WE now return to our study in The Complete Green Letters, coming to the fourth section of book titled, The Realization of Spiritual Growth. In the preface to this section Miles Stanford comments that there are three steps in reckoning – to know and reckon, to abide and rest, and to depend and walk in the process. We grow in the knowledge of reckoning by using Spirit applied faith reckoning.
TO my left is a book shelved in between several books titled, How People Change by Timothy Lave and Paul Tripp. Somewhere in the closet on my right, up on the shelf is a series of basic studies with a titled lesson called The Faith Rest Life. If I were to peruse my library, and probably yours, I would find other books that would offer similar instruction from different perspectives and approaches, all with the same end in view, growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior (2Pet 3:18). Why so many like books, a seemingly endless array of books on the same topic?
And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.
Eccl. 12:12
I’VE often thought that pronouncement by Solomon somewhat ironic considering just how many books may have been is existence when Solomon wrote that. Hebrew was one of the early literary languages of history, but most world languages didn’t even have alphabets at that time, let alone books when Solomon wrote those words. Greek literature was just coming into existence, and there were very few books (mostly scrolls) in existence, and those hand written at that! If Solomon where alive today what would he say to the fact that the Library of Congress has 32 million books catalogued and 61 million manuscripts in 470 languages! And then there is now the digital information in cyberspace that has blasted those numbers off the charts!
All the available and growing information only increases Solomon’s conclusion on the manner; which is that after all that can possibly be said and transcribed, it all really comes down to one thing: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil (Eccl. 12:13-14). In other words, it is the Reckoning that Counts; trust and obey as we learned to sing when we were children.
But, consider well, our trusting and obeying is not an abstract understanding of some vague principle or idea, it is based upon the concrete, rock solid foundation of God’s Word. Nothing else will stand. Therefore, Christ prayed, Sanctify them [Father] by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:17). It is His inscribed word in which we must be grounded and established in if we are to find ourselves truly and consistently growing in grace daily (2Pet. 1:2-3).
SO, with that that said, we will now start our study in Part Four of The Compete Green Letters, The Realization of Spiritual Growth.
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
Acts 20:32
In the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15, Jas 1:2; Prov. 21:30
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The Realization of Spiritual Growth
Chapter 40 – Principles of Reckoning
The purpose of The Green Letters (Part One – Principles of Spiritual Growth) was to set forth the truths of identification, as well as some of the basic principles by which God brings us into their reality.
As a sequel to the Letters, this study deals with the essential principles having to do with our reckoning upon the identification truths. It is an attempt to answer the question, “How do I reckon?”
To facilitate our understanding of the subject, we will define at the outset the three basic elements of the reckoning that counts.
Principles
According to Webster, a principle is “the law of nature [or the method] by which a thing operates.” The how of reckoning is based on principles. Our Father works according to His spiritual principles to fulfill His purpose in our lives. For example: He brings us into the reality of our identification on the basis of the principle of knowledge (know the scriptural truths), the principle of faith (reckon upon the truths known), and the principle of time (yield to His lifetime processing for growth in the truths known and reckoned upon).
Identification With Christ
The truths of identification are those facts in the Word which reveal our identification with Christ in His death unto sin, and our subsequent re-creation in His resurrection. As foreknown believers, our Father judicially placed us in His Son on the cross—so that we died in Him unto sin, and are now alive in Him unto God.
Reckon
The word means “to regard as being, to count as true.” Romans 6:11 calls upon us to count upon the truths of our identification with Christ: “Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus” (ASV). We count upon the truth that is made known to us; we exercise faith by resting upon the facts.
…..to be continued
