Grow, My Soul! 

(Eph 4:11-16) 



God is the Father of spirits(He 12:9). 

He gives birth to children through the word of truth(Jas 1:18), and 

He makes the matured children His heirs. 



Faith is knowing and longing to become an heir of God, and 

The life of this faith is putting every effort to become mature, to attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ(Eph 4:13). 



It takes a very long time for humans to mature 

In terms of their body, function, character etc. 

If growth stops in any of those aspects 

They become concerns of their parents for 

They cannot become heirs. 



The Bible is a guideline for the heirs of God, 

For the men of God to grow 

Through training, such as teaching, rebuking etc(2Ti 3:15-17), and 

This is because Adam, the ancestor of mankind was 

Deceived by the devil and sinned(Ge 3:4-6) for 

He only thought of himself. 

Consequently, all men became slaves of the devil(2Pe 2:19). 



God delivered the slaves of Egypt, the Israelites, and 

Made them His servants by giving them 

The spirit of slave to fear, the Law(Rm 8:15). 

The commandment to love the One God(Dt 6:4-7) was 

For them to control their human nature, since 

While the heir is still a child(Gal 4:1-3) 

The Law was put in charge to train him(Gal 3:24). 



The sanctuary, the teaching, their history etc were all physical because 

They were still under the basic principles of the world(Gal 4:3). 

However, misunderstanding this, 

There emerged many hypocrites, who were different inside and out(Mal 1:6; Mt 23:28). 



Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days(Jn 2:19-20), because 

Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body, 

He would tear down the spirit of slave to fear and 

Give the spirit of the Son and make them heirs of God by 

Putting His law and covenant not in the physical but in souls(He 8:8-10). 

They would become mature children honoring the Father, 

Not out of fear but out of love(Lk 7:37-47). 



As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished(Jn 19:30) for 

It was the moment He attained to the whole measure of His fullness(Eph 4:13), and declared that He: 

1. Gladly sacrificed Himself for the Father(Jn 10:17-18); 

2. Condemned the devil who only knew himself(Is 14:12-15); and 

3. Sacrificed for mankind(1Co 5:7). 

As the firstfruit of resurrection, 

Jesus ascended to the heavenly throne, the heavenly storage(1Co 15:20; He 1:6). 



The Holy Spirit came as the nurturing Father to 

The souls born-again through the blood of Jesus(Jn 14:18). 



Men of the Spirit are those who 

Keep the Law not out of fear but out of love(Gal 4:9; Col 2:8) and 

They are willingly trained physically, financially or socially 

By the word of righteousness(Mt 5:10-12). 

They are considerate not of themselves but of others, 

Sacrificing themselves(Mt 5:39-44) and 

Carry out their duties and do the work of edifying the church(Eph 4:12-16). 

They long to finally become those elders seated on the heavenly thrones(Rev 4:4, Rev 11:16), for 

They know that quitting spiritual growth is 

Degeneration and destruction(He 10:39), and 

Its result burning up chaffs(Mt 3:12). 



O Lord, 

My soul is an heir of heaven! 

Since I am still a selfish child in the way I think, understand and speak, 

Strike me if You have to but 

Let me grow and do the work of edifying the church! Amen.