The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren—A Synopsis (continued). Chapter 28—It Takes Time (pages 217-223) Summary Spiritual growth (sanctification—“being set apart”) takes time. Salvation is the acceptance of the gift of salvation from God by faith alone in Christ alone; it is not a “total commitment” of one’s life to Christ, since at spiritual birth a person understands very little about true commitment. The process of true commitment (otherwise known as “sanctification” or “discipleship” or “being conformed to the image of Christ”), is a product requiring the ripening of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in one’s life, which is a time consuming (gradual) and sequential process. It takes faith, fellowship and the exercise of one’s will in making discipleship choices. Spiritual growth takes time because of the following reasons: · Saved humans are slow learners. A review of Israel’s history confirms that it takes repeated exposure to God’s Word and judgments for God’s children to finally learn spiritual lessons. · Saved humans have much to unlearn. Bad habits don’t develop overnight; they don’t evaporate overnight. Their eradication takes persistence and the “replacement principal” (previous chapter). · Saved humans hang on to pride while avoiding personal truth. No one wants to face his character defects, but it is only over time as God reveals them through the light of truth (God’s Word) that a believer is able to humble himself and admit to his condition. Only then can healing take place by the power of God’s Spirit within. · Spiritual growth is often painful and scary. Because old habits are at the very least “comfortable,” believer are often unwilling to let them go. And because spiritual growth is accompanied by fear or loss, which is often painful; the believer usually grows slowly in Christ. · Spiritual growth must be habitual, a time consuming development. A person’s character is the sum total of his habits. No one can claim to be kind, honest, giving, faithful or any decent quality; unless he is habitually that quality. And spiritual habits come from practice over time—known as spiritual disciplines. Spiritual growth is a mutual or shared process, which means that the Christian through choice must cooperate with God in it. The following ways are means in which a Christian can cooperate with God: · Exercise faith and minimize feelings. The Bible teaches that the entire Christian experience, from salvation through sanctification, is wholly dependent upon faith. Feelings are fine, but they can be deceptive. The key to God’s heart is to believe Him and His Word regardless of how one “feels.” · Keep a record of learned lessons. Keeping a record of spiritually learned lessons will assist a believer in the review of the lessons, which then insures their reinforcement in the believer’s mind and assistance in the sharing of them with others. · Exercise patience with God and self. The believer must always remember that his growth is in accordance with God’s timetable; therefore, he need not hurry God or himself—an exercise of patience. · Refuse to be discouraged. Trust in God’s ability to accomplish His ends. By doing so, the believer will take comfort in his spiritual condition and process—knowing that he hasn’t “arrived,” but also knowing that he isn’t back where he started—having faith that his path to conformity to Christ will steadily and progressively continue. Quotes “Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time.” (pg. 217) “While we worry bout how fast we grow, God is concerned about how strong we grow. God views our lives from and for eternity, so He is never in a hurry.” (pg. 218) “You can only give God as much of you as you understand at that moment.” (pg. 218) “Discipleship is the process of conforming to Christ.” (pg. 219) “Today we’re obsessed with speed, but God is more interested in strength and stability than swiftness.” (pg. 219) “Only as God is allowed to shine the light of His truth on our faults, failures, and hang-ups can we begin to work on them.” (pg. 220) “There is no growth without change; there is no change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain.” (pg. 220) “Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits.” (pg. 221) “Repetition is the mother of character and skill.” (pg. 221) “Remember that God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time. He will use your entire lifetime to prepare you for your role in eternity.” (pg. 222) “Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering.” (pg. 222) “A delay is not a denial from God.” (pg. 223) “Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go.” (pg. 223) “Even the snail reached the ark by persevering!” (pg. 223) Scriptures Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 3:10a; 2 Corinthians 3:18b; Deuteronomy 7:22; Romans 13:12; Ephesians 4:22-25; Colossians 3:7-10, 14; 1 Timothy 4:15; Ecclesiastes 3:1; Psalm 102:18; 2 Timothy 3:14; Hebrews 2:1; James 1:4; Habakkuk 2:3. Conclusion/Comments Spiritual growth is a lifetime commitment and process. The Christian must be patient with himself and with God in the endeavor. With proper faith in God and the exercise of proper choices in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, the Christian will continually be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Faith and not feelings are to be the Christian’s focus in this preparation of his character, which he will take with him to his eternal home. He must always remember that God is not so much concerned with swiftness but in strength and stability in the sanctification process.