Summer 2006
How to Grow Spiritually
Written in the late 1800’s
Elizabeth Baker

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

There are two foundational principles upon which all advance in the development of our spirituality rests. The first is our utter sinfulness and helplessness, either to save ourselves, or to transform our lives into the divine likeness; and the second, the perfect ability and willingness of the Lord to accomplish this for us, if we will commit all into His hands and trust Him.

First, let us look at the human side - our lost estate and inability to recover ourselves. Sin has so blinded the eyes of sinners, that they do not realize how far they are from righteousness, or from God. They do not think that they deserve condemnation, for they feel respectable and upright and that religion could make but little improvement. Also, there are those who know that they are far from being righteous, as they commit sins that even the world pronounces against. Yet they do not realize how hideous sin is in the Lord’s sight, as it is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring a sense of conviction.

A sinner comes to Jesus, and at once thinks that he can serve God easily, and attempts to do so. He does not know how helpless, or unlike Christ he is. In our natural makeup, everything about us is unlike God. We have become so adjusted to our self-centered lives that we do not understand how incapable we are of turning our lives over to the Lord.

In part, the incarnation of Jesus was to show us how different His life is from ours. He was so easily entreated, that a woman from the street could go to Him and wash His feet with her tears. He never turned from any, except the hypocrites. His was a life of gentleness and of total dependence upon His Father.

“Then answered Jesus and said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what he sees the Father do: for what things soever He does, these also does the Son likewise.” John 5:19

Jesus recognized that which God desires us to understand – that “I can of myself do nothing.” The Lord will burn this understanding into us by allowing us to struggle until we see how far we are from living in this state of dependence. There are things that we would like to overcome, but instead they become worse. We may try to control our temper, but fail at each attempt. This is because we must recognize that of ourselves, we cannot do this. Rather, we must come to the Lord in utter trust and dependence, and allow the Lord to overcome within us.

Every step that we take toward self control, or self betterment, will fail, until we learn this lesson, “In me dwells no good thing.” There can be no improvement by any effort of our own, we must come to the Lord and submit to His working within us.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Second, the lesson has to be learned of the willingness of the Lord to help us. We are as Israel. He brought them out of Egypt and made a way for them through the Red Sea. He caused water to flow from the rock, and yet when they came to the next place of need, they said, “Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” (Psalms 78:19b). We tend to believe the Lord up to our level of experience, but we feel that He cannot bring us to the place where we are able to experience the fullness of His abiding presence, and be led by Him.

What then does the Lord desire for us? He seeks to draw us to Himself, even after our worse failure, and then look into His face with confidence and say, “Lord, I can never do any different, I commit all this to You.”

When we seemingly do not receive our deliverance, we question Him. We say, “Lord why am I not delivered, as I am praying?” He will respond, “Yes, but you have never committed it to Me and then let go.” The Lord is asking us to treat Him as if He meant what He said.

This is faith, always counting that the Lord will do as He says. Each morning, as you open your eyes, say to Him, “Lord, You are here, working in me, and I both love and worship You.” It is His desire to work each moment in us. Our constantly praying, instead of accepting, hinders.

There is a word in Isaiah, “In returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15b). Oh, child of God, bruised and sore with your efforts, begin to believe in your God, and His perfect work for you. Remember how the prodigal son said, “I perish with hunger,” but when he returned to his father, he did not have to beg that father to give him something to eat. No, the father provided a robe and a feast. His ideas were small, he did not expect a robe and a feast, his thought was, if I may be as one of the “hired servants,” but his father made him a great feast and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and kissed him and said, “This is my son that was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and now is found,” and poured out his love upon him.

What did the prodigal have to do? Simply accept it all. So also, expect the Lord to meet your need, today.