{"id":2637,"date":"2024-07-28T23:39:29","date_gmt":"2024-07-28T16:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.cru.org\/national-ministry-sites-template\/?page_id=2637"},"modified":"2024-07-28T23:39:29","modified_gmt":"2024-07-28T16:39:29","slug":"the-role-of-faith-in-spiritual-growth-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.cru.org\/south-sudan\/knowing-about-god-2\/blog1\/the-role-of-faith-in-spiritual-growth-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Role of Faith in Spiritual Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Role of Faith in Spiritual Growth<\/h1><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Everyone knows that faith plays a significant role in our spiritual growth, but practically speaking it either occupies too much or too little of our understanding. If our conception of spiritual growth is nothing more than self-effort, we will not experience life transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if every spiritual pothole is paved with \u201cjust trust God,\u201d we will also miss out on true spiritual growth. This is not to detract from the centrality of faith in becoming more like Christ, only to understand its role, so we can better coach those whom we disciple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Christian life there are certain truths that are either so formative, or so fragile, that your disciple may require special assistance in learning to hold them in the shopping cart of faith. As mature Christian we are used to toting these truths around like a handbag (such as the security of our salvation), but young Christians need to develop the spiritual muscles that we take for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What follows is a partial list of these foundational truths that require the exertion of faith, and may require your assistance. It is in these areas that the need for faith is most acute and where the lack of it will have the greatest ramifications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Faith and Forgiveness<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Few of the great battles in life are ever won overnight, so it is safe to assume that your disciples will see many spiritual failures before they finally see the flag raised, hear the national anthem, take their place on the winner\u2019s platform and the world is joined together under the Nike swoosh. It might be a small failure or a stunningly gross one, but in either case they will desperately need to experience God\u2019s forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem with many sins is that even after we\u2019ve confessed them, it is difficult to feel cleansed, to not berate ourselves, and not suspect that God\u2019s still fuming over the incident. When we sin we instinctively feel someone must pay a price. No one gets off easy. What we need to decide is who is going to pay. Your disciple will therefore move in one of the following directions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • ALTERNATIVE #1<\/strong>\u201cI am pig swill.\u201d This is one of the terms I use when beating myself up for having fallen into the same trap of sin, yet again. I\u2019ve not copyrighted the phrase so feel free to use it. In essence, I\u2019m crucifying myself for the sin. Yes, what Jesus did was nice, but I\u2019m going to cover the tab\u2014check, please. Someone must pay and rightfully it should be me, so I pound myself for my stupidity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • ALTERATIVE #2<\/strong>\u201cYou, you made me sin.\u201d That \u201cyou\u201d could be a person, Satan, or even God, but either way someone needs to take the fall for the sin I\u2019ve just committed, and I\u2019ll be darned if it\u2019s going to be me.
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  • ALTERNATIVE #3<\/strong>\u201cNow that you mention it, I\u2019m not sure that really was a sin.\u201d Recognize that phrase? It\u2019s called justification. As the word implies, we decide to make a judgment over and against our conscience, declaring that what we did was actually right, or at least not that wrong. Why go to the effort? Because someone must pay for sin, unless of course there is no sin and that\u2019s what we\u2019re shooting for in this approach: to eliminate the offense.
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  • ALTERNATIVE #4<\/strong>\u201cI couldn\u2019t help myself, it\u2019s just my personality.\u201d Let\u2019s call this rationalizing, which is equivalent to the courtroom plea of insanity. What I\u2019m saying is, \u201cYes, it was sin, but I didn\u2019t have the moral capacity to say \u2018no.\u2019\u201d My personality was such, and circumstances were such, that I could do no other than what I did. The effectiveness of this strategy lies in how good you are at convincing yourself that it\u2019s really not your fault. I\u2019m pretty gullible, so I usually believe me.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Of course what makes this all unnecessary is that someone has already paid the price, Christ. What is needed is confession. The problem is that we can confess our sins while failing to employ faith. Faith involves a choice of the will to believe that God has forgiven us through Christ\u2019s death, while turning a deaf ear to doubts. We reckon that God is more merciful than we can imagine and believe that through Christ\u2019s death we are completely forgiven, and \u201cas far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us\u201d (Psalm 103:12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We often ask our disciples to scribble out their sins on a piece of paper, and have them write the verse 1 John 1:9 across the list, and tear up the list. I see no expiration date on this exercise. It is effective because it develops the faith component of confession: a visual aid to under gird a young and underdeveloped faith muscle. It might be useful to walk your disciples through the different responses listed above to help them see where in the process of confession, they are failing to exercise faith. You must teach them confession but you must also teach them that confession involves faith.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Faith That God Can Make You Holy<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Most of the great heroes of the Bible share two things in common: they all wore sandals, and they were all required to persevere in their faith, though final victory was often years in the future. We, too\u2014no matter how many setbacks we encounter\u2014must never waiver in our belief that God can make us holy, and, if we persevere, will ultimately lead us in triumph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Every disciple is willing to trust God for victory over sin at least once. The problem is when the war turns into Vietnam, with infrequent victories, heavy losses, and no foreseeable exit strategy. It is at this juncture that they need to know that faith is a long-term struggle and holiness a lifelong battle. Point to the many battles of faith in scripture fought and won over years, and not days. Show them how the Promised Land was taken one battle at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When victory is elusive they will need someone to help make sense of it and prepare them for the long war. Without a proper perspective, they may resolve the conflict with a ceasefire, and an acceptance of behavior far from godliness. Help them persevere in the battle believing God will, in time, bring victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.<\/strong> (1 Corinthians 10:13<\/strong>)<\/div>