I first of all, am beyond thankful for Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Son of God, in fact the whole Triune of God. Because, as of recently I have been going through deep changes that I am not all too aware of. For my rebirth day, the Lord gave me the gift of understanding more of His will. And, I am thankful for the GRACE of GOD to be a babe in Christ the Beloved.
My Journey
I arrived to Pam Sheppard Ministries having not one clue about deception, sin, salvation, God, myself, and the Devil. Only hitting the tip of the iceberg during a four day period before being born-again, let’s just say I was very ignorant of many things after my salvation experience.
This ignorance did not destroy me, because thankfully both the help of the ministry and the Holy Ghost working through His people, I can stand closer to the image of Christ.
I must confess though, that only as of recently do I feel this way. Some of my walk, to be frank was carnal, and worldly. Part of my problem was simply I rationalized what I was doing to be right. My affections at times were drawn to “the lust of the eyes” and the pride of life. At times, I would desire the life of the world, and begin to slightly conform to how the world thinks, behaves, loves, and works.
Passivity Problem
My main problem was I did not fully understand passivity. At least “spiritual” passivity. In the natural I understood passive nature. But, in the spirit, NOT AT ALL. The Holy Spirit recently revealed to me through what Pastor teaches and Jesse Penn’s book, War On The Saints:
“Passivity! How many have fallen into it, little knowing their state! Through the passivity of their faculties much time is lost in dependence upon the help of outward circumstances, and environment. In the lives of so many there is much “doing,” with so little accomplished, many beginnings, and few endings. How familiar we are with the words, “Yes, I can do that,” and the impulse is moved, but by the time the need for action has come, the passive man has lost his momentary interest.”
After this deeper unveiling occurred ALL of what Pastor Pam teaches about passivity became crystal clear! I finally am BEGINNING to understand MY passivity.
What Is Passivity?
There are three states in which a faculty (ie. spirit, soul, body) rests in: activity, inactivity, passivity. From my understanding now, the condition in which we want our members to be in is activity. Activity comes from conscious decision to chose, determine, and then act from the will.
“Inactivity” of a member, is not necessarily passivity. Inactivity can just be sitting, resting, sleeping, and so forth. Passivity, is then the further proceed from inactivity. It is not only “inactivity” but an “allowing” of activity. Passivity is inactivity and activity without the use of will. It is the “automatic” or “autonomic” expression of faculties, or members of our being.
The difference between inactivity and passivity, is inactivity comes from an active will to be “inactive.” Whereas passivity comes from no place of thought or choice to be active or inactive. Passivity “does” whatever the circumstance or environment pressures the passive person into.
This summed up, some areas of my life. My habitual routines from arising to departing. Eating to sleeping, talking, to walking; routine and routine. My active thought and will became dormant, as “whatever” was going on became a means of action for me. My dependence became upon circumstances, people, and events taking place for me to “make a choice” or “give thought.” I was not operating out of independent thought, choice and will. All of this was occurring in very undetectable forms…
Still Learning
I can’t say I have overcome passivity, because to be honest: my entire life has been PASSIVE! Passivity takes time to get out of, because it took time to get into it. But now, I can recognize my passivity as revealed and RESIST this “sin of omission” and obey the call to be active and, “Yield my members as instruments of righteousness alive from the dead unto God.” To say, that my members should be in active use of my will to be weapons of righteousness unto God. And, that I should be “dead to passivity” or dead to not using my members by my will…
To be a babe in Christ I have discovered is to accept your place as a babe, but “desire the pure milk of the Word” and grow up into salvation. The milk of the Word is not laboriously studying the Scriptures. But, it is the revealed Word, led by the Spirit to be worked into your spirit and delivered into your mind through the words of the Spirit.
To be a babe in Christ is also to move on from mistakes with God’s grace. I have made some errors. But it’s written that, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.” As I walk in the light, my faults unknown to me will be made visible, cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb. I then can confess, “shake of the dust,” and press onto more of the light of God. And in this degree do I also overcome Satan, since it’s by “the blood of the Lamb” the saints overcome the Dragon. The path of righteousness is made more visible by this active walk too. Making the “breastplate” of righteousness more formidable.
A Ministry Of Growth
I would have no idea what it means to be a babe in Christ. In fact, I would not be a babe if the ministry had not preached to me the Gospel unto my salvation. I also would have not known about passivity, if our ministry had not warned the dangers thereof.
How has your growth been over the years or even months? What can you say and share and encourage about being a babe and how to grow? I know that our Pastor is one who “feeds the lambs.” And I can attest that she has through counseling sessions, fellowship Zoom calls, and the Rescue Group has fed me the spiritual milk of the Word.
However, we have to co-operate in growth. We must desire to press onto maturity, despite what we may face. Growth does not just happen “automatically.” We must “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” Of course, “God gives the increase” of all growth, but we need to actively seek the “watering” of the word (ie. via counseling, Scriptures as led by the Holy Spirit, testimony, fellowship and assembling together). Therefore, ask God to give you the grace to will to press onto active work, growth, and maturity with all strength from the might of His power!!!
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