Life is like an onion, no change without tears…
Growth in Grace
“Come up hither, and I will shew thee things.” Revelation 4:1b
Oswald Chambers (1874-1917), a 20th century British Baptist evangelist, chaplain, and educator, was known for his dynamic thoughts. His spirited ideas led many to understand the necessity of Bible teaching. Chambers’ legacy today is a successful Christian authorship that encourages readers to walk in the Light of GOD’s Holy WORD. GOD uses Chambers to make people think; a rare gift in a cynical age. Here is a favorite quote:
“Have we ever got into the way of letting God work, or are we so amazingly important that we really wonder in our nerves and ways what the Almighty does before we are up in the morning!” O. Chambers (circa 1900)
Chambers and all other renowned Bible teachers can only lead us to the One Who places us where we will find true peace; at the throne of GOD. In Revelation 4, we find a word picture of our place at the feet of the Master. If you know anything about the Bible at all then you understand that being at His feet means we have truly been set free. Freedom always comes at a cost. Setting us free cost our LORD the suffering of a bloody, gory cross. Without that cross, we could not ever hope to know freedom. A process works out through growth in grace. A process we can only know by truly being changed. Chambers once wrote,
“Growth in grace is measured not by the fact that you have not gone back, but that you have an insight into where you are spiritually’ you have heard GOD say “Come up higher”, not to you personally but to the insight of your character.”
Growth in grace is the product of personal spiritual change. We can measure personal spiritual change by counting the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives (Galatians 5:22-26). There will be no growth without loss of the old and no lasting change without tears. Our Almighty Father, Who has promised, is faithful to bring us higher once we let go of our rights to ourselves; the rights that weigh us down to this earth. In letting go, He will lift us where we belong and by His grace, we are changed. Until then, we are solidly led in the Light of GOD’s Holy WORD.
