GRADUATING FROM SPIRITUAL INFANCY (PART 3)

Babies are so adorable in their "helpless" stage of life. It's perfectly normal for them to cry when hungry, dirty their diapers, and make "goo goo" talk while needing to be cuddled often by mama. Of course, if you saw that child ten years later and it still behaved like a baby, you would feel sadness because the child would not be normal.

I believe that is how God sees many Christians who have remained in the "spiritual baby" stage. When we fail to be nourished daily on the Word of God we are sure to fail to grow into mature and obedient disciples of Jesus. That's why I'm thankful that my earliest days as a Christian were filled with reading the Bible and memorizing "rapid growth" simple scriptures. There were around 70 of those verses that covered about everything I had to face in that first year of spiritual survival and growth.

Now I'm sharing these scriptures with you and challenging you to memorize them. No excuses! You will see how God blesses you with a new sense of His presence, protection, power, peace and plan in your life. Review the past two lessons along with this one. Memorize and review each of these scriptures that even new babes in Christ should know in their first year of being a Christian. Let's go!

ROMANS 1:16 ("I will not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.")

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

ROMANS 8:28 (God will make everything that happens to me turn out for good.)

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

ROMANS 8:31 (If God is for me, who can be against me?!)

"What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

1 CORINTHIANS 15:58 (Nothing I do for the Lord will ever be in vain.)

"Therefore , my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 ("Christ has made me a new creation. I will act like it.")

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

GALATIANS 2:20 ("My old sin-loving nature is dead. Jesus is now alive in me!")

"I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

EPHESIANS 2:8,9 Two great verses to use with people who think good works will get them into heaven.)

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

EPHESIANS 6:11 ("I am to put on God's armor so I can fight and defeat Satan.)

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

PHILIPPIANS 1:6 (Christ promises not only to begin a good work in us, but to finish it.)

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

PHILIPPIANS 1:21 (Why fear death when it means gaining more of Jesus?)

"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

PHILIPPIANS 4:4 ("Lord, teach me how to rejoice in You; not in changing circumstances.")

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"

PHILIPPIANS 4:6,7 (Why worry, when I can pray instead!)

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 (Something every new Christian needs to memorize from Day One.)

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

COLOSSIANS 3:1,2 (Two verses to help us establish our priorities according to God's will)

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."

continue with part 4 of this lesson covering 2 Timothy 1:7 through Revelation 3:20)