01/25/20 ENTER THEN ADVANCE

01/25/20 ENTER THEN ADVANCE

Advancing in grace and salvation depends on advancing in grace and salvation.
Stagnant discipleship stagnates, it doesn't advance.

PLEASE READ

When we enter into salvation through saving grace, it is due to the miraculous, gracious work of God. Without God's initiative and provision and enabling grace, no one can be saved and no one even wants to be saved. It is God who calls us and saves us, as we accept His offer and believe on Christ. New Testament belief in Christ is manifested in humble obedience to God's will. If we are not obedient, we are not exercising saving faith, and without faith (saving faith) no one can be saved.

From the time of our instantaneous conversion we begin to grow in our relationship with God and in our personal grace and knowledge of salvation, just as a normal and healthy baby grows. God nurtures us with His word and whatever else is necessary for life and growth. At the earliest stage of salvation our understanding of God's word and God's will is basic, but shallow. It is like a baby living on milk rather than meat.

Therefore we enter into life suddenly, by the regenerating power of God, but we grow (progress) in our relationship and salvation, incrementally as we receive and walk in God's light (truth). Though all of our sins (acts of disobedience to God) are forgiven and we are regenerated and we are turned from sin to righteousness, we are not delivered from the sinful nature (Old Man, Carnal Mind). We can only be forgiven or our actions. We cannot be forgiven of our nature. Just as we get Divine nature through a sudden Divine work of salvation, we must be delivered from our sin nature by a sudden Divine work of deliverance.

God wants His children to come to a point of total surrender, commitment, trust. God leads us to a point that we die to self, to the world, to sin. At that point we either enter into perfection (aka atonement perfection, believer's perfection or Christian perfection) or we begin to move toward darkness rather than walk in His light. This is perfection of heart, perfection of love, heart purity.

God calls us to perfection of love and heart and we enter into that relationship and life by an act of faith, just as we entered into salvation. This deeper spiritual life allows us to "eat" stronger spiritual food (meat).

After God delivers us from Double Mindedness we begin to advance, grow, progress in His grace and salvation, much more aggressively than we did while we were carnal Christians.

John Wesley succinctly stated it something like this:
Christian Perfection is approached gradually, entered into suddenly and grown (lived) in forever.

CONSIDER THESE PASSAGES.
Hebrews 5:11-14
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 6:1-3
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.

Romans 7:14-25
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 8:1-11
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:1-4
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?