Chapter 2 – Time, Faith in Time

Our little book that we have just started, the Principles of Spiritual Growth is going to take us through several basic topics, the first of which we’ve been looking at the last couple of weeks, “Faith.”  Next comes “Time, Acceptance, Purpose, Preparation”, and so on.   These are fundamental to understanding the growth process; today we take a last look at “faith” and an opening look at the principle of “time”.  Again, it has been a while since I’ve looked at this book, but in rereading, seeing all my little marginal notes and recalling my many revisits to it, I realize just how much of this has been etched into my thinking and understanding of how God works to bring about growth in our Christian Life.

We closed last week’s consideration with this from our author Miles Stanford:

The more you find Him in your sorrows or wants, the more you will be attached to Him and drawn away from this place where the sorrows are, to Him in the place where He is.” “Set your affection on things above” (Col. 3:2).

Again, this draws our focus and attention away from our Condition to our Position in Christ where we possess all things that pertain unto life and godliness.  There is one more paragraph here to consider which properly shows not only our need to base our faith on facts, but on the very Person behind those facts, the author and finisher of our faith. Then we move on to the invaluable principle of understanding “time”, and how the God of providence, the creator of time uses time to His advantage in His loved ones.  Pay close attention to this particular theme. It is critically important that the principle of time is rightly understood.

In the wondrous blessings of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa. 30:15 & Job 2:10
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FAITH – 4     …..continued

The more you find Him in your sorrows or wants, the more you will be attached to Him and drawn away from this place where the sorrows are, to Him in the place where He is.” “Set your affection on things above” (Col. 3:2).

Actually, we cannot trust anyone further than we know him. So, we must not only learn the facts involved but ever more intimately come to know the One who presents and upholds them! “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature” (II Pet. 1:2–4)

Chapter 2—TIME

It seems that most believers have difficulty in realizing and facing up to the inexorable fact that God does not hurry in His development of our Christian life. He is working from and for eternity! So many feel they are not making progress unless they are swiftly and constantly forging ahead. Now it is true that the new convert often begins and continues for some time at a fast rate. But this will not continue if there is to be healthy growth and ultimate maturity. God Himself will modify the pace. This is important to see, since in most instances when seeming declension begins to set in, it is not, as so many think, a matter of backsliding.

It is plain that it is God’s way to set people aside after their first start, that self-confidence may die down. Thus Moses was forty years. On his first start he had to run away. Paul was three years also, after his first testimony. Not that God did not approve the first earnest testimony. We must get to know ourselves and that we have no strength. Thus we must learn, and then leaning on the Lord we can with more maturity, and more experientially, deal with souls.     ….to be continued