Abiding Fruit
Abiding Fruit
Psalm 92:13-15
Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the
courts of our God. 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall
be fresh and flourishing, 15 To declare that the Lord is upright; He
ismy rock, and there is no unrighteousness
in Him.
NKJV
A visitor to this web site hopefully will recognize that my passion is the teaching of doctrine. I believe this is the foundation of our Christian faith and growth toward spiritual maturity. This belief grows from passages such as:
1 Timothy 4:6, 13
6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.Titus 1:9
Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
Spiritual maturity is the element that allows us to weather the storms of life. The storms demonstrate to us God's faithfulness and help to expand our faith. This expansion, part of the process we call sanctification, is the force behind our spiritual growth. It is through the application of sound doctrine to the experiences of life that we grow in our faith. Or, as I envision it:
- Faith brings us to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ
- This faith involves some understanding of the Doctrine of Jesus
- Doctrine helps us to understand the Bible and to grow more knowledgeable in and about God
- Experience puts our doctrinal
beliefs to the test.
Isaiah 48:10
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
The application of doctrine within experience helps us to realize the true faithfulness of God and allows us to grow stronger in our faith, ready for the next experience.
The ultimate goal is to become more Christ-like.
