The Call to Spiritual Manhood
Praise God. The Christian walk is a journey of continuous growth. It is a path that calls us from the stage of a babe in Christ to the fullness of spiritual manhood, where our thinking aligns with the mind of God. Sadly, many remain in the same spiritual condition for decades, unaware that they are called to grow. This is not a matter of a long Christian life; it is a matter of a life lived in a new nature. Just as a physical body can grow while the mind remains undeveloped, so too can a Christian age in faith without maturing, acting like a spiritual infant. A true Christian is not one who is constantly seeking for God to do something for them, but one who understands their place in Christ and acts from that reality.
Beyond the Language of Babes
In the healing ministry, our words are often misunderstood because the language we use for spiritual babes differs from the language for the spiritually mature. We may tell a new believer, “God is going to heal you” or “I will pray for God to heal you,” because that is the language they can comprehend. But a deeper truth awaits them. In the spirit, God has already provided healing through Christ's redemptive work. If a Christian remains at the level of waiting for God to act, they are vulnerable, as a prayer based on this old understanding may not produce results. They are not living the life of a true Christian. Just as a fully human child cannot yet enjoy the fullness of an adult's life, many Christians are content to be carried and fed milk from a bottle, a sad sight within the Body of Christ. This is not a criticism, but an observation that there is much work to be done in nurturing believers.
The Divine Verities of the Gospel
Christianity is not founded on assumptions or empty words; it is built upon divine realities. As Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, the power of His gospel remains unchanged. The gentleman who heard our teachings but was not convinced did not receive revelation because he was too proud to look at the Bible. He thought to himself that God could not teach someone else something He had not first taught him. Is God restricted? Is He under our control? The gentleman's pride gave way to a humble heart only when he witnessed the undeniable power of God at the healing school, seeing people leap from their wheelchairs. He cried out, “Oh, God, I'm sorry.” Jesus gave us the necessary credentials to back up our claims with divine verities.
The Purpose of the Cross: Raising Sons of God
The ultimate reason for Jesus' coming was not merely to save us from sin; this was a necessary means to a greater end. The true goal was to raise sons of God, just like Himself. God has always desired a spiritual family. When you are born again, you are born of the Spirit, making you a child of God, for He is the Father of your spirit.
📖 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6, KJV) 📖 “Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9, KJV) This spiritual birth means that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are no longer born of a corruptible seed from your earthly parents but of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23). Therefore, a Christian does not possess two natures but one divine nature, having supplanted the old. 📖 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4, KJV)
The Power Resides Within You
The power of God is not distant, but a reality working within us.
📖 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us…” (Ephesians 3:20, KJV) We did not receive the Holy Spirit just to speak in tongues or feel blessed; we received Him to become a blessing. Just as God blessed Abraham and made him a blessing, if you have truly received Christ, you are now a blessing.
When challenges arise, whether it be a sickness or a circumstance, we must do something about it. Jesus did not lie when He said, “These signs shall follow them that believe… if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.” It is not about what happens to you, but about what you do in response to what happens. Though Satan is still at large, we, as believers, are the ones who keep his demonic forces in check. We have the authority to cast out devils in the Name of Jesus.
The Practice of a New Creation
When you understand these truths, your life becomes exciting, filled with a joy that overcomes all sadness and offense. The Word of God gives us a new mentality—the mindset of the righteous. As He is, so are we in this world. It doesn’t matter what you're going through, because the gospel is about the life that Christ has made available. We are the new supermen, just discovering who we truly are. Once you discover this, you will have a new language and a new way of thinking. You won’t pray for God to take away a headache; you will say, “In the Name of Jesus.” His Name is the key to every door. It is the authority that makes all things possible to you.
The Christian perfection is not found in human striving but in the development of our divine nature. You have it, but you must mature it. This is done by engaging in these vital practices:
- The Knowledge of the Word: The Word is the source of our 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, KJV)
- Meditation on the Word: Knowing the Word is not enough; it must saturate your spirit.
📖 “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.” (1 Timothy 4:15, KJV)
- Praying in the Spirit: Speaking in tongues is speaking divine mysteries, arranging your life and circumstances in the spirit realm.
📖 “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.” (1 Corinthians 14:2, KJV)
- Speaking Wisdom: This is the practice of speaking the Word and declaring your divine reality. This is your "talking session" with God.
📖 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4, KJV)
The Unshakeable Reality
My own life is a testament to this truth; by speaking the Word and using the Name of Jesus, I have seen doors open and boundaries fall. Use the Name of Jesus, and nothing will be impossible for you. You are a creator. What you say is what you get, whether you like it or not, because you are a child of God. Your language locates you and reveals your true spiritual state. Many wonderful, loving Christians have suffered greatly because they have not lived from this reality. They have a form of godliness, but they walk as men.
A Christian who has embraced this truth is unshakable and unmovable. They do not lose. They know that all things work together for their good, not because of what they do, but because they love God.