HAVING completed our lengthy study in The Principle of Position, we will go next to Miles Stanford’s Principle of Spiritual Growth, Part One The Complete Green Letters. But first, I have one closing comment.
OUR study of The Principle of Position – Complete Green Letters, Part Two- Foundations of Spiritual Growth, we closed out and ended with this:
Only life lived in the light of glory can overcome the world of darkness.
In summary, (1) we count ourselves to have died unto sin, and to be alive unto God in the Lord Jesus (Rom. 6:11); (2) we accept our position in the light when we know ourselves to be new creations in our risen Savior (Eph. 2:6), (3) we enjoy His blessed fellowship as we judge ourselves in confession of our sins (1 John 1:7, 9). Then it is that our Lord can work through us in the lives of others, “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:18).
Keep Looking Down
“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Col. 3.3, NASB
IT is here I want to focus on those three words – Keep Looking Down – before going on to our next spiritual growth topic.
I DON’T recall when I first read the little book we just finished – The Principle of Position. The copy date says 1967, and I vaguely recall around that time period, or shortly thereafter, faithful pastor introducing this little volume to me. I remember vividly he and I sitting under the shade of one my backyard fruit trees, as he explained some of the opening observations of the book. If my recollections are correct, I also recall this was around
this time when purchased a brand new little ‘68 VW Beatle. It is still in the family – still being driven by one of my grandsons. The VW was and still is green (Mr. Green is its name), and I remember I must have finished reading this book after buying that car because for as long as I owned that car I remember having in place a little orange Dymo Label on the dash board over the radio speaker grill, imprinted with the three word statement that closes this book, Keep Looking Down. It was a single phrase that reminded me every time I climbed in and seated myself behind the steering wheel of Mr. Green of my Position (Union) in Christ! It was literally a 450,000 mile,* daily reminder of being seated with Christ, the meaning of Col. 3:3, “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
I FIRMLY believe that this statement and what we have just finished reviewing is the rock-solid foundation of the Christian Life. This is the fundamental principle that gave me cause to rejoice in and pray for nearly every time I got behind the wheel of that little green Volkswagen. This principle was, and remains, a guide and controlling factor within my heart, thoughts, and actions in every wind of circumstance I’ve encounter as I traversed the highway of my life. Those three words truly summarize all that we have been looking at in this study, and can’t be rightly understood apart from what we have thoroughly examined. Those three words are also foundational to our further study as well.
SO with that, think and rethink what we have studied – consider it well and Keep Looking Down.
