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tual gifts for various administra–
tions, or functions of service. ln
Ephesians 4:11- 14, Christ has given
special spiritual abilities or talents
to certain ones in a chain of author–
ity under Him in the Church-and
notice for what purpose:
"And his [Christ's] gifts were that
sorne should be apostles, sorne
prophets, sorne evangelists, sorne
pastors and teachers, for the equip–
ment of the saints, for the work of
ministry, for building up the body
of Christ [the Church],
UNTIL
we all
attain to the unity of the faith and
of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to mature manhood,
to the measure
of the stature of the fulness of
Christ" (RSV).
In other words, to full spiritual
maturity!
Now why should we count the
troubles and problems and tempta–
tions that beset usas all joy?
Simply because we cannot hurdle
these obstacles successfully in our
own power. They drive us to seek
help from God. To go to God for
the wisdom to know what todo, and
the power to be able to do it, re–
quires faith. This is a living faith.
rt
is alive.
It
is active.
When we meet such . trials, we
often do not. know what to do. We
lack the wisdom to make the right
decision. So open your Bible to the
first chapter of James. Notice verse
5.
If you lack wisdom, in such trials,
go to God for it! But ask in faith–
no wavering-no doubting. Be sure
God will not fail, but will give you
this wisdom. Depend upon Him for
it. If you waver, you are Like a wave
in the ocean-tossed back and
forth - going nowhere! So, instead of
wavering, be steadfast. And if you
don't get the answer immediate ly
from God, have patience. Don't
give up. Trust Him.
Now notice verses 2-3: " Count it
all
joy, my brethren, when you meet
various trials, for you know that the
testing of your faith produces stead–
fastness" (Revised Standard Ver–
sion). These trials force you to your
knees. You must have faith to meet
them. They test your faith. They de–
velop spiritual character!
In the King James Version, it says
the trying of your faith produces pa–
tience. It produces that kind of pa-
44
tience that is steadfastness. That is
character!
Sure, it may be unpleasant for a
while. But, Paul assures us that ifwe
suffer with Christ, we shall reign
with Him- and the glory to be re–
vealed in us is so incomparably
greater than anything we now are,
that this promised future for eter–
nity is something to rejoice over!
Yes, count it al! joy! Even if un–
pleasant.
lt
is maturing you, now,
for the marriage to Christ. The
Church of God shall be born into
the Kingdom ofGod! The Kingdom
of God will not be composed of
spiritual know-nothings and infants.
When we are born again- born of
God- resurrected in spirit bodies,
those bodies wiU not be small, like a
human physical infant which must
grow to full physical size. We shall
Jook as we do now, so far as forro
and shape and features are con–
cerned. But the resurrected body
will be a ditferent body-composed
of spirit instead of fiesh and blood (1
Cor. 15:35-44).
The original twelve apostles were
Christ's witnesses. That is, they were
actual eyewitnesses that Jesus rose
from the dead- that the living resur–
rected Christ was the same Jesus
who had been crucified. They were
with Him forty days after His resur–
rection. But nobody will be foolis h
enough to suggest that when Christ
was born very Son of God by the
resurrection (Romans 1:4) that He
was resurrected in a tiny infant's body
composed of spirit. He was resur–
rected full grown, as He had been
when crucified. How did the apostles
know Hewas the same Jesus? Beca use
they knew what Jesus had looked
like- and in His born-again, resur–
rected body He looked the same,
exceptHe nowwascomposed ofspirit
instead of matter!
The resurrected Christ was per–
fect- He was very God! But He did
not grow up into perfection after He
was resurrected. It was during His
human lifetime, setting us the ex–
ample, that He was made perfect , as
you read in Hebrews 2:10 and 5:8-9.
Thus it is plain that we must de–
velop spiritual character, growing to
spiritual adulthood, during this
life-not after our resurrection in
glory! This is the spiritual growth, of
which the physical growth of the un-
born child, from tiny embryo to a
size and weight of sorne six to eight
pounds at birth, is a type. The phys–
ical growth of the unborn human is
a growth of physical size and
weight. The spiritual growth of the
begotten but yet unborn spiritual
child of God is a growth in spiritual
character, not of physical volume,
size or weight. The human baby
merely grows large enough to be
born prior to birth- not to physical
or mental maturity. But he does
grow. And this physical growth is
the type of the spiritual growth by
feeding on the Word of God, and
prayer, and Christian fellowship,
and participation in the Work of
God in the life of the begotten child
ofGod.
The difference is merely the dif–
ference between matter and spirit.
One is a material growth. Material
growth is measured by volume, size,
weight. The other is spiritual
growth, measured by character de–
velopment.
Jesus was born very Son of God
by His resurrection (Romans 1:4).
He was born fully mature. He was
born in a spirit body. which was
manifested to His apostles in the
same apparent size and shape as
when He died. When He appears on
earth the second time, in His spirit
glorified body, we shall be resur–
rected, or instantaneously changed ,
to a body that will be Like Him (1
John 3:2)- full grown- adult!
O
No, you haven't
been born again-
-and this free booklet tells you
why. To receive your copy of
"Just What Do You Mean .. .
Born Again?" write to the ad–
dress of our office nearest you
(see inside front cover).
The
PLAIN TRUTH January 1978