WE just completed Chapter 51—Reckoning in Colossians Three in our continuing study of The Realization of Spiritual Growth – Part 4 of The Complete Green Letters. Last posting, before proceeding to the next chapter, I took a momentary look at an excerpt from How People Change, by Timothy Lane and Paul David Tripp, along with a comment from one of my favorite pastor/authors, JR Miller. Now we return to our study proceeding on to Chapter 52 – The Rest of Reckoning.
FRANKLY, it has taken me many years in my sojourn to fully understand the instruction taught here. In today’s posting I’m going to leave you with just two excerpts from this chapter for you to muse upon. One opening comment, and one found in the middle. May the Lord bring you to His wisdom and understanding in these things by His infinite grace. (Prov. 4:7)
In the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10; Isa 30:15; Job 2:10; Jas. 1:2; Prov. 21:30
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Chapter 52 — The Rest of Reckoning
“Leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection [full growth]” (Heb. 6:1, ASV). As hungry and growing believers, we press on—but we do not press to “produce.” The Holy Spirit instills within our being a determination that will not be denied, a hunger that must be satisfied. Our pressing on to His very best is fostered by the fact that we will never be satisfied in ourselves, but we will always be satisfied in Him. We are ever being drawn forward because of our realized need for freedom and growth. “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13, 14).
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No matter how far we progress in our growth, there will always be a degree of this “labor” involved—turning from the testimony of the temporal to the eternal witness of Scripture. This is especially necessary because self will never change; it will always be sinful, never possessed of one good thing. We must ever count upon the exchange of the cross to separate us from the influence of self, freeing us to rest in the life of our Lord. …..to be continued
