Author: hillturnfs

4. We experience more awareness of His presence.
5. We start to view everything as coming from God.
6. We can sense our faith growing stronger.

Spiritual growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It requires a lot of hard work but it will happen over time as you read your Bible and study God’s Word. How could it not? It’s God’s will and a part of the sanctification process by the Holy Spirit.  First, read your entire Bible at least once a year.  Second, memorize Scripture as an important exercise and component of Bible study. I have two boxes of 3″X 5″ index cards with memorable Scriptures in numerical order and tabbed with the Bible book where the verse is located. One box is for the New Testament and the other is for the Old Testament. I review the verses regularly so I can recall them as needed for my blog.

Third, read other biblical source materials. I’m currently rereading a history of Jesus. I have a number of Bible guides and commentaries I review often. I have a library full of books by well known Bible authors. I have Strong’s concordance for Scripture research.  The point is, the more you read the more well rounded you are in all things pertaining to God and the kingdom and that’s a very good thing. The more you read about God and know about God the more your thirst for God will increase.  We all know God is everywhere but human nature being what it is, we’re out of sight out of mind.

When you read God’s Word daily, and study it, and meditate on it, God is constantly before your eyes. You’re constantly reminded God is there inside you as the Holy Spirit and His goal is to help you.  You start to view God as a constant companion and friend instead of a distant Creator and this is reinforced by Bible verses you can recall from your study of God’s Word. All things work in concert to make you more aware of God’s presence.  I have a new appreciation of God’s ownership of the earth and everything in it, including me. Scripture says all good things come from the Lord and I know that in my soul. My faith grows stronger every day because God is reaffirmed in everything I learn.

As we study God’s Word we will grow in our walk with Christ. How do we know if we’re actually growing spiritually? How can we measure our progress? There are 13 sure signs we’re growing in Christ.  As a believer you probably won’t have all the signs but you’ll have some of them. As I go through the list you’ll identify with some of the signs you’re seeing in your life. Here is the list in no particular order:

1. We have a growing hunger for God’s Word.

I list this one first because it’s the one I notice most in my life. The more I read my Bible and study God’s Word the more I want to. I have a need, an unquenchable thirst for God.  My urge prompts me to read about and study God’s Word daily from my numerous sources. The fulfillment of my thirst is sharing God’s Word in writing through this Christian blog.  I was meant to do this.  God doesn’t make mistakes.

Psalm 42:2 – My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

Psalm 63:1 – O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land.

Psalm 143:6 – I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land.

2. We become more aware of our sin and our weakness.

3. When we sin our repentance is quick and genuine.

I used to sin and not give it a second thought. I liked it.  However, now the Holy Spirit makes me acutely aware of my sin and I don’t enjoy it anymore.  I feel my weakness before a loving God who sees everything, and I cannot hide. I know God is disappointed in me. I am remorseful. I am ashamed. I repent of my sin immediately because I know God will forgive me because He said He would.  I want my sin removed as soon as possible so God sees it no more. I don’t want to wait until later to ask for forgiveness. What if something happened to me in the meantime? When I meet Jesus I want to have no sin still on my books. I ask for God’s forgiveness every night in prayer before I close my eyes just in case I missed something.

1 Pet 3:15 – But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

As we interact with other people the topic of religion inevitably comes up. I try to keep the above verse in mind when discussing the beliefs of the different Christian denominations. I try to give my thoughts without giving offense and I listen to what others have to say.  However, when someone says something you know to be wrong you have an obligation to stand up for God and speak the truth of God’s Word. You may never witness for Christ but there is no excuse for not rebutting a direct challenge to your faith. Here are some common fallacies:

1. Jehovah and Allah are the same God.
2. All religions lead to heaven.
3. All good people go to heaven.
4. There is no such thing as hell.

The Judeo-Christian God Jehovah is the one and only true God. Salvation unto eternal life is only possible through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Good works mean nothing. Without salvation the unbeliever will spend eternity in a physical hell of unending torment.  We have the proofs to back up what we say in the Holy Bible and in my earlier blogs. All the fake religions and false gods in this world have no proof to back up their claims. Satan has sponsored them to lead people away from the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 3:36 – He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Isaiah 45:22 – Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no other.

Isaiah 43:13 – From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can oppose what I do.

I’m a Southern Baptist evangelical who accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at age twelve. I was baptized before the members of the First Baptist church in my hometown. I was saved unto eternal life the moment I believed, by faith, in the gospel of Christ.  Baptism was the way our church publicly identified ourselves as disciples of Christ and became a part of the local church. Baptism was an outward show to everyone of our inner faith in Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 5:24 – Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life.

Romans 3:28 – Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

For the believer, baptism is symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. For the believer, being immersed under water symbolizes being buried with Christ and the death of our old sinful nature. Being raised up out of the water is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus was raised from the dead and we, as His disciples, have been born again with our new nature and have inherited eternal life. We baptize because Jesus was baptized and because in the Bible Jesus commanded it be done.

Romans 6:4 – Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life.

You need to understand that prayer is not an onerous duty for Christians. Prayer is the greatest privilege God grants to the believer. Through the Bible God talks to man, which is why it’s so important to read God’s Word daily. Just as important is prayer, through which we talk to God.  We communicate with God by prayer, and we listen for His answer. Prayer is just spending time with God. When we were born again, God became our Father and we became His children therefore we can have access to the throne of grace 24/7. Even the angels in heaven don’t have the total access to God that we do.

Mt 6:6 – But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Heb 4:16 – Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Prayers to God should include one or more of the following: praise and honor to God; obedience to the will of God; confession of sin; making a request of God; asking for help overcoming Satan.  Christians should pray at least five times a day, to begin and end each day and before each meal. You are encouraged to speak to God at any time through prayer without formality, like you would with a friend as you walk, ride, etc.

1 Thes 5:16 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I cannot stress how important it is for believers to study God’s Word. It’s why God gave it to us in the first place. Only 10% of Christians who regularly attend church have read the Bible in its entirety and fewer still have taken the time for actual Bible study.  How in the world can you obey God’s commands if you don’t know what they are? How in the world can you be an effective Christian if you don’t know God and what He expects of you? Even if you’re lucky enough to be a saved Christian you’re operating blind if you haven’t studied God’s revelation to man. You cannot fully develop the fruits of God within you without regular Bible reading.

Matthew 4:4 – It is written, man should not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

From the beginning to the end, the Bible tells us who God is, how He works, and His purpose for man. The Bible also tells us about ourselves and how we can be successful as a child of God.

2 Tim 3:14-17 – But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have know the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Be systematic by reading your Bible every day at a set time that’s best for you. I’m a morning person so early AM is best for me. Read you Bible in the same place every day where it’s quiet and you won’t be disturbed.  I read at my desk in my office so I can make notes. Always pray before you read your Bible. Thank God and ask Him to give you the knowledge, understanding and wisdom contained in His Word. Always be humble before God. Start memorizing Holy Scripture.

When we are saved unto eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are sealed by God by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who will then never leave us and who will be our guide, counselor and teacher in our walk with God. Let’s be clear who lives in us. In the following verse it is Jesus who is speaking:

John 14:23- If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

This verse tells us a lot. The Bible is God’s word and here Jesus says in My word so this is just another confirmation among many in the Bible that Jesus is God come to earth in the flesh. If you love Jesus you love God. If Jesus loves you so does the Father. If we love God we will obey the commands of Jesus.  And because we love Him Jesus says We (Himself, the Father and the Holy Spirit) will come and make Our home with him. Again, Our means the trinity and live with him means on the inside of our body.  You can refer to the indwelt Holy Spirit as any person in the trinity and be correct. By faith we are to accept the trinity as one God but three persons.

We can know and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in our bodies with prayer and spiritual awareness.  One one occasion I have felt the Holy Spirit in my body. Upon salvation my body has become God’s temple. Church attendance and fellowship is a good idea but my guide and teacher on all things is the Holy Spirit.  Think of it as “home schooling” primarily done as the Bible is studied. For knowledge, understanding and wisdom it’s important for the believer to read the Bible daily, study God’s Word daily and pray often for God’s revelation.

When someone asks you why you’re a Christian be prepared to tell them. Unbelievers think all Christians are hypocrites because they see Christians still committing sins. Unbelievers mistakenly think once you become a Christian your actions should all of a sudden model Mother Teresa and you should never sin again.  Unbelievers think this because they themselves are not saved and do not know the Bible. Satan persuades the unbeliever that being a Christian is not something to strive for and God’s Word is easily snatched from their hearts by the god of this world.  I get this thrown in my face all the time. Satan is predictable, and why not? The devil’s wiles are still working. I don’t take offense anymore because I know where it’s coming from and from whom. What we have to do is explain to the unbeliever that all people sin, including Christians.

The difference is saved Christians are forgiven and will still inherit eternal life. Being a Christian doesn’t mean we won’t sin because we still have the sin nature inherited from Adam.  Being saved means as we mature in the faith we’ll sin less and less and when we do sin we’ll feel guilty and ashamed. We won’t enjoy sinning like we used to. God is faithful to forgive those believers who repent of their sin and ask for God’s forgiveness.  I sin every day and when I realize it I immediately ask God to forgive me. At night before bedtime I pray for God to forgive all my sins that day in case I missed anything. That way I know before my eyes close that the blood of Jesus has washed away my sins before the Father and when God looks upon me He sees only the righteousness of Christ Jesus. I have a clean slate before God and the peace of God.

The seventh gift of God is the discerning of spirits. This is the Holy Spirit giving us the supernatural ability to detect the presence of demons. We know from the Bible that God kicked Satan and his fallen angels (demons) out of heaven and threw them to the earth where they currently roam causing mischief.  The Bible has many stories about people who were possessed by demons. If demons could enter a person’s body back then they can so do today. With this gift a demon can be detected inside the body or outside the body.

The eight gift of God is knowing different tongues. I’ll be honest with you, I’m confused why this gift is needed. The Holy Spirit gives the supernatural ability to speak a foreign language which then becomes our personal prayer language to God through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has the ability to offer up the perfect prayer to God on our behalf and this new tongue we have somehow gives us a more direct path to God.  I personally think English works just fine. I’ll pray to God for enlightenment on this. The ninth and final gift of God is interpretation of tongues. Although some can speak in tongues they can’t understand what they’re saying to God without this additional gift of interpretation. I would expect these two gifts to be given together, much like knowledge and wisdom are given in conjunction for better effect.

The primary benefit to believers of knowing the gifts of God number three through nine is just knowing they are available. I’ve never had any of these gifts or known anyone else who did. Certainly these gifts are not used very much. However, we do see examples of them all in the Bible so they are real. Pray for them if you see a need.  The first two gifts of God, the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom are a different matter. These are the primary gifts of God to man. They are in use constantly in every circumstance in life. We needs these gifts as much as we need water and food. Without them we perish.  The Bible commands us to study God’s Word diligently and pray continuously for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. If we do that then God’s gifts of knowledge and wisdom will continue to flow through the Holy Spirit into our spirit. Never stop praying and growing in Christ Jesus.

The fifth and sixth gifts of God are the gifts of healings and the working of miracles. We’ll cover them together because all healings are miracles but not all miracles are are about healing. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In biblical times we know God supernaturally healed many people as documented in the Bible.  Since God is unchanging He can and does heal people today in response to prayer if it’s His will. God can heal anyone of sickness and disease if asked and God can also heal others on your behalf based on your prayers and the prayers of other saints. Some healing is done on a case by cases basis and some people are anointed to lay hands on other people and heal them.

God doesn’t publicize His miracles but they are real nonetheless. Let me give you a personal example. A few years ago my son was struck be a vehicle going 50 mph and he was thrown 40 feet. At the hospital the doctors gave my son no chance to live. Word went out to his church and all the church elders arrived at the ER to hold hands and pray for my son’s life.  My son’s condition immediately started improving. My son had 19 broken bones and spent a month in ICU but he did fully recover which is a miracle that few people realize. Miracles happen every day around us and go unnoticed except to those who receive them based on their prayers and the prayers of others. How many times does God have to say it before you believe it?

James 5:14-15 – Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint his head with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

James 4:2 – You do not have because you do not ask.

Mark 11:24 – Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Luke 11:9 – So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

1 John 5:15 – And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.