The Process of Time

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Grace Thru Faith- study [8]

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There are no shortcuts to sanctification which is a lifetime growth in trusting God,
Seeking a shortcut thru spiritual experiences – will lead to a spiritual cul-de-sac.

Striving to please God in the strength of the old sin nature – will meet an impasse,
Searching for blessings in the wrong cisterns’ – will lead to spiritual dryness,
There are no shortcuts to maturity – which is a lifetime growth in trusting God.

Jacob was 97 years old when he finally recognized this truth,
- but only after the Angel of the Lord had dislocated his hip joint !
- only after a lifetime of trying to do it himself – did Jacob cease from his struggling,
And until he ‘slept’ – his precious limp was a ever-present reminder in his flesh.
Jacob found there are no shortcuts to maturity - no shortcuts to sanctification,
Which is a lifetime process of learning to trust God.

What scripture clearly tell us is that spiritual maturity is not an instant state,
What the experiences of countless saints indicates, is that they thought it was!!!
- until like Jacob they were brought to an end of themselves,
- until they also reassessed their walk with God and became as little children.
Many saints of the past have found there are no shortcuts to sanctification..
Which is a lifetime process of learning to trust God.

Sadly some young Christians are pushed into leadership before learning this truth,
Others seek growth by a myriad of other routes, all of which anticlimax into nothing,
Some think the first flush Christian joy is the climax rather then a commencement,
For there are no shortcuts to sanctification as it’s a lifetime growth in trusting God.

Former mountain-tops or experiences of spiritual blessing – may be joyfully recalled,
The euphoric works of the past – may be recognized as performed in the flesh,

BUT..
None are sufficient to rest upon in the spiritual journey on which we have all embarked,
But all will be used in the eternal plan, for a life who truly cries: “Thy Will Be Done.”
For God works all things together for good to those that trust him,
And God gives back years – consumed by the locusts of life.
But it is a lifetime process of learning to trust God.

There are no shortcuts to spiritual growth – it’s a lifetime growth in trusting God.
Once this truth is accepted – struggles of the past have achieved a great purpose,
Once this truth is accepted – joys of the past will be placed in their right perspective.

For God uses ALL things in the life of a believer – in producing the end result!
- even the cul-de-sacs, the dead-ends and impasses we have all explored at times.

But the underlying truth is that there are NO shortcuts to sanctification
- for the fruit of the Spirit takes time to grow and to ripen in the life of a believer,
- just as the fruit on the tree requires sunshine and storm to yield its produce.

One writer puts it this way :-
the Husbandman’s method for true spiritual growth involves:
Pain as well as Joy,
Suffering as well as Happiness,
Failure as well as Success,
Inactivity as well as Service,
Death as well as Life.

The temptation to shortcut is especially strong,
unless we see the value and submit to the necessity of the TIME element;
- in simple trust resting in His hands,
“Being confident of this very thing,
that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” Phi..1:6

And, dear friends, it will take that long!
But since God is working for eternity,
- why should we be concerned about the time involved?

There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity -

Which takes a lifetime of growth in learning to trust God

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The Process of Time

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Elizabeth Haworth

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