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YouNeed
·
ToKnowWhy
FIERYTRIAIJS
AreNecessary
Throughout history, God' s people have experienced many persecutions and tribulations.
God's children often experience severe trials and tests! Why? Do you know why a loving
Creator has decreed that all of His children must go through their share offiery
trials? Read and understand this. Trials are a vital part in developing spiritual character.
any Chris–
tians fail to
realize that
trials and trib–
ulations–
unpleasant
though they
may be at the time- are really bless–
ings in disguise! You need to under–
stand why our loving Father has or–
dained that all His children must ex–
perience a number of temptations
and trials.
God Almighty has deliberately de–
signed the begettal and birth of a
chi ld in this life to be a type-an
exact picture-of the spiritual beget–
tal and birth which the child of God
must experience before he can be
born into His family.
We were born into this world un–
der terrific pressure! In childbirth,
both mother and baby usually experi–
ence much stress and strain, as well
as a certain amount of physical
pain.
This is an exact type of the spiri–
tual birth.
Jesus Christ said to Nicodemus:
"Verily, verily,l say unto thee, Except
a man be born again, he cannot
32
by
Raymond F. McNair
see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
What are the very beginning steps
toward salvation? 1) Repentance,
2) baptism, and 3) the receiving of
God's precious Holy Spirit (Acts
2:38). But-after our real conversion
and baptism-we must continue to
"grow in grace, and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Saviour, J esus
Christ"
(JI
Pet. 3:18).
The apostle Peter revealed how
this growing must take place: "As
newborn babes; desire the sincere
milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby" (1 Pet. 2:2).
After repentance, baptism and the
receiving of God's Holy Spirit, we
must continue the vitally important
process of spiritual growth in the
womb of the Church, so we can
someday be born into God's family.
We can only continue to grow spiri–
tually if we steadfastly keep drinking
in our daily supply of God's living
waters- His Holy Spirit (John 7:37-
39; Isa. 55: 1).
We continue to receive our daily
portion of God's Holy Spirit if we
continually feed on the Word of God.
" lt
is written, That man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word of
God" (Luke
4:4).
The words of God Almighty as re-
corded in the Bible are life-giving
and will nourish us-if we regularly
receive them into our very innermost
being! Christ said,
"lt
is the spirit
that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that 1 speak unto
you, they are spirit, and they are life"
(John
6:63).
[f we mix prayer and fasting with
our daily study of God's Word, we
receive a rich supply of spiritual food
which will nourish us to full spiritual
maturity. After safely completing a
full term- usually much longer than
the nine months required for physica\
birth-of growtb in the womb of the
Church, we will then finally be ready
to be born into God's spiritual family.
Can you now see how the spiritual
birtb, like a human birth, is usually
preceded by a most difficult period of
stress and strain?
St ress and Strain Are Necessary
Jesus Christ, our High Priest , doesn't
want us to be relaxed Christians!
God does not want us to go to sleep
on the job (Matt. 25:5). "Wherefore
he sai tb, Awake thou that sleepest,
and arise from the dead, and Christ
shall give thee light" (Eph.
5: 14).
Jesus Christ will reject any who
remain lukewarm (Rev.
3:15-16).
The
PLAIN TRUTH June-July 1979