Growing In Our Salvation

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to another faith-building message by Pastor David Entry. Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God.

[0:13] May your knowledge of Jesus Christ increase as you listen. Be blessed. 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 1 to 4. I would like to end on 4 for now.

[0:24] Let's hear the word. It says that, Wherefore lay aside all malice, all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings.

[0:39] As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

[0:55] To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. Let me add verse 5.

[1:07] Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

[1:22] Here ends the reading of God's holy word. It's been a while since I landed. I spoke about this and I think it's good to just have a brief recap.

[1:37] In 1 Peter chapter 1, primarily it's about how God the Father has regenerated us. Okay, according to His foreknowledge, according to His predetermined counsel, He elected, He regenerated us.

[1:54] And then we speak about how the Son redeems us. So the regeneration of the Father, another was giving us new life, and the redemption of the Son, the redemption that is in His blood and the sanctification of the Spirit.

[2:12] So the Trinity, the work of the Trinity, the Father's regeneration, the Son's redemption, redeeming us, and then the Holy Spirit's sanctification or sanctifying us.

[2:29] Then when that happens, it invariably produces a holy nature in us which can be lived out. So we are called unto holy living.

[2:41] Why? Because of what has happened inside us. What has happened inside us makes us holy in our spirits. And now we are supposed to live out from our spirit.

[2:55] That is why you can be a Christian, but if you don't live from your spirit, you remember as I taught the spiritual man, the spiritual Christian, the pneumaticus, okay, the spiritual person, you have to live from your spirit.

[3:12] If you don't live from your spirit, you invariably live from yourself, the flesh, or your soul, or from the flesh, which is the karnaman, your soul, psychicus, psychicus, or from worldliness and pure inspiration of fleshly activities, psychicus, okay, so either psychicus, psychicus, or pneumaticus.

[3:37] Psychicus, fleshly, psychicus, or karnal, psychicus, soulish, but pneumaticus, spiritual. So then that is where it says that the spiritual man is able to judge all things.

[3:53] It says that for the things, the natural man, okay, which is the psychicus, does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they can only, they are spiritually discerned.

[4:09] You have to be pneumaticus, spiritual, to be able to flow with God, because God is a spirit. John 4, 24.

[4:19] God is a spirit. And they that worship the Father must do so in spirit and in truth. And so you, Paul said, I thank God for Romans 1, 9, the God of my fathers, whom I worship with my spirit.

[4:39] Philippians chapter 3, verse 3, it says that we serve God with the spirit or from our spirit. So we serve God with the spirit and have no confidence in the flesh. And so we are spiritual people.

[4:52] So when you become born again, because of what has happened, that is the regeneration of the Father, the redemption of the Son, and the sanctification or sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

[5:03] That means he has set you aside. Now you are pure and holy in your inner man or in your spirit. So we are supposed to live out of our spirits.

[5:14] When you live out of your spirit, you invariably imitate God or reflect God. That is why in Ephesians 5, the Bible was able to call us to imitate God as children, as beloved children of God, because you can't imitate God if you don't have the corresponding nature, an aspect of God's corresponding nature inside you, which is going to be responsible for your imitation or for your copying or for your being like.

[5:47] That is why he could call us to be holy, even as I am holy, because he who is in us is holy. So he enjoins us to leave him out to be holy in our conversation.

[6:02] According to 1 Peter 1, verse 14, 15, he said in our conversation, in our lifestyle, in our manner of life, we are called to be holy.

[6:15] And so because of the Trinitarian work of salvation in us, guess what? It produces a holiness in our spirit, which we are called to live it out and not just live loud holiness, but we are also called to walk in love, in unmasked love, unfeigned love towards the brethren.

[6:37] So that is what chapter 1 is about. The regeneration of the Father, redemption of the Son, the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, producing holiness and love, holiness in our living and love towards the brethren.

[6:53] Why? Because the Word of God is the fundamental or foundational and is the key element that produces anything godly in our lives.

[7:05] So because of the Word of God, which we are obeying, we are able to walk in pure, unmasked love, unadulterated love.

[7:17] Then he proceeds to talk about because the Word of God abides and lives forever. Then in chapter 2, verse 1, we are called to move away from some things and onto some things.

[7:29] So he starts by saying that we should lay aside all malice, all guile, all deceit.

[7:40] Some translations, deceit. My translation here uses guile. So all malice, all guile, all hypocrisies, all envy, and all evil speaking.

[7:54] So lay it aside. And not just that, lay it aside and then crave, desire. Desire, crave is to be very hungry for.

[8:07] In fact, some translation, I think the amplifier says that thirst, you have to develop a thirst for. Crave, go after it. So it's something you just want.

[8:19] It's when a person is addicted. And addiction makes you crave what you are addicted to. So say if you are, if somebody, a person is addicted to a certain substance, it's like they just want it.

[8:35] They just want it. Life is not, sometimes they even want it more than daily and natural, normal food. They just want it. They think it. They crave it. And Bible says that we should have an insatiable desire for God's word.

[8:50] That makes a huge difference. And so for you to be able to thrive in your Christian life and in your Christian work, there is the need to develop a thirst and a hunger.

[9:04] And watch this. Craving. Craving. Years ago, I heard a story about craving. The power of craving or the dangers of craving. I hear far in the Arctic regions, years ago, in days of old, they had a way of killing a bear.

[9:26] So if they wanted to kill a bear, they didn't have maybe strong weapons. And sometimes the bear comes at night to come and feed.

[9:38] And they know the bear comes at night. And bears love blood. That's the story I heard. But bears love blood. They are so addicted and they crave blood.

[9:54] So when they want to kill a bear, they will sharpen a sword or a knife. Sharpen it to the highest sensitivity or sharpness such that you don't have to move it.

[10:08] Once it touches, it cuts. Sharpen it so well. And then smear blood on the edges of the sword. And then do it again.

[10:19] And when the blood hardens or coagulates, they will do it again and into cloth. So they keep spearing, putting blood on the sword so much that the entire sharpness and the edge of the sword becomes bland with blood.

[10:36] With solidified, coagulated blood that has, it's just hard and it's clotted. So then when, then they go and put it where they know the bear has been coming regularly.

[10:50] They will leave it there and then when late at night, the bear comes and is looking for food or hunger. They have a, the bears have also an unusual smell, sensitivity for blood.

[11:05] They can smell, there's blood here. So it sees where the blood is and sees blood and starts licking it. Licking it and licking it and licking it and licking it and licking it and licking it and licking it.

[11:16] So the blood begins to finish. But by the time the blood is finishing, the sharpness of the knife or the sword begins to cut the tongue of the bear.

[11:27] But as it's licking it, it begins to cut it. And then unfortunately, it begins to bleed. But the problem is because of the bear's craving for blood, once it begins to bleed, it unfortunately, it can't tell the difference between its own blood and the foreign blood.

[11:45] And so once his blood, more blood is coming, he begins to lick it more and join it more. And he begins to cut it more and cut and deeper and cut. So he licks blood and the blood is bleeding and he's licking his own blood, thinking it's a foreign blood.

[12:01] He's enjoying it and it bleeds to death. Cravings. Cravings. If you are not able to watch your cravings, your cravings can lead you to death.

[12:12] When you are on the road into trappings, into danger, you still will go like someone who has been chained and in shackles. And you are going, not being able to redeem yourself.

[12:25] Why? Because of cravings. And that has gotten many men and many people or many men and women gotten them into trouble because of cravings.

[12:35] They can't say, no, it's okay. I have to stop now. I don't know. I can't do this. I can't continue to do this. Many people have fallen victims in life through their cravings.

[12:47] And the Bible here enjoins us that we should crave for something, which when you crave for, it makes your life better. It doesn't punish you. It rather polishes you.

[12:58] There are things that you can crave for and it will punish. You can crave and it will be a punishment to you. But there's one thing that you can crave and crave.

[13:10] And the more you crave it, the better you get. The more you desire it, the better you get. And that is the word of God. So he says that as newborn babies, as I explained in the previous teaching, newborn babies just have strong passion, strong desire, strong craving.

[13:27] And all they care about usually is their milk. And the Bible says the way a newborn baby, all he cares about is the milk. You too, what you should care about is the word of God.

[13:38] The word of God should be your preoccupation in life. Other things are important. But the word of God, you should desire so much as though you only live for God's word.

[13:51] Because when you live for God's word and you crave it, it helps you do something. Now, watch this. It said, wherefore lay aside all my list and all guile. As I said, that word guile is quite interesting because in the Greek, the original Greek translated as guile, as I said in the previous teaching, is dolos.

[14:12] Dolos. D-O-L-O-S. Dolos. But when you look at it, dolos is guile, is infiltration, is mixture, something that has all kinds of contaminated mixtures inside it.

[14:26] So, he says that lay aside malice or guile, hypocrisies, envy, and evil speaking. And as newborn babies desire, crave, they're sincere.

[14:39] Now, the word translated sincere is also the opposite of dolos or guile, which is, the Greek word is adolos.

[14:50] A-D-O-L-O-S. Whilst guile is D-O-L-O-S, this word is adolos. So, now, what's the difference? In fact, some translations use guile less because, because human by nature, there will always be guile in us.

[15:11] There will always be guile, which I said in that previous teaching, like it is like infection. It's like a bacteria infection inside us naturally keeps coming.

[15:22] But you need the guile less. It's antibacterial. Oh, that's where I'm going. It's an antibacterial. You need that jab. You need that inoculation.

[15:34] The word inoculation into your system to keep you away from the guile. So, be able to deal with the guile. You go for the guile less word. The guile less.

[15:45] The guile less word, which serves like an antibacterial in your system to deal with what is meant to keep you away from the word.

[16:00] And so, these things, the malice and guile and hypocrisy and evil speaking will keep you, the more they go on in your life, the more it keeps you away from God's word.

[16:16] It keeps you away from God's word. And guess what? The more you move towards the word of God and desire it, the more it keeps you, oh, come on, the more it keeps you away from that.

[16:28] I see God helping you, my brother. I see God helping you, my sister. God is our help. He will help us to crave more of his word. And so, he said, desire the sincere, the adorless milk.

[16:43] The sincere also means without mixture, uncontaminated. Let me read it from the Amplified Version. It says that like newborn babies, you should crave, you see that word there, crave, thirst.

[17:01] So, you should crave, thirst for, endlessly desire the pure or unadulterated. So, without mixture, unadulterated spiritual milk.

[17:14] Look, that by it you may be nurtured and grow into complete salvation. Here, he says that desire it that ye may grow thereby.

[17:28] Desire, let me read from the New American Standard Version. It says, like newborn babies, long for the people, long, you use the word long, desire, as they deal pants for the water.

[17:43] So, my soul longs after thee. Long for it. Long for it. Oh, how I long for more of God's word. How I long for Sunday mornings so I can hear God's word.

[17:55] How I long for teaching time so I can hear God's word. Hallelujah, as I said in the previous teaching, Psalm 119 verse 97.

[18:05] He said, oh, how love I thy law. Ooh, it is my meditation all day long. One of the signs, as I said, one of the signs of a genuine child of God, someone who has really changed.

[18:18] If God has worked himself into you, one of the things that would definitely invariably happen initially, as soon as you change, it's like as soon as a child is born, he's looking for milk. As soon as you are changed, you develop a desire for God's word.

[18:32] So, he said, but his delight, Psalm 1 verse 3, but his delight is in the word of the Lord. That one doesn't come naturally. It comes as a function of someone who God has worked on his side.

[18:43] Jesus puts it this way. I think in John chapter 8 verse 47, I suppose so, I guess so. He says, Jesus said, you are not of God.

[18:54] That's why you don't want to hear God's word. You don't hear God's word because you are not of God or you don't love God because you are not of God. That's why you don't love his word. But if you are of God, you will love his word.

[19:05] You don't want, you will want to kill me who has told you God's word if you are of God. So, when you are of God, there's something in you that has, you develop an appetite for God's word.

[19:19] That person who said he's a Christian and does not have any appetite for God's word. I doubt the person's true conversion. I doubt it. I doubt it.

[19:32] I doubt it. Your, your, your, your, the genuineness and the authenticity of your conversion is questionable. If there is no affinity desire and interest and taste for God's word, it comes naturally when you get born again.

[19:51] Just like a child is born. It comes naturally. Looking for milk. It comes naturally. Why? Because the seed of God is in you. The seed of God. God has, oh, God has taken himself and deposited himself in you.

[20:06] Deposited himself in your spirit is called the sperma of God. The, the, the seed of God. Greek is sperma. It carries the DNA of God.

[20:18] The DNA of God is inside here. Hallelujah. So, he says that as the lightning will be long for the pure, pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in respect to your salvation.

[20:33] So, you need the pure word so, so that by the word you may grow. There's the need for growth. But, I want to give you a few points I've written here.

[20:44] Five points. How to develop your craving for God's word. How to develop your craving. How to develop your desire. Your longing.

[20:55] I want to develop it. Because already there is a taste for God's word inside you when you're born again. But, you have to develop it. The craving. Enhance it. Develop it.

[21:06] And how, say, Pastor, good. I'm happy. How can I develop my craving? Easy. How to develop your craving for God's word. Number one, know, know the source of your life. Okay.

[21:17] In other words, be aware that what starts your actual life in God's spiritual life is the word. Bible says in 1 Peter chapter 1. We just read it earlier. Not just like in the previous teaching.

[21:29] 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 23 talks about, for you are not born again by the incorruptible seed, but by the incorruptible seed, which is the word of God.

[21:42] So, we have been born again. We have been regenerated by the incorruptible seed. So, what the chief substance or object responsible for our new birth is the word of God.

[21:55] Our regeneration is the word of God. So, we have been born again. So, you must acknowledge that the new life you have, the life, the source is the word. The word is responsible for the life you have.

[22:07] In Isaiah chapter 55 verse 10 and 11, it says that, For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not neither, but watereth the earth, and makes it, watch this, the snow and the rain makes the earth bring forth bad.

[22:27] Notice that. It said, make it. So, maketh it bring forth bad. Bring forth and bad. It maketh it bring forth, and it maketh the earth bad.

[22:38] What makes the earth bring forth and makes the earth bad? It's the rain that came. The snow that came. The water that came on the earth makes, it makes the earth.

[22:49] So, the earth bad, bringing forth bad, okay? The earth bringing forth and bad in. What was responsible for it?

[22:59] It's the rain that came. When the rain came, it makes things start germinating. It said, that makes a bad and gives seed to the sower and bread to the earth.

[23:12] Verse 11 says that, so shall my word be. That means, when my word comes, it causes things to germinate, and it causes things to bad. So, that life of God, that godly life that was germinated in you, and that has bad in you, it says that it's the word.

[23:31] When the word comes, it makes life, the life of God, the zoe, it makes the things of God bad and produce. Why? The word. It said, so shall my word be.

[23:43] My word causes things to germinate, causes things to bad. It causes the earth. Our life is the earth. We are made from clay, the earth. The word causes the earth, this earthen vessel, to bad.

[23:57] What I am doing now, this teaching I am doing now, it's not because of my education. It's not because of my intelligence. But it's because a word of God has hit my system, and it's causing me to bad.

[24:10] It's causing me to bring forth life. Hallelujah. I see that happening to you. In every sphere of your life, the word of God is producing results. In Jesus' name, in the book of John, chapter 15, verse 3, it says that the word that I have spoken to you, to you, sanctifies you.

[24:26] You are sanctified. You are cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. The word that comes from Jesus Christ. The word that Jesus speaks to us. His word does something in our lives.

[24:38] Chapter 15, verse 3. Now, ye are clean through the word which I have spoken to you. The word spoken. The spoken word. The spoken word cleanses.

[24:49] It does something. So, you must acknowledge that the word you have received, it is responsible. If you remember, in Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12, it says that the word of God is quick.

[25:03] It's living. Okay? Hebrews 4, 12 says the word of God is living. And it's sharper than any two-edged sword. It's powerful and it's alive. It's living. It's quick.

[25:14] And it's alive. And it's sharper than any two-edged sword. Hallelujah. So, the word that we have is a word of life.

[25:24] It says, Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12. For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than it is quick. That word quick there is living.

[25:35] Other translation says that the word is living. Other translation also says it's alive. So, you have to, number one, how do you develop your craving? You have to know, acknowledge that the source of your life, your godly life is the word of God.

[25:50] So, in other words, if the more you are denied access to the word or you deny yourself access to the word, the more you deny yourself access to the life of God, the very life of God.

[26:01] The source is the word. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. That's why Satan hates the word. They will do anything to always attack the word of God, attack the Bible. It's not the word of God. Satan, that's Satan's number one agenda, to attack the word of God.

[26:14] But I see the word of God growing. I see you growing in the word of God. And the word of God is growing in you, in Jesus' name. Number two, you have to deal with sin in your life. If you want to develop a desire, you have to deal with sin.

[26:27] Because if you don't deal with the guile, it will keep you away from the guileless. Deal with the guile so you stay away from the guileless. The more you get towards the guileless, the more guile stays away from you.

[26:39] So sin will keep you from the word or the word will keep you from sin. And so deal with sin in your life. You remember 1 Peter, he said, lay aside, the scripture we've been reading, lay aside all malice, guile, hypocrisy, envying, evil speaking.

[27:00] You have to lay aside so you can receive God's word. So deal with sin in your life, which will empower you to receive God's word. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 31, it says that we should put some things away from us.

[27:14] Some things should not be named amongst us at all because we are God's people. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 31, let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.

[27:29] Some things need to be put away from you. Colossians chapter 3 verse 8, it says that, but now ye also put off all these.

[27:40] Put off. You have to do it. You and I have to do it. We have to do it. Lord, help us to do it. Help us to do it. We receive grace to do it. We receive grace to do it.

[27:51] We receive grace to do it. To do it. To put off some things. To put away some things. God, we receive grace because we are your children. We are born of you and we receive grace to put off some things.

[28:02] It says that, verse 8, now, but now ye also put off all these. Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

[28:16] Put you off. Lie not one to another. Lie not to another. Another, sin that ye have put off the old man and his deeds. You have to put some things off.

[28:28] So if we don't deal with sin in our lives, sin will keep us away from the word of God. So how do you develop a craving for God's word? Number one, know the source of your life.

[28:46] Okay. Know the source of your life. Number two, deal with sin in your life. Number three, acknowledge your need for God's word. You have to acknowledge that you need God's word.

[28:58] Jesus puts it this way. Man, look for, man must not live by bread alone. If you are going to live, you need the word of God. But by every word that proceeds out of the mouth, the mouth of the Lord.

[29:09] So the word of God, we need the word of God. You have to acknowledge that you need the word of God. Acknowledge that. Acknowledge your need for God's word. In 1 Peter 2, verse 2, it says, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you grow by it.

[29:25] You need it to grow. You need it. I'm going to talk about it in a minute. And then number four, make spiritual growth your aim. You want to grow? Then you need the word.

[29:36] So sometimes people don't care about the word because they don't bother. They don't. I can't bother. I'm not growing. No problem. I don't want to grow. I can't bother if I'm not growing. No, you have to be bothered.

[29:47] You have to be bothered. There's no child whose parents don't get bothered if they are not growing. They are not growing. You are five years old and you still are not working.

[29:57] You are not talking. Ten years old, still not talking. Still not working. Still drinking milk. Still wearing nappies. Fifteen years old boy wearing nappies.

[30:11] Not because of health challenge, but you are not growing. It cannot be. When a child is born, there's a lot of celebration. Ooh, it's a boy, it's a girl. Happiness. But there's a problem when a child doesn't grow.

[30:22] It becomes a concern. You will not be a concern to the spiritual community in the name of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. So you have to make spiritual growth your aim.

[30:33] First Peter chapter two, verse two, that you may grow thereby. And then number five, focus on the blessedness of Christ. Gracious. Christ is so gracious. Christ is so gracious.

[30:44] And if you can focus on how you are. We are blessed to have Christ's graciousness. So it's kind of a long word. Focus on the blessedness of Christ's graciousness. Hallelujah.

[30:56] So this is how to develop a crazy. Focus on how Christ is gracious to us. Focus on it. The more you focus on it. The more you appreciate it.

[31:07] The more you value his word. His word of grace. It makes a big difference. All right. It doesn't come to you naturally. We have to develop it. And this is how to develop your craving for God's word.

[31:20] Number one, know the source of your life. Number two, deal with sin in your life. Number three, acknowledge your need for God's word. Number four, make spiritual growth your aim.

[31:33] Number five, focus on the blessedness of Christ's graciousness. Praise the Lord. This is so important. Let's go back to text. So it says that, As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, crave the sincere milk of the word, that you will grow thereby.

[31:49] Now, this makes me want to talk about growth. Spiritual growth is necessary. In 2 Peter 3, verse 18, it talks about how we should grow in godliness and in the knowledge.

[32:00] So grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus. We are supposed to grow. In Ephesians 4, verse 15, it talks about the whole body grows. Okay, we grow.

[32:12] Speaking the truth, the truth one to another, we may all grow. So it's so important to know that we are called to grow. We are supposed to grow.

[32:22] You can't stay where you are. In Colossians 2, verse 19, it talks about the whole body, knit together, grows. So the whole body grows.

[32:33] We are supposed to be growing. We, the growth, spiritual growth is necessary. All right. So now I want to just draw your attention to something here. When it says that, that you will grow, grow.

[32:46] Let me read it again. As newborn babies desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. Thereby actually means daily. It's a daily salvation. Every day you are being saved and growing.

[32:58] Because the original Greek, in the original Greek, it sounds like this, that you may grow up in your salvation. Or you may grow into your salvation. Let me read it from other translations you will see.

[33:09] All these other translations, actually, I'm reading from now the Amplified Version. And look, the Amplified Version says, Likewise, as newborn babies, let me cut it quickly, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto complete salvation.

[33:27] So does that mean my salvation is not complete? As I told you, salvation is progressive. Some people say, oh no, how can I say salvation? You just don't understand spiritual things. Salvation is progressive. You get saved.

[33:38] We are being saved and we shall be saved. We are saved in our spirits. We shall be saved in a body. When Jesus returns, this lowly body will be transformed. So we'll be transformed in a twinkle of an eye.

[33:50] We'll be transformed. And to be like his glorious body, Philippians chapter 3 verse 21, we'll be transformed. But between them, which is instance, the one in our spirit is instance.

[34:02] So when you are saved, your spirit is saved, the day you give your life to Christ, you are saved. You receive salvation instantly. And when Jesus Christ comes, the body will be changed instantly.

[34:14] But between the two instants, there's a progressive one. As I thought a few weeks ago, progressive one, which is your soul. So he said, receive with meekness, James chapter 121, the engrafted word of God, which is able to save your soul.

[34:29] So our souls are being saved. We are being saved. What does it mean for your soul to be saved? All the junk impurities and natural elements that are polluted us by nature. The more we receive the word of God, our souls are being washed.

[34:43] As I thought just previously, in 1 Peter talks about, we've sanctified our soul through the obedience of the word. So we get sanctified in our soul, cleansed in our souls, cleansed, washed in our souls through the obedience of God's word.

[35:00] Did you see that? As you obey God's word, it's cleaning your soul. Your soul is going through purging. It's going through cleansing. It's going through washing. It's like as you obey God, the word of God is like a very big washing machine for your soul.

[35:14] The more you obey the word of God, the more the washing machine work of God's word happens in your life. And in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 9, it says that you receive the end of your salvation.

[35:28] Guess what? Sorry, the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. So the end of your faith, salvation of your soul. So our souls are being saved. And here, when it says that you grow in your salvation, that is more, your soul is experiencing daily salvation.

[35:44] Maybe by the time you obey God's word for one month, you are such a change for one year. You are such a changed person that the things that used to weaken you, that you are weak towards, you have become stronger in.

[35:56] And it's not to not be, it's a lifetime journey. It's a lifetime. So pastors, bishops, apostles, prophets, new believers, old believers, deacons, elders, singers, every Christian is undergoing a change process in our souls.

[36:16] So we all need work done on us, but we are nurtured. So Amplify says that, spiritual, that by it, you may be nurtured and grow.

[36:28] See, you may be nurtured and grow up onto complete salvation, daily salvation. You grow up, you are growing in daily salvation, daily salvation, daily, as you are growing, the beautiful thing about being in God, or being in Christ, and the word of God being in us is, as we are maturing, we are growing physically, we are also growing spiritually.

[36:49] But the opposite is true for the others. If you are not in Christ, you are just growing physically, and you can actually be growing intellectually, depending on your educational exposure. You can't, you might be growing intellectually, but guess what?

[37:03] Spiritually, you are not growing. If you are not in Christ, you are spiritually dead. Now, those who are in Christ, and are not feeding on God's word and obeying, they are not growing. They are not growing.

[37:13] So, you look big, physically, you look big. Intellectually, you look astute. You look wonderful, fantastic. But guess what? Spiritually, you are a baby, still on, feeding on, only on milk.

[37:27] You can't even eat milk, meat, and solid food. Because Hebrews chapter 5, verse 12, 13, it tells that, by this time, you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you, again, verse 13.

[37:38] He said that, for, for those who are, milk is for babes, but meat is for those, who are skillful, by reason of use, have their senses exercised, on to maturity, or have their senses exercised, to discern both good and evil.

[37:52] You grow up. You grow up. But the, you see, spiritual growth, oh, oh, oh, spiritual growth is not automatic. You can be 15 years in church, and yet, in the spirit, you are about one month old.

[38:08] Growth wise, spiritual growth. You can be 20, so, I've been in church very long enough to, no, no, no, please, please, please. Being in church long enough doesn't guarantee spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is not automatic.

[38:20] It is not like, because you are in church, you are growing. No. Spiritual growth doesn't occur with time. No, it occurs with investments, and with practice. All right?

[38:31] So, the fact that someone has been in church long enough, doesn't mean they have grown, grown well enough. There are a lot of people who have been in church very long, but they are not growing.

[38:42] That's why they are still beating their wife. That's why you are still insulting your husband like you are a machine gun. That's why you can do some things without any conviction.

[38:56] You don't care. You behave anyhow. You do anything. Tell us, please, even if you are sinning, sin with conviction. I'm not saying you should sin, but even if you go off, go off uncomfortably.

[39:09] Be uncomfortable. Oh, no. Oh, no. I'm messy enough. I don't want this thing. I'm messy enough. It happens to have all of us every now and then. If we are, if we are caught in a wrong state, you feel so uncomfortable.

[39:22] You just feel so distraught for what you just did. You feel so distraught. You feel like, how could I have allowed myself to have done this against God? How? How? How? I, I, I, I.

[39:33] I had to do this. Lord, forgive me. Sometimes you feel so dirty. You feel very ashamed to beg God for forgiveness because you feel, how, how? God, if I do this again, kill me. Yeah. That's a sign that there's someone who is alive unto God, but the way you are going normally and it's like, no problem, no problem.

[39:48] Oh, every girl that comes into your life, you start relation towards marriage. You end up messing up big time. And this doesn't bother you. Someone's all bad. What's wrong with that? After all, we are consenting.

[40:00] I don't. Let me not go into that, please. Please. Please, we are maturing believers. That's what you should be saying. We are maturing Christians.

[40:12] And so we can't. I'm maturing. I can't. I couldn't believe I spoke to my mom the way I did. I can't believe I spoke to my wife the way I did. I can't believe I spoke to my husband the way I did.

[40:23] I can't believe I addressed my daughter the way I did. I can't believe I addressed my mom the way I did. I'm a Christian. I can't believe I lied this way. I lied to my pastor like this.

[40:34] I lied to the Christian. I can't believe that this lie. I'm still lying. Oh, no. I hate it. I hate it. I don't want to do this. Lord, forgive me. Have mercy. I reject it. I renounce it.

[40:45] Yeah, you are growing. It's good you feel uncomfortable about sin. It's good. It's a good sign. I'm glad you are weeping because you sinned. I'm glad you are so troubled because you sinned. It's a sign that you actually have the life of God alive in you.

[40:58] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. But if you sin, if you go off and you don't feel any worry, worry. Oh, what's it? Is there any real? Hey, you are dead, though. Bible says you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

[41:10] Revelation chapter 3, verse 1, 2, 3. He said you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. New American Standard Bible.

[41:22] Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of God's word that by it you may grow, you may grow, that by it you may, you may grow in respect to your salvation.

[41:36] Did you see that? So your salvation is progressive. Let me read from NIV. NIV. Watch this. Oh, thank you, Lord. I pray someone is receiving something.

[41:47] I'm still on verse 2. Can you believe this? Oh, the word of God is too good. Like newborn babes, crave your spiritual milk so that by it you may grow upward in your salvation.

[41:59] So this is not just instant salvation, but it's progressive salvation. You are growing. You are growing. Hallelujah. We are growing. Hallelujah.

[42:09] We are growing. I'm growing. You should be happy. You are growing. I'm happy. I'm growing every day. Thank you. And I said, some translation renders it daily salvation. So you will grow up in your daily salvation.

[42:21] You will grow up. We are growing in the Lord. We are growing into full salvation. We are growing into full salvation. As we receive the word, we crave the word, we desire the sincere milk of the word, we are growing into full salvation.

[42:36] Hallelujah. Praise God. Let me add the verse 3 so that it looks like I've covered a bit more. If you have tasted, I'm reading from the New American Standard Version.

[42:48] If you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. Let me read it from the King James. It says that, as the one babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby, if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

[43:03] Listen, the God, the Lord can be tasted. And he's good when tasted. He's gracious when tasted. Hallelujah. In Hebrews chapter 6, verse 4 and 5, it talks about, if you have tasted the heavenly gift and the Holy Spirit.

[43:23] You can taste the heavenly gift. And he says that, verse 5 says, if you have tasted the good word of the Lord. Hallelujah. And the things to come of the age to come.

[43:37] The good things of the age. You have tasted the good word of the Lord. The word of the Lord is so good. When you taste it, it's so good. It's good. This is so good.

[43:47] I think I'll read it. Hebrews chapter 6, verse 4, it says, for it's impossible for those who have once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gifts. All right. Look at verse 5.

[43:59] And have tasted the good word of the Lord and the power of the world to come. You have tasted it. You taste it. When you become born again, that's what you end up tasting. In Psalm 34, verse 8, he said, oh, taste.

[44:10] And you see, the Lord is good. You don't have to be told. You just taste it for yourself. So you taste. He said, watch this. He said, desire the sincere milk of the word that you will grow thereby.

[44:22] If so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. He said, if so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

[44:34] Now, when you are born again, one thing you always know, if you are genuinely born again, you always know that, oh, God has been good to you. God has been very merciful. God has been very kind.

[44:44] He's very gracious. So he said, if so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, then you cannot crave and desire the sincere milk of the word. That is why I said one of the ways to develop your craving is when you focus on the blessedness, how blessed we are to enjoy and to taste the graciousness of Christ.

[45:06] You understand that? Once you focus on that, God has been good to me. Look at what is how far he has brought you. Look at how far he has brought us. Look at the good. Don't only focus on the job you have got, the job you have got, the grace you've got, and the house you've bought, and the car you have bought.

[45:23] Don't focus on material things. Because all those things are fleeting. Focus on real life in Christ. You have been forgiven. You today. Today, look at where you are.

[45:33] You are saved. You are saved. You are saved. You are saved. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. That should be a cause for excitement for you. In spite of all your challenges, in spite of all your problems, in spite of all the difficulties going on around you, you are saved.

[45:51] You are saved. And when you look at where you are coming from, look at your past, where you are coming from and where you are. Oh, God, you've done some. You've done so much for me.

[46:02] I cannot tell it all. You've done some. You have done enough to understand that if you do nothing again, I am eternally grateful. Remember how good God has been to you by saving you.

[46:17] If you are really and truly saved, you place premium and priority on your salvation. Because if you are truly saved, suddenly you realize how sinful a sinner you were.

[46:28] And Jesus did it all for you. There are people who say, oh, Jesus died on the cross for me. I'm grateful. Thank you, Jesus. But that's okay. More important thing, I need money now.

[46:39] More important thing, I need a wife now. I need a husband now. You haven't done this. And God, I've waited and waited. You will keep waiting. You are complaining with all God has done for you.

[46:50] Even if he does nothing again, he has brought you into 2021. Hey, really? Hmm. So we have to, once you come into Christ, first of all, you will test that he's gracious.

[47:05] And if you have, if so be that you have tested that he's gracious, then you channel your energy. In desiring. Desire. Desire. He says that sincere. Crave. Crave.

[47:16] Desire. The sincere milk of the word that you will grow in this salvation you are enjoying. Grow in it. Because there is more in God for you than you have realized.

[47:29] There is more in God for your life than you realize. Grow in your salvation. Growing in our salvation.

[47:40] Growing in our salvation. Brothers and sisters, I present to you, growing in our salvation. Thank you for listening. To hear more from David Entry, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

[47:57] Why don't you subscribe to our YouTube channel at Karish Church? And subscribe to our podcast so you are always up to date. Be blessed.