The Seed GROWS in Believers

1/3/2007

What if there is someone who is born a second time in your life but they don’t agree with you or want to listen to what you say?

If they have really been born a second time then they have the Spirit living in them, and they will talk to you about these things and they will care what you say. If they don’t care what you say, then they’ve never been born a second time and they just mouth the words, “Lord, Lord, did we not…?” Jesus said the road is broad that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13), filled with people who say, “Lord, Lord” (Luke 6:46).

I’m using the phrase “second birth” carefully. According to the scriptures, the proof that someone actually had a second birth is that the Spirit of God lives inside of them and you can talk about all these things. I don’t fault anybody for not understanding. There’s a famine in hearing the Word so of course they don’t understand it. That’s not a problem. But if they don’t want to talk about it—that’s a problem! Because that means the Spirit doesn’t live inside of them. They aren’t like a newborn babe craving the pure spiritual milk of the Word (1Peter1:23 - 2 Peter 2:3).

Everyone that has God’s life in them is like a baby saying, “Waaaa waaa waaaa… I want food, I want milk! I want the Word of God. Waaa waaa waaa. I might be a baby, but I’m hungry.” They don’t contribute much. Babies do not contribute very much. They don’t carry their own weight. They don’t know very much, but they exhibit a hunger for milk of the Word. If they don’t exhibit that, then they’re stillborn. They’re not babies at all.

According to the scriptures, the Spirit of God living inside of a person proves itself by desiring the Word of God. “Everyone that has this hope purifies himself just as He is pure.” (1John3:3) Everyone! So the Spirit cries, “Abba!” If they don’t exhibit the signs that the scriptures say are proof of the spiritual deposit that guarantees the inheritance—the Spirit of God living inside—then they are not saved and they have not been born a second time.

There are proofs in the scriptures to test whether they have been born a second time or not. And it’s not how much they know. It’s not how good they are. It’s not how holy they are. It’s not how many things they understand or don’t understand. Even the devils believe and tremble. The devils believe and understand a lot of things. Satan understands there is no such thing as Christmas. And he knows more than most Christians do about it. But he’s not saved because he “knows” that but because his heart doesn’t belong to God.

So knowledge won’t change anyone. But if they do have the Spirit of God living inside, you’ll be able to talk freely about these things. It may be a little hard for them. Just like this white dress discussion we had a bit earlier, and the birthday discussion—it’s a little bit hard! :) And it takes some time to process and pray through. However, when the Spirit of God lives inside someone, the next time a birthday rolls around, here’s what will happen. You’ll smile and say, “I love you.” (laughter) because that’s what the Word of God does inside of a true Christian. They don’t necessarily quite grasp all the ramifications of it and nobody should force them to. It’s not some new form placed over the top of all the old forms, but the seed of the Word grows and we know not how.

And soon we’ll begin to notice little signs of materialism and selfishness and pride in a child that we didn’t see before. We never noticed how materialistic, how prideful, and controlling we were making them. We hear little children at the playground who are having a birthday party and we see how rotten and selfish they can be. “Now, this is MY birthday so I get to decide…” “Whoooaaa not in my house—you don’t talk like that.”

You see, the scales begin to fall off your eyes and we know not how. You start sowing the seeds, “I never thought of that and I don’t think I like it and I’m not sure I agree. But I’m going to let that seed sit in my heart, and I’m going to watch and see how it grows day by day, month by month, year by year.” And God will give increase to His Word if it’s His seed and we allow that.

•  The Seed GROWS in Believers