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Gen. 2:9; 1 Cor. 8:1; 13:2; Eph. 3:19; 4:13; Rom. 8:6; 2 Cor. 4:16
I. What is not the growth of life?
А. The improvement of behavior
B. The increase in knowledge
II. What is the growth of life?
А. The increase of the element of God
B. The increase of the stature of Christ
C. The expanding of the ground of the Holy Spirit
D. The decrease of the human element
III. The way to grow in life
Being a Christian is entirely a matter of life. To be regenerated is to receive the life of God into our spirit. We must grow in life daily until we are fully matured in life. Because this matter is a daily life-long process, we must focus our full attention on this crucial point. First, we must see what people mistakenly assume to be the growth of life. Second, we need to discern the true meaning of the growth of life. Third, we need to see how to grow in life.
Though we need much improvement, improvement of behavior may not be of life. [The improvement of behavior means the changing of a person’s behavior from bad to good, from evil to virtuous. For example, a man formerly was very proud; now he is humble. He often used to hate others; now he loves others. He was habitually quick-tempered and easily angered; now his temperament has become slow, and he is no longer quick-tempered. All these can be considered the improvement of behavior. When a man’s behavior is thus improved, is this the growth of life? No!] Why? [Just as evil is not life, so also is good not life. Thus in the Bible, good and evil are not two trees, but one tree; life is another tree, being something of another world, another kingdom (Gen. 2:9). Thus a man, by his own determination and effort, can improve considerably in behavior and yet still be very immature and weak in the life of God. This is because his improvement is entirely apart from life; it is of his own work and not of life. Besides, what he has improved is not the result of his growth in life. Therefore, growth of life is not the improvement of behavior.] Nearly all religions, ethical teachings, as well as psychiatrists try to help people to improve their behavior. Only Christ comes into us to be our life.
Though we need to know more about the Lord through His word, yet knowledge may not be life. [Though the increase of a believer’s spiritual knowledge through hearing more messages, knowing more truths, understanding more of the Bible, and comprehending more spiritual terms, etc., is a kind of growth, yet it is not growth of life. The increase of such knowledge only causes his mind to become improved and more thoroughly versed and his head to have more comprehension or more ability to comprehend. It is not that the Holy Spirit has given greater revelation within him or that life has gained more ground within him so that he has growth in the real knowledge and experience of Christ as life. The increase of such knowledge alone simply causes men to be puffed up (1 Cor. 8:1). It is nothing before God (1 Cor. 13:2) and has no value in life. Thus, growth of life is not the increase of knowledge.]
[The increase of the element of God means that more of God Himself is blended into us, is gained by us, and has become our element. We have said that life is God Himself, and to experience life is to experience God; therefore, the growth of life is the increase of the element of God in us, until all that is of the Godhead is completely formed in us that we may be filled unto all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19).]
[While life is God Himself, God being our life is Christ; therefore the Bible says that Christ is our life. We can say that when we are regenerated, it is Christ being born again within us to be our life. But when we first receive it, this life is still very young and immature, which means that the stature of Christ within us is very small. When we love Christ, seek Christ, and allow Christ to live in us more and thereby gain us, the stature of Christ gradually increases within us. This is the growth of life. Since this life is Christ who lives in us, the growth of this life is therefore the increase of the stature of Christ within us.]
[We have also mentioned that life not only is God, but it is Christ, and it is also the Holy Spirit. We may say that to experience life is to experience the Holy Spirit; therefore, to grow in life also means to allow the Holy Spirit to gain more ground within us. When we pursue more urgently the working of the Holy Spirit within us and give diligence in obeying the teaching of the Holy Spirit within us as the anointing, the Holy Spirit can then expand His ground extensively; thus life within us will grow to a great extent. Therefore, the growth of life means also that the ground of the Holy Spirit has expanded within us.]
[The above three points reveal that if in a believer the element of God is increased, the stature of Christ is increased and the ground of the Holy Spirit is expanded, his life then has grown. All these points speak from God’s side. Now we shall speak from our side. Firstly, the growth of life is the decrease of the human element. The decrease of the human element is the decrease of Adam, the old creation, in man, which also means the decrease of the savor of man and in the increase of the savor of God. If a believer has really grown in life, his speech, actions, living or working must all impart the sense that they are not according to himself, but according to God; not of his own intelligence, but by the grace of God; therefore, they do not carry the savor of man, but more the savor of God, which also means that the human element has decreased and the element of God has increased. Thus, the growth of life is not only the increase of the element of God, but also the decrease of the element of man.]
After seeing that growth of life is the increase of God and the decrease of ourselves in us, we must find out how to grow in life. It is not hard. It only requires us to practice every day. Mainly, we need to be filled with the spirit every day all day by calling on the Lord, praying, repenting and confessing to the Lord, reading and pray-reading the word, speaking and singing hymns, thanking and praising the Lord for everything, fellowshipping with the saints, preaching the gospel, and prophesying in the meetings. Then we need to live by the Spirit, stay in the fellowship of life and obey the teaching of the anointing at home, in school, and when we are with our friends. Lastly, we need to flee all negative things and by the Spirit overcome all hindrances to life such as the old manner of living, sins, youthful lust, corruption, ungodliness, the world, lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, the flesh, the self, opinions, criticism, murmuring, reasonings, the soul-life, individualism, and divisiveness.
In conclusion, the way to grow in life is to be filled with the Spirit every day, live by the Spirit all the day to overcome all the hindrances of life.
