Colossians 2:6
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Many believe that the message of Jesus and His cross are just foundational, and that we need to grow and become matured by learning, trying and working hard with the laws and principles of the kingdom of God, by fasting and praying, by doing some great work for the kingdom of God. I would like to reveal the deception in that kind of thinking. This kind of thinking is originated from human philosophy, which is after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and is not after Christ.
Then, How do we grow and mature in our Christian life ?
According to the Word of God, we grow and mature by being rooted and built up in Christ, and established in His faith. As we grow in the knowledge of Christ who is living inside of us, we start to lean on Him, trusting in Him for simple steps in our life. As the relationship grows stronger and stronger, we start to lean on Him and resting in Him for quantum leaps in our life. When we wholly submit ourselves to His life, when there will be no more "I", we become matured in Him. We enter into the Christian life by trusting Jesus for our salvation, and the maturity comes when we become intimate with Him.
I have heard many believers testify that, during their initial days of Christian life, they experience great miracles in their life, prayers get answered quickly, they experience transformation etc. But once they enter into the laws and principles of the kingdom, laws of faith, laws of faith and confession, fasting and praying, 10 steps to receive blessing from God etc, by thinking that these knowledge or actions will take them to Christian maturity, they cease to experience the initial results.
I used to wonder why this happens to a believer's life, and keep asking God for the reason behind it. I believe I heard the spirit of God giving me the answer. This is what He said to me, in the initial days of a believer, they totally surrender their life to Jesus, trusting and leaning on Him knowing that they don't have any qualifications to receive from God. But as they learn more about the these laws and principles, they started trusting on their self effort to work these principles and laws, and could not receive from Me. They left their first love towards me [Rev 2:4], a love relationship which is based on my grace upon them, and entered into a performance based relationship. Their performance never reach to the standard of God, henceforth, they fail to receive of me.
I believe the minute we started focusing on the Kingdom principles, kingdom benefits, and church growth, fruit of the spirit and other laws and principles more than the King Jesus, we are fallen from the growth process. As we grow in the knowledge of Him, we let Him live through us. When He lives through us, all the laws and principles will follow Him, and we are in Him. The signs and wonders shall follow them that believe, believe what? Believe the life of Him in us.
Since many of the things that we are focusing in Christian life are related to the kingdom, it is very difficult to understand the underlying deception. Satan is after you to distract you, so that you will take your eyes off from Jesus. He won't tempt you with the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life until you take your eyes off from Jesus. There is no growth or maturity apart from the life of Jesus in us. The race that God set us for us is run by looking unto the author and finisher of our faith Jesus.
Apostle revealed this mistake, when he wrote to the Galatians Church, because they left their first love and tried to be perfect by the flesh.
Galatians 3
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
My friend, learn to lean on Him, trust Him whole heartedly, He will never fail you