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You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
James 1:4
4 But [de] let [echo] patience [hupomone] have [echo] her perfect [teleios] work [ergon], that [hina] ye may be [o] perfect [teleios] and [kai] entire [holokleros],
wanting [leipo] nothing [en][medeis]. KJV-Interlinear
4 And let endurance have its
perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.NASB
The theme of this book is the 'application of
wisdom.'Wisdom comes with
maturity.James calls for believers to
become perfect, which is a reference to spiritual maturity and will be more
explained in the next few verses.
Maturity comes with learning, and learning comes by
means of studying and applying.As the
believer grows up, the natural process of growth results in spiritual maturity.
The learning process in the spiritual life, is very
much similar to the academic life.We
study, we learn, we experience life, we make decisions, we learn from our
decisions and/or from our mistakes (as it were), and we grow as a result.
In the academic world, or life outside of the
fellowship sphere, we may or may not learn from our actions.There is a tendency to not learn, since the
believer (or unbeliever) operates outside of the sphere of Gods discerning
environment.
The believer (and not the unbeliever), who is in
fellowship, has the advantage of Gods discerning abilities.That is Bible doctrine in the soul. This
discernment helps one to see life clearly and to learn properly, and thus to
grow properly to maturity.
'Endurance,' as we studied yesterday, is a reference
to patience, confidence, stamina, survival, the ability to stick with life
without falling apart.Combined with
proper discernment, the believer can focus on the events of his life.Combined with being in fellowship, the believer
advances (automatically) toward 'perfection,' or spiritual maturity.
Being born alive is not enough.You must believe in Christ in order to be
saved, in order to go to heaven.
Being saved is not enough.You must be perfect (mature) in order to enjoy
the phenomenal benefits of salvation, in order to witness and recognize Gods
work within your life.
In spiritual maturity, you will lack for nothing.God is there regardless of your life's
situation.And your situation could be
good, it could be ho-hum, or it could be absolutely horrible.
But remember one important principle, every human
being is a clay pot.Clay or dust of the
earth, from which God made us.Each clay
pot comes in various sizes, shapes, with ornamental markings, and some that are
made very plain.
Into each clay pot, God pours the life of each one of
us.And though our circumstances are
very different, we all have the very same objective in life (spiritual
maturity), and the very same provider in life (God and doctrine).How will you invest what God has given to you
(life, time, and doctrine)?How will you
deal with the circumstances which God has given you in life?How will you match the two up?
Now is the time to post a prayer.
End Of Lesson
Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.
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