11. Growing in Christ

11. Growing in Christ
By His death on the cross Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. He who subjugated the demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has broken their power and made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus’ victory gives us victory over the evil forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance of His love. Now the Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. Continually committed to Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life. In this new freedom in Jesus, we are called to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word, meditating on it and on His providence, singing His praises, gathering together for worship, and participating in the mission of the Church. As we give ourselves in loving service to those around us and in witnessing to His salvation, His constant presence with us through the Spirit transforms every moment and every task into a spiritual experience. (Ps 1:1, 2; 23:4; 77:11, 12; Col 1:13, 14; 2:6, 14, 15; Luke 10:17-20; Eph 5:19, 20; 6:12-18; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Peter 2:9; 3:18; 2 Cor. 3:17, 18; Phil 3:7-14; 1 Thess 5:16-18; Matt 20:25-28; John 20:21; Gal 5:22-25; Rom 8:38, 39; 1 John 4:4; Heb 10:25.)

Commentary -
Point1 of Point11 - the Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. If this Holy Spirit already dwells within us, why are we admonished at Luke 11:13 where it says - "Therefore, if you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those asking him!” This scripture is also in harmony with 1 John 5:14 where it says, "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that no matter what we ask according to his will, he hears us." So we need to pray incessantly for Jehovah's spirit it operate within us. It is like the fruitage of the spirit.
As holy spirit operates upon you, you manifest godly qualities, “the fruitage of the spirit.” (Gal. 5:22, 23) You realize, though, that this calls for effort on your part. To illustrate: A farmer cultivates the land. Of course, sunshine and water are necessary; without such he cannot expect any harvest. We might compare holy spirit to sunshine. Holy spirit is needed for us to manifest the fruitage of the spirit. Yet, what would be produced without the farmer’s hard work? (Prov. 10:4) Yes, how you cultivate the soil of your heart makes a difference in the quality and quantity of the fruitage of the holy spirit in you. So ask yourself, ‘Am I permitting holy spirit to produce its fruitage by working along with it?’

To obtain a good harvest, farmers also need to water their crops. In order to cultivate the fruitage of the spirit, you need the waters of truth found in the Bible and available through the Christian congregation today. (Isa. 55:1) You have likely pointed out to many people that the Holy Scriptures are a product of holy spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16) Also, the faithful and discreet slave class provides much-needed understanding of the pure waters of Bible truth. (Matt. 24:45-47) The implication is clear. In order to come under the influence of the holy spirit, we must read and meditate on God’s Word. If you are doing that, you are imitating the fine examples of the prophets who made “a diligent inquiry and a careful search” of information that was provided. It is noteworthy that even the angels have shown deep interest in spiritual truths regarding the promised Seed and the anointed Christian congregation.—Read 1 Peter 1:10-12.