religious’ we were

33 | P a g e

One of the problems in the church is that of over-aged babies: Christians who have refused to grow up or mature, even after several years of conversion; ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth, perpetual babies(2Timothy.3:5-7, 1Corintians.3:1-3.)

Over-aged babyhood is sorrow.

Although babyhood is interesting, it is not the target of life. God wants us to grow up and mature spiritually.

Growth is a natural outcome of life. Living things grow and cessation of growth is an indication of death. Moreover, you need to grow up and mature spiritually so that:

You can do all that God wants us to do and to fulfill His eternal purpose and counsels for our lives. There is a limit to how far we can go as babies!

You can enter into your full inheritance and enjoy your rights and privileges as sons. “Now what I am saying is this: As long as an heir is a child, he is no better off than a slave, even though he owns everything. Instead, he is placed under the care of guardians and servant managers until the time set by the father.”Galatians. 4:1-2.

So examine yourself now. How long ago were you born again? Have you grown much since then? Is the word of God making any impact on your life? Are there noticeable improvements to praise God for, or are you stagnant?

And how about the RATE at which you are growing; is that Satisfactory and pleasing to the Lord?

Examine yourselves honestly before the Lord.

Stages In Spiritual Growth

I considered it helpful to take you through different stages in our spiritual development so that

you may know at what stage you are in the growth timeline.

I: BABYHOOD

Babyhood is the starting point for everyone who is born again, no matter how old or highly placed physically. The church often makes the mistake of immediately treating spiritual babies like adults – with grave consequences!

You can enter into your full

inheritance and enjoy your rights

and privileges as sons

34 | P a g e

The way to grow out of babyhood is to desire (hunger for, seek after, and pursue) the sincere (Pure, Truthful, Unadulterated) word of God – 1Peter 2:2.

This is a responsibility for everyone who wants to grow.

Spiritual babies exhibit the following traits just like physical babies:

Dependence: Babies can’t help themselves much. They are easily dependent on older people to take care of them. This is normal, and spiritual parents and older brethren in the Lord need to be responsible and understanding.

Ignorance: Babies usually think anything is food and do not recognize danger. Hence they need to be watched over. Some spiritual babies take poison (wrong doctrines, teachings, examples) unknowingly. Some have ‘died’ as a result.

Innocence: Babies have no past – 2Corintians. 5:17; Hebrew. 10:17. They are not stained with the prejudices and hidden intentions that sometimes trouble adults. This is a good characteristic that should not be lost even in adulthood – 1Corintians.14:20; Spiritual babies too usually think every Christian is genuine and is an angel. They believe what they see on the surface and will trust to a fault.

Sooner or later, spiritual babies must learn to add discernment and wisdom to their innocence. Until then however they need to be watched over carefully. Give practical illustrations.

Easily Spoilt: Babies can easily get spoilt to certain things if care is not taken. It seems that the Corinthians became spoilt to certain ministers and this led to divisions in the church – 1Cor. 3:1, 3-9, 21-23.

Milk Feeding: Babies feed principally on milk and cannot digest strong food – 1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:12-14. Some teachings of the word of God which require balanced judgment and mature understanding or deep sacrifice and consecration may prove tough for babies who may then stumble at them – Jn. 6:59-60, 66.

As much as babyhood is a necessary stage for everyone, it should not be overstayed.

When spiritual babies fail to grow, they become Carnal or Worldly, as was the case with the Corinthians

“That's because you are still worldly. As long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, you are worldly and living by human standards, aren't you? For when one person

says, "I follow Paul," and another person says, "I follow to Apollos," you're following your own human nature, aren't you?” 1 Corinthians 3:3-4

As much as babyhood is a

necessary stage for everyone, it

should not be overstayed

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In the light of the above, are you growing spiritually? Or are you over staying Babyhood? What worldly traits do you still manifest?

Be sincere and then pray accordingly.

II: CHILDHOOD

‘… that we henceforth be no more children …” – Ephesians. 4:14.

The time comes when a growing Christian knows that he is no longer a baby in Christ,

even though he is not really mature in many things. He knows that he has left behind

several babyish characteristics and in fact can recognize them in others who are still

babies; but he is aware too that a wide gap exists

between him and several mature brethren he

knows. He is out of babyhood even though he has

not reached adulthood or manhood.

The Bible actually speaks of a childhood stage

between babyhood and manhood. Perhaps the vast

majority in the church today are in this position,

making the message of growth even more important today.

Spiritual children exhibit the following traits, just like physical children:

Unsteadiness: Physical children can’t concentrate on things for long. Their attention

span is quite short and interests fluctuate rapidly. This brings inconsistency. Spiritual

children can be inconsistent – very high today, very low tomorrow; working

zealously today, ready to give up tomorrow; quick to promise God many things

today, quick to forget and break the promises tomorrow. They can also easily be

carried away by strange or new doctrines particularly if they are so alluring.

Unsteadiness affects different aspects of the lives of spiritual children e.g. their

prayer lives, study of the word, responsibilities they are given in the church, etc.

Curiosity: Children often want to know about everything that goes on around them,

whether it concerns them or not. You see this in the questions they ask. Spiritual

children too can be quite inquisitive, sometimes under the guise of collecting prayer

points. They need to learn that not every knowledge is profitable; and they do not

When spiritual babies fail to

grow, they become Carnal or

Worldly, as was the case with

the Corinthians

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need to meddle in things that do not concern them. Spiritual children grow in their

learning of spiritual things without falling into the pit of unhealthy curiosity?

Talkativeness: sign of Spiritual Maturity is the ability to bridle our tongues – James.

3:2. Children One don’t know when to apply the brakes and have not learnt the

value of silence. Spiritual children often sin with loose tongues – Proverbs.

10:19.The following sins are easily committed in talking loosely:

o Evil Speaking– Ephesians. 4:31: Gossip about the faults and failures of others “Just to pray about them:” Spiritual children are quick at criticizing others for every fault they notice. They often wonder if those with faults are Christians at all. They may carry tales around in the church and pass judgments, forgetting they do not have all the facts. This is all because they have grown a little themselves.

o Vain Speaking –2Corintians. 10:12, 17-18: Boasting about oneself, Spiritual children will boast about their church, gift, talent, achievements, how they are better than others, etc., and give the glory to self.

o Foolish Talking – Ephesians 5:4 Jesting and joking which are not edifying or convenient, because they cause us to lose precious anointing. Many Christians leak through the mouth! – Ephesians. 4:29.

o Lies/Exaggeration – Proverbs. 10:19: These often come in when the tongue is not restrained. It is also the reason why spiritual children cannot keep secrets and breach confidence.

Full of activity: Children are often full of energy and can be very restless, jumping

from one activity to another. Spiritual children are similar and can run all over the

place with Christian activities. With maturity comes balance and a clear

understanding of what is really beneficial and what God wants them to do at any

point in time.

Spiritual children can be helped to direct their energy or zeal aright.

What a dire need exists in the church today for adults to help model the children!

Playfulness: Children are often playful and are more bothered about the little, little,

unimportant things, events or details. In meetings, a spiritual child may be

concerned only about the dress of the minister, the hairstyles and other such details.

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Misuse of liberty: Children are apt to misuse the liberties they are given. A balanced

use of Christian liberties requires maturity – Galatians. 5:1; 1Corintians. 8:9-13.

Spiritual children may have problems with how much television – Videos, Games,

Internet browsing and other liberties they use.

When spiritual children fail to grow, it becomes difficult for the Lord to use them as He

would want to. This means children who refuse to grow may never fulfill their destiny.

This also is Sorrow.

III: MANHOOD

This is the mature stage of our Christian lives. It is the stage that the Lord eagerly expects individuals and the church as a whole to reach

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians. 4: 13.

The mature Christian has left behind the babyish

traits of over-dependence, ignorance and milk-

feeding; he has also put behind him the childhood

tendencies of unsteadiness, unhealthy curiosity,

talkativeness, etc - 1 Corinthians. 13: 11.

The mature Christian is characterized by the

following traits:

He is truly spiritual; esteeming earthly things lightly and is more minded about heavenly things - Hebrew. 11:24-26; Romans. 8:6-8; Colossians. 3: 1-3.

He is dead to human praise and censorship and so is not hindered from doing God's will as a result of what men will say – 1 Corinthians. 4:3-4; James. 4:4; Galatians. 1:10.

He is able to make sound and balanced spiritual judgments and take decisions according to God's will - 1 Corinthians. 2: 15.

He is able to endure the strong meat of the word of God, because his spiritual senses are trained to discern between good and evil- Hebrews. 5: 14.

When spiritual children fail to

grow, it becomes difficult for

the Lord to use them as He

would want to

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He is able to walk on steadily in the will of God; not falling today, rising tomorrow; high and faithful today, low and unfaithful tomorrow. Thus he can fulfill his course in God's plans and purposes. He is consistent and faithful in his Christian life and service; and is not easily carried away by strange doctrines.

He knows in real life what it means to be dead to self - Galatians. 2:20, 5:24.

He is able to walk in love towards others irrespective of what they do. This is an acid test of maturity - Colossians. 3: 14.

He is strong in faith, trusting God as an outcome of his personal walk with Him.

He is able to handle delicate spiritual matters without causing damage or ruin.

All fruit of the Spirit is mature in him and are not bitter or sour.

You know a mature Christian by the way he talks. His word is filled with grace and wisdom.

Maturity does not necessarily come as a result of having spent "donkey" years in the Lord - Hebrews. 5: 12. Maturity comes as a result of faithful obedience and following the Lord even in the little, little matters of daily life. Hence a baby in the Lord today can reach maturity within a short time.

Therefore, exercise at spiritual gyms and mere outward appearance are not sufficient as

signs of maturity. The Corinthian church had as much carnality as spiritual gifts - (Cp.

1Corinthians. 1:4-7 with 1Corithians. 3:1-4).

However, the fact that one has matured does not mean one has arrived at a level where "there is no more to add". Maturity in the Lord is not the end of the road in our spiritual lives, and mature Christians have not 'arrived'!

Maturity is only the beginning of a deep, personal, faithful, enriching and fruitful walk with the Lord. Hence there is a need for mature Christians to "press on". This is the rule for growth in maturity - Philippians. 3: 12-16.

Nevertheless, when mature Christians fail to press on, they become blind and insensitive to what new things God is doing. As a result they become incompetent to guide babes in Christ in God's new move. God may then set them aside. They may stagnate, glorying only in their past and become an institution in themselves! They may retain their gifts, talents, large congregation, etc., but they miss the highest and best that God has for them.

Let us go on to maturity and keep pressing on!

Maturity is only the beginning of a

deep, personal, faithful, enriching

and fruitful walk with the Lord

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Why Do I Stumble Often and Easily?

Poor Nutrition: Inadequate feeding on the word of God. Neglect of the word.

Imbalance feeding – 1 Pet 2:2-3

Choking Of the Word: Word killers, Fire extinguishers, “Legitimate” things which make

the environment of one’s life not conducive for spiritual growth – Matt. 13: 22. E.g.

Movies, Entertainment, Unnecessary gossips, bad company etc.

Disobedience, unbelief, failure to walk in the light that we have received – Heb. 4:1-3.

The Fear of Men

Ambitions

Anxiety and Cares

Spiritual apathy or complacence, lack of

desire for spiritual growth – Matt. 5:6.

Indiscipline, Failure to pay the price for

spiritual growth. Illustrate practically.

Reluctance to leave behind childish things – 1 Cor. 13:11

Pride

How Do I Know I Am Growing?

How can we tell that we are growing spiritually? We can know for sure that a plant is growing

when we see its leaves blossom and its stem getting bigger and taller. But what factors should

be measured in a Christian’s life to determine his/her growth? In other words, in what areas

should our spiritual growth be made evident?

1. The Bible makes it clear our spiritual growth will be evident in observable increase (multiplication) in the following areas of our lives:

In Grace – 2pet. 3:18: God‘s grace is His enabling power.

When mature Christians fail to press

on, they become blind and

insensitive to what new things God

is doing

40 | P a g e

As we grow in grace, we increase and develop in our ability to do God’s will (no matter

how difficult). We increase in our ability to carry out His will for our lives, fulfill His

purposes and please Him in all things. As His grace multiplies in us, we are able to be

and to do all He wants us to be and do.

Are you growing in grace?

In the knowledge of God – 2Pet. 3:18: to grow in knowledge of God is to have a more thorough experiential Knowledge of His person, His ways, His plans, and so readily fit in. Our growing knowledge of Him transforms us and makes us to conform to His image -2Cor.3:18.

In Faith- 2Thess.1:3: we should continually increase in our ability to believe God and trust Him in all circumstances

Love–Thess.1:3: we should increase in our ability to give, love, serve, care for and forgive one another in the body of Christ. A fellowship/church that grows in love will also grow in number.

In the Fruit of the spirit – Gal.5:22-23: The fruit of the spirit is the expression of God’s nature and character in us. As we grow in the fruit of the spirit, we become increasingly dead to self and more yielded to the Holy Spirit. In short we become more and more like Him.

In understanding– 1Cor.14:20: Growth in understanding will enable us to make mature and balanced judgments on Issues and take decisions accordingly. Our Christian lives are but a totality of the spiritual judgments and decision we make on a daily basis-1Cor.2:15.Without understanding therefore, our judgments will be carnal, reflecting only our flesh traits and prejudices. Often without understanding, we will simply jump to conclusions about issues and so make decision, and take actions which contradict God’s will and thought. We need to grow in understanding.

In service to God -1Cor.15:58: There is no retirement age in service the Lord - Ps.92:13-14. In fact we should seek to bear more fruit in service to Him.

Our Christian lives are but a totality

of the spiritual judgments and

decision we make on a daily basis

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Reality Check

Points to Note: Inward conflict and intermittent stumbles I make are signs of spiritual growth

and development.

List other convictions you got from this chapter.

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Verse to Memorize: “…for though a righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again, but the

wicked stumble into calamity” (Pro 24:16)

Personality Check: Are there noticeable improvements to praise God for in my life ever since I became a Christian, or am I stagnant? List areas you are still manifesting worldly traits. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Prayer: Lord, let my spiritual growth be made evident in every areas of my life, amen.

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Motivation for Holiness

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