Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................. 2
CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Why Should I be Holy? ......................................................................................................................... 9

You are light and righteous: ................................................................................................... 10

God lives in You. ..................................................................................................................... 11

God has promised you his continuous presence ..................................................................... 12

Dont Wait for God to Force You!....................................................................................................... 13

CHAPTER TWO ...................................................................................................................................... 18
Change Your Holiness Strategy .......................................................................................................... 19
How Not to be Holy? ......................................................................................................................... 20
STOP Closing Yourself Off From God! ................................................................................................. 21
Teach Your Heart to Be Joyful and Thankful ....................................................................................... 23
CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................... 25
The Wilderness of Consecration ........................................................................................................ 26
Understanding Your Part in Consecration and God's! ......................................................................... 26
Consecration First .............................................................................................................................. 27
Do your part! Trust God to do His ...................................................................................................... 28
CHAPTER FOUR ..................................................................................................................................... 31
Why Should I Grow Up? ..................................................................................................................... 32
Stages In Spiritual Growth ................................................................................................................. 33
I: BABYHOOD ................................................................................................................................. 33
II: CHILDHOOD ............................................................................................................................... 35
III: MANHOOD ............................................................................................................................... 37
Why Do I Stumble Often and Easily? .................................................................................................. 39
How Do I Know I Am Growing? .......................................................................................................... 39

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If you find this piece of writing edifying and useful, and wish to
share it with others in any form; printing, copying, duplicating etc.
You may go ahead without prior permission from me, but only on
the condition that it is not to be sold or included in any commercial
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Also, if you are in need of printed version of the work for yourself or
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THIS WORK SHOULD NOT BE SOLD

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I appreciate Apostle Greg Atiyota Senior Pastor, Faithworld Ministries. Your deep insight and
understanding of the word of God helped me to reinforce and channel my path in Ministry.
Those years of labour over me and exposure to the truth are priceless.
I take immense pleasure in thanking Gods servant, Professor F.M Aderibigbe Senior Pastor,
Grace Covenant Centre. Your exceptional teaching on grace undeniably solidified and fortified
my foundation. Many thanks for the permission to use the bible study outline on spiritual
growth as a perfect conclusion for this book
My dear wife Ekemini, you are a precious gift to me from God. Your support, understanding,
and a haven of peace you have made my home is beyond comprehension. Thank you.
Special thanks go to Faleye Ibukun; my dear friend.

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CHAPTER ONE

WITHOUT HOLINESS
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Hebrews 12:14

Trusting the Holy Spirit for insight and understanding, we will together ponder upon an
important factor for daily victory, and an essential requirement to seeing God in our daily
experiences in life.
Holiness is not what is needed to please God; faith is, rather it is the only condition to see God,
and it is indispensable for daily and total victory in every area of life; victory over failures,
victory over the enemy, victory over delays and setbacks, and bringing victory to the lives of
men.
I do not intend to write this book as another thesis of rules and regulations, laws and principles,
or dos and donts on pleasing God. Not at all! We do not walk by rules or laws in pleasing God.
Accepting the grace of God through faith is all that is required to please God and for God to be
pleased with us. But without Holiness, no man shall see God. Therefore, there is need for you
and me to be holy, not necessarily for Gods sake, but as a condition to see the Lord Work and
Walk everyday in our lives.

The call unto holiness is not

a call to please God, but a
call to see God

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that

ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 Corinthians 6:1
Do not let the opportunity that God has provided you to walk
with him waste; do not let it be in vain, do not squander the
grace of God.

It is not your ability to obey laws and rules that makes you holy, rather it is how much gain you
make of the grace of God; how much you allow the operation of Gods grace in your
consciousness, how much understanding of the measure of grace that is working within you
both to will and to do according to His purpose, and how soon you realize that there is nothing
you can do to please God without faith. God has called us unto grace. He has called and
empowered us to do what humanly speaking we cannot do, except by faith.

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The call unto holiness is not a call to please God, but a call to see God: sustaining and
maintaining the presence of God in and around us. So as we explore together the motivation
for holy living, I want us to take along with us the understanding of the following truth:
1. Holiness and sorrow or sadness are not synonymous, they are not identical in any form.
2. Holiness is not poverty, and cannot flow together. What makes you poor is not because
you are holy, and you are not holy because you are poor or rich.
3. Holiness is not for people that are struggling with their identity as a believer. Rather it is
for people who are conscious of the presence of God in their lives, and desire to
cultivate and sustain it.
4. Holiness is not for people that are confused about life. But it is for people who have an
understanding of Gods will and purpose for their lives, and who are ready to follow it
through with God.
5. Holiness is not for the complacent, self-righteous, self-satisfied, and the presumptuous.
But for an individual who is mindful that God Is Holy and His eyes cannot behold sin.
Our God is glorious in Holiness, and the glory of God
manifests in Holiness. The reason for many failures and
weakness is because God has not found a place to dwell
in us. So no matter what we do or want to achieve in life,
if we cannot get God to go with us, it is all a waste of
time. The essence of Holiness is remaining the temple
where God can dwell.

The reason for many failures

and weakness is because God
has not found a place to dwell
in us.

Notice that I said remaining and not becoming, because we have already become the temple of
the living God on the premise of grace obtained by faith through Christ.
For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in
them; ...
2 Corinthians 6:16
So the issue of holiness is:
1. Not becoming a dwelling place for God, but remaining a dwelling place
2. Not obtaining grace for supernatural living, but cultivating the innumerable measure of
grace we have received in Christ so that it wont be in vain,
3. Not fighting for victory in our daily experience, but sustaining the presence of God for
constant victory,
4. Not encountering divine visitation occasionally, but experiencing unbroken divine
presence
5. Not obeying rules and regulations to be holy, but maintaining your status of Holiness
obtained in Christ.

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The truth is, there cannot be total victory, if your life cannot create room for God to work and
walk. I do not see godly success if you cannot harbour and retain the presence of God. What
makes the difference is whether God is present in your life.
Therefore, do not let the opportunity that God has provided you to walk with him waste. Do
not let the grace of God be useless in your life as an individual. Maximize the grace of God over
your life according to His will, word and purpose for your life. Be Holy.

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Reality Check
Points to Note: holiness is the only condition to see God while faith is the only condition to
please God.
List other points you noted from this chapter.

Verse to Memorize: Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which
no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14
Personality Check: write the misconceptions you have held unto in the past about holiness.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be holy so that I will always see You at work in me and walking with
me everyday, amen.

For further help or counseling, contact us at Divine Realities Ministries

Helpline: +234 809 3333 224
E mail: [email protected]

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CHAPTER TWO

Not a Routine, Not a Burden

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find
rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:29-30.

Yoke of guilt, and the burden of routine; dos and donts, cannot promote holiness in a life.
Do not force yourself to be holy without understanding. Holiness will be killing and
cumbersome if you do not know why you have to be. You will not enjoy its fruit, nor rejoice in
the experience, if you do not understand the need for it. Holiness is not about rules and
regulations; do not touch, do not do that or this. Rather, holiness is a glorious experience. It
should be with utmost pleasure and joy that you want to keep yourself clean and habitable for
divine residence. That is to say, I understand that my life must be maintained and cultivated for
Gods presence to be with me always.
When I decide to live the sanctified life, and
The motivation for holiness is in the
consciously keep away from filthiness and sin, I am
understanding of its concept and
doing it out of the pleasure and understanding of
necessity, as it affects your
Gods presence. The reason I decide to stay out of sin
progress, success, and relationship
and run away from compromise is not because of
with God.
consequences but because I treasure and love the
presence of God and I do not want to soil or offend it.
. The motivation for holiness is in the understanding of its concept and necessity, as it affects
your progress, success and relationship with God.
You will become bitter, sad, frustrated, and traumatic when you labour to be holy without this
understanding. You will cringe in fear towards God rather than being motivated by his love and
grace. You will be taunted and tormented by guilt rather than walking in the liberty that the
grace of God affords. You will keep toiling under the yoke of sin rather that triumphing in
victory through the grace of God which is stimulated by love.
I once toiled and labored without understanding too. My spiritual walk and experience was
gloomy and miserable. I carried sad faces up and down, and was constantly disappointed in
myself and my ability to please God with my works of holiness. There was no fruit of Joy in my
life. I fear God rather than love him. I dread the consequences of sin rather than love the fruit

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of obedience. My motivation for holiness was to impress God with my works rather than enjoy
and maintain His works of grace. I was always under constant depression of my past mistakes,
and always under the oppression of the fear not to offend God.
Such experience as mine is not healthy. It lacks the right motivation for holiness, and an
understanding of its concept.
This usually ends in misery and bitterness.

Why Should I be Holy?

For you to be rightly motivated towards holiness and not see it as a burden, you must
understand the idea and need for holiness. That is, you need to first and foremost understand
the bases for holiness, and why you have to be holy.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
For you to be rightly motivated
for what fellowship hath righteousness with
toward holiness, and not see it as a
unrighteousness? and what communion hath light
burden, you must understand the
with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with
idea and need for Holiness
Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God
with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and
walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the
Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
With the scriptural verses above, we are going to bring out three reasons God stated as bases
and motivation for our holiness. God did not say Be ye not unequally yoked together or be ye
separate because He wants to put us under mere performance pressure, or desires to watch
us struggle and battle spiritually as gladiators; knowing our limitations. Not at all! God is
neither a spectator nor a wicked Lord. His demands are not without the grease of grace neither
are His instructions without lotion of love.
Like I stated in my introduction that, being holy is not for Gods sake but it is essential as a
condition for total and daily victory in every area of your life. For you and me to be able to
effectively enforce the victory Christ has afforded us by his death; triumphing and exercising

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your authority and dominion over the kingdom of the devil and his demons,
maintain and sustaining divine presence - is indispensable.

holiness

Now, let us together consider THREE grounds God has established as reasons for you to be holy.
You are light and righteous:
I have mentioned this before, and I will say it again. God has not called you to labour or
work to become righteous, neither has He demanded that you become a light. No, that is
not the essence of holiness. He has made you righteous and turned you into light when he
died and resurrected unto glory.
What God is saying is this:
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Ephesians 5:8
In essence, God is saying you were once darkness - totally blind, unrighteous, and ignorant.
Walk as children of light - suitable to your present
knowledge and status in Christ. Become conscious
The walk of holiness becomes
of who you are, and walk as such.
natural when you know and
understand the worth of your
. Why many believers do not walk in holiness is
identity
because they lack the knowledge of their worth as
a believer.
It is so amazing how the children of this world are wiser in this regard than the children of
light. When they have a change of status in regards to their lives; maybe as a celebrity, or
pop star, or even a change in professional status, the ease with which they switch behaviour
and posture is so fast and spontaneous. They immediately change their friends,
associations, and become choosy about how and where they live. They immediately begin
to walk in the realm of their new status; they know and understand the worth of their new
identity, and everything around them adjusts to this reality.
Why are believers not waking up to the reality of their worth and identity so fast? It is
Satans strategy to keep them in a position of weakness and feebleness. So that they will
not work and walk as they ought to, and possess what is theirs in Christ.
God is crying out to you invariably: Be ye not unequally yoked together and be ye
separate because of who you are, and what you are worth.

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God says it is unwholesome and ridiculous for darkness and light to mingle together, and for
righteousness and unrighteousness to fellowship together.

God lives in You.

Hey, you are the temple of the Lord Most High. God dwells in you!
for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said 2 Corinthians 6:16
God is jealously mindful of you I began to ponder and evaluate my attitude towards my own
house as I write this chapter. Some of the questions I asked myself were:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

For what purpose do I keep my house clean?

Why do I pay security guards and fit burglary steels to secure my properties?
For what purpose are the decorations and furniture?
Whose sake am I doing all of these things?
How comfortable will I be if I abandoned care
for it?
God is jealously mindful of you
6. Are there any social or environmental
because of what you are to him. You
consequences if I stop caring for my house?
are Gods dwelling place; The House
of God.
I paused and reconsider over and over again these
questions in order to provide sincere answers for
them. And I came to two major conclusions.
1. As the owner of the house, and considering the purpose for which I built the house; as a
dwelling place for comfort, and also considering my investment, I am under continuous
obligation to maintain it. Otherwise, the house will decay and I will suffer the loss of it
all.
2. On the other hand, as the occupant of the house, and considering my social status and
responsibilities, hygiene, health, peace, and general comfort, I am under continuous
obligation to keep it clean. Otherwise, the house will decay and I will suffer the loss of it
all.
So also dear friend, God, being the owner of your life, has a purpose for it. He has set you
apart to be His habitation of comfort; a dwelling place of His glory. He made you to be the
temple that He can dwell, work, and walk, in this crooked and perverse generation. He has
chosen you to become his place of power and residence of glory. He has invested so much

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in you; hence He desires and demands your holiness. For this reason, God will ensure He
preserves, protects and cares for you.
But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 2:20
In your daily experience, in as much as you can retain and sustain the presence of God in
your life through conscious and holy living, your victory will keep the whole earth silent,
because the LORD is his holy temple. And your peace will be calmer than that of a quiet
river.

God is Holy and his eye

cannot behold uncleanliness

Moreover, as the Lords temple, you are responsible to

keep it and tender it. No important guest will visit or stay
in a house that is rough and dirty, so also God will not
dwell in an unclean temple.

Likewise, the amount of money you will spend in hospitals

due to infections and unhealthy environment will far outweigh the cost of maintenance.
Infact, one may end up losing his life to his own undoing.
God is Holy and his eye cannot behold uncleanliness. And any man that defile His temple,
either by commission or omission, after the knowledge of the truth does so to his own
undoing. For it is written:
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy,
which temple ye are. 1 Corinthians 3:17

God has promised you his continuous presence

Beloved, a comforting reality is this:
God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. 2 Corinthians 6:16
This promise does not suggest occasional habitation but a perceptual indwelling. Not a
momentary event, but continual presence of the Almighty. God did not promise to visit, but
He has promised to stay in you, walk in you, and work through you.
Gods estimate is that He is not just a visitor in your life, but a resident Lord.

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I marvel at times when I see posters and publicity of church programmes tagged: Divine
Visitation, Divine Encounter, Divine Appointment and so on. As nice as they appear
and great as it sounds, it shows how completely
we have lost Gods presence in our lives and in
the reality of Gods presence
the church today.
necessitates a preparation and a
Where is God that He is visiting?
cleanup to retain and sustain it
Where has he gone that He needs to be booked
for an appointment?
Whose side is He that you need an encounter with Him?
This apparently depicts how far we have lost touch with divine realities and Gods presence.
We talk so much about Divine Visitation in church today because we cannot retain the
presence of God.
New international Version translated as saying:
I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my
people2 Corinthians 6:16
This scripture clearly expressed Gods intention to dwell and live in us and walk with us
continually and not occasionally.
Therefore, the reality of Gods presence necessitates a preparation and a cleanup to retain
and sustain it. Because God is not just visiting, He is coming to stay. Not a Divine Visitation,
but a Perpetual Dwelling.
My motivation for holiness is this: God lives in me; the Almighty God, Kings of Kings, and
Everlasting King dwells with me.
Just pause and think. How would you prepare and behave? If you were told that the
President of your country has decided to operate and rule the entire country from your
home. Will business continue as usual?
The truth is that, a greater personality than your president has promised you his continuous
presence. Glory to God!

Dont Wait for God to Force You!

Do I intend to contradict myself by what am about to let us consider?

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You just said Holiness is not a burden or routine, so then, why talking about God applying force
again?
My intention is to provide a balance perspective of how our walk of Holiness can be enjoyable
and comfortable, free of detours and hassles.
The Bible tells us as believers, "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first...
(Rev. 2:4, 5). Our problem is that we have grown to love
the earthly ways of fulfilling our desires for God and
Rather than wait for God to
become complacent with other sources of satisfying our
change us, we need to be the
spiritual appetite apart from Him. We are clinging to
ones to take assertive steps
earthly sources when we should be clinging to God.
towards repentance
We are the ones who need to take action to humble
ourselves and repent. The Bible also tells us to "Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and remove
the foreskins of your heart" (Jer 4:4a). Even though that sounds painful, it is because of what
God offers freely that repentance is something we should delight to do.
When I listen to people praying I often hear a desperate cry to God for help. They plead with
God to turn them around and make them holy. That would mean God would have to intervene
and take their earthly attachments away from them. The problem is that it is not pleasant when
God has to get involved in the process of helping us to repent and walk in holiness by taking
what we love away from us. It hurts.
Longing for God to make you holy is asking for something that would be very painful. I dont
think He wants to have to do thaton an individual, or on a societal level. He will if He must,
but He doesn't want to. Like any loving parent, God doesnt take pleasure in having to discipline
His children. That is why God tells us to repent. The problem is that I don't think we have much
time left.
Rather than wait for God to change us, we need to be the ones to take assertive steps towards
repentance.
End times are getting closer to us every day. At some point, God will not be able to wait for us
any longer and He will have to "cut" our earthly attachments from us: "every branch that bears
fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." (John15:2b). When God does have to cut
away our earthly attachments, the outcome is always good, but going through it can be
difficult.

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When you are going through difficult times try to keep in mind that God has the best plan at
heart concerning you. Even though the "pruning" of God may be difficult, it is only because He
loves you and knows you would love it most to be closer to Him.
The Bible says, "For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom
He receives." (Hebrews 12:6). But it also tells us the reason why; it says, "He disciplines us for
our good, so that we may share His holiness." (Hebrews 12:10b). God sees the bigger picture.
He knows that if we could see it also, we would want to be rid of the earthly sources to which
we cling.
God wants what is best for you. When He looks at you He sees you in terms of what you can
become. The Psalmist wrote, "Know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself"
(Psalm 4:3b). Dont just consider difficult times as difficult times. God may be separating you
unto Himself because He knows what you can become.
However, if you wait too long and God does have to
help you repent, "do not regard lightly the discipline
of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him;"
(Hebrews 12:5b).

It is out of an increase in your ability

to hear the truth of God that you
will see an increase in the quality of
your behaviour

You dont have to "faint" when you are disciplined by

God because it also says, "Come, let us return to the
Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He
will revive us...That we may live before Him. So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.
His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain
watering the earth" (Hos.6:1-3).
Again let me emphasize it is much better for us to take action now than to wait and have God
do it later:
"Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all
things; therefore you shall serve your enemies" (Deut. 28:47,48a).
God is good. The Bible says, For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, declares
the Lord God. Therefore, repent and live." (Ezek.18:32). Serving and single-heartedly loving
Him is far better than serving our enemies.
It is never too late to turn to God!
Thank Him that it is right and good and safe for you to move forward with holiness: "...the Law
has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith." (Gal. 3:24).

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We are to live by faiththe pressure is not on us to perform better. The pressure is on us to

believe.
It is out of an increase in your ability to hear the truth of God that you will see an increase in
the quality of your behavior. I.e the more you listen to the truth, the better your behavior
improves per excellence
Hearing the truth is your capacity for faith and growth in the Lord.
Sowing seed in your heart until you are able to "hear" and believe will pave the way for
repentance and holiness experience that lasts.
Don't make this mistake:
"...do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing
that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" (Rom. 2:4).
Don't regard lightly the kindness of God. Let His kindness lead you to repentance. Soften your
heart so that you increase your ability to "hear" and find freedom to turn to God.
I am praying for the Lord's abundant blessing on your efforts to direct your heart toward Him.
Don't wait for a disaster that forces you to repent and make you begin the sweet walk of
holiness with God! Taking assertive steps toward holiness won't hurt nearly as much as if you
wait for God to discipline you.
Take action now!!!

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Reality Check
Points to Note: Holiness is not meant to be a burden but a pleasurable experience.

List other new discoveries you made in this chapter about holiness.

Verse to Memorize: God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their
God, and they shall be my people. 2 Corinthians 6:16.
Personality Check: Am I conscious of who I am, and am I walking as such?

List the ways you have been taking for granted the kindness of God?

Prayer: Thank Him that it is right and good and safe for you to move forward with holiness.

For further help or counseling, contact us at Divine Realities Ministries

Helpline: +234 809 3333 224
E mail: [email protected]

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CHAPTER TWO

The Joy and Excitement

For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her
wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found
therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. (Isa 51:3)
True holiness is characterized by Joy, and its fruit are Peace and Confidence.
The Lords promise to be a Father unto you, and accept you as a son or daughter when you
walk in holiness, is not empty, it is not an anonymous promise; rather it is authentic with full
seal of His authority.
Let us take note of the signature God appended to the trail of His promises in 2 Corinthians
6:18. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty.
Before this point, reading through from verse 12, you will come across many phrases like: as
the Lord has said, declares the Lord and so on. But as relating to Gods promise of
welcoming and receiving you as a family member when you walk in holiness, He reinforces this
assurance with a stronger signature saith the Lord Almighty. That is to say, I the Lord who is
great and above all things has said this and it is
undisputable. Halleluiah!
The call unto Holiness is not for
people that are struggling with their
Imagine the lofty feeling you will have assuming you
identity as a believer
get an invitation letter sealed and thumb printed by
the President of your country inviting you as a guest
to a dinner. Imagine the exciting feeling such can produce in a mans emotional bank, despite
the fact that even before the dinner, the President could have been overthrown or even cancel
the appointment as a result of emerging national concerns. Yet, God never changes, and His
Words are immutable, unchangeable and absolute.
Permit me to state this again. The call unto Holiness is not for people that are struggling with
their identity as a believer. It is not for the emotional and the complacent Christian who desires
nothing from God other than bread and butter. Rather it is for people who are conscious of the
presence of God in their lives with the desire to cultivate and sustain it, people who want to go
higher in their experience with God and divine realities, people whose affection is for the glory
of God and whose hunger is more of God.

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The message of holiness is to the dearly beloved, those that the Lord loves and pays special
attention to. The Lord Almighty is committed to the life and welfare of those who love Him and
are brave enough to separate themselves unto God.
The fear of God alone cannot produce and stimulate a lasting experience of holiness in a life,
but the love of God engenders and promotes holiness without struggling.
Fear terrorizes the mind and ultimately produces rebellion, whereas, Love stimulates affection
and fuels intimacy.

Change Your Holiness Strategy

Our theology of how change and spiritual growth happens is one of the most underdeveloped
areas of understanding in the church today.
For most of us the ways we try to grow involves monitoring how well we keep away from doing
bad things. We gauge our love for the Lord, how much we are reading the Bible, the quality of
our prayer life, the depth of our worship, how much we are sharing our faithand at times,
what can seem like a million other things. These are good things.
But while this approach is common, the improvements that result come slowly and are often
very frustrating. It can also make you very tired!
It is not my intention to multiply the behaviours that
you need to monitor and maintain in your walk with
God. I want to help make you free. So, please dont
take what I give you here and simply add it as just
another area for you to monitor.
Like a tire with a hole in it, you would just have to
keep on pumping yourself up. That will not work.

The fear of God alone cannot

produce and stimulate a lasting
experience of holiness in a life, but
the love of God engenders and
promotes holiness without
struggling

I am suggesting that you completely change the way

you try to change, and review your holiness theology. What I am suggesting will help you stop
doing the things you don't want to do. It will also help you find greater freedom, strength, and
joy to do the things you should be doing.

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How Not to be Holy?

One of the first steps you have to take is re-train your heart about how you should not try to be
Holy.
The ONLY effort required in our walk with God is to maintain constant fellowship with Him, and
sustain His presence around us. We also understand that sin is what breaks the flow of this
fellowship many times. If you have ever enjoyed fellowship with God, you would have realised
how empty you felt each time sin truncated the flow and how it may take a while to be fully
restored back to fellowship. The presence of God is enjoyable, and the feelings of being in
fellowship we so much desire to sustain, but there is a constant enemy that always interferes;
sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 Jn 1:8)
The truth of the matter is that we cannot claim we are sin-less, yet we cannot avoid being
sorrowful and sad each time we allow sin to break our fellowship with God. But the point is
that, the sorrow or sadness you feel which is a normal feeling, being the reactions of the Holy
Spirit dwelling within you should not be allowed to
steal your joy and keep you out of fellowship for too
Your active response each time sin
long.
breaks in to destroy your fellowship
must be swift repentance without
Your active response each time sin breaks in to
regret
destroy your fellowship must be swift repentance
without regret. Make it a habit to confess your sins, in
his faithful righteousness He will forgive you for those
sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
The Bible says, "...the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces repentance without
regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death." (2 Corinthians 7:10 )
You should feel sorrow because of sin, but God's will is a repentance that is "without regret."
Biblical repentance is not to improve yourself by making yourself feel "bad" because of what
you have done wrong.
Even though you may not know how to change by any other means, it must be repentance
without regret. Learn to accept Gods forgiveness immediately you confess your sins, and do
not allow trauma or sorrow keep you out of fellowship. The Bible says, If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John
1:9

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Making yourself feel bad about what you have done wrong may punish you into a temporary
appearance of outward conformity, but it does nothing to help change your behaviour long
term.
The Bible says, "...the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement...are of
no value against fleshly indulgence." (Colossians 2:23). Repentance by regret is self-abasement
and is of "no value against fleshly indulgence."
Greater severity in your self-condemnation may feel religious, but it is not God's will for you to
grow that way. Making yourself feel bad for what you do wrong is "self-made religion" because
the pain you feel seems to justify your wrongdoing.
But no amount of feeling bad will ever make the payment or justify what you have done wrong.
Self-inflicted pain from guilt doesnt justify you
before God because, "God is the one who justifies;"
Motivating improvement by
(Romans 8:33b)
condemnation makes you want to
Condemning ourselves after we have done
hide from God - not draw near to
something wrong gives us a false sense of being
Him. It closes you inside
"good" again. Self-condemnation keeps us bent on
earning a sense of right standing before God and
prevents us from putting our faith in suffering of Christ and the pain He felt on our behalf.
Self-condemnation gives us a false sense of goodness before God, "for the anger of man does
not achieve the righteousness of God" (James 1:20)
Maintain your strength; the joy forgiveness and promise of comfort that comes from God
alone. Rejoice in the salvation that Christ has purchased for you and get excited about His
promise of redemption For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places;
and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and
gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. (Isa 51:3)

STOP Closing Yourself Off From God!

Motivating improvement by condemnation makes you want to hide from God - not draw near
to Him. It closes you inside.
Jesus told the religious leaders of His day, "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,
because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people..." (Matthew 23:13); see also (2
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Corinthians 3:17) When you try to motivate repentance and change by condemnation you are
being pharisaic and are shutting yourselfand othersfrom the freedom necessary for
experiencing closeness to God.
Underlying any philosophy of ministry is a belief about how to best help people grow. It is true
towards other peopleit is also true towards ourselves. The Bible refers to the old covenant of
the law as a, "ministry of condemnation" (2 Corinthians 3:9). It also says that, "the ministry of
condemnation has glory"(2 Corinthians 3:9a).
Trying to help ourselves grow by a ministry of condemnation seems religious because it has an
appearance of glory. But, in contrast, it also says, "For indeed what had glory; in this case has
no glory because of the glory that surpasses it." (2 Corinthians 3:10). Paul asks, "How shall not
the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? (2 Corinthians 3:8).
If you have been keeping yourself holy by self-condemnation, you are trying to change in a way
that is according to the law and works of the flesh."
In contrast the Bible tells us, "and through Him
Experiencing the Joy and
everyone who believes is freed from all things, from
Excitement of Holiness requires that
which you could not be freed through the Law of
you retrain your heart to stop
Moses" (Acts 13:39)
trusting self-inflicted guilt and that
you start trusting Christ's payment
If there is only one "rule" I could give you about being
for your sin.
holy according to grace it would be this: You have to
die to a "ministry of condemnation" towards yourself.
Directing your heart away from self-condemnation should be ruthless, strongly assertive, and
unbending.
Dont miss these two things. Experiencing the Joy and Excitement of Holiness requires that you
retrain your heart to stop trusting self-inflicted guilt and that you start trusting Christ's payment
for your sin. Enjoying the liberty of holy living also requires that you retrain your heart about
what your heart believes is the best way to correct yourself and do better next time.
Observe your reaction when you do something wrong.

Do you stay away from God?

What gives you freedom to draw near to God again?
Do you trust the forgiveness of God because you made yourself feel bad for long
enough?

You should trust the forgiveness of God because of power of the cross and the cleansing of
God.
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It won't ever be "righteous living" if it is motivated by self-condemnation! Consider it sin to feel

any sense of justification or righteousness because of how much pain you feel from selfcondemnation. The security you need is not from how well you protect yourself from God. Hate
any sense of "righteousness" you feel because of self-inflicted pain from condemnation; rather,
train yourself to love God.

Teach Your Heart to Be Joyful and Thankful

Discipline motivated by fear, self-condemnation, and guilt wont change you at the levels that
are needed. Earthly pursuits, concerns, and seductive attractions are too many to be dealt with
by these means.
It is not enough for you to know in your head that self-condemnation is an ineffective and sinful
motivation for holiness. Your heart has to learn a more effective way to correct unwanted
behaviours and maintain the presence of God.
Use thanks and praise to help your heart hear how good and safe it is to trust the cross of
Christ. Listen to what you are thanking God about! React with thanks and praise at the slightest
indication of self-condemnation or self-based righteousness. Get your heart to hear that it is far
more effective to change and retain Gods presence by hearing thanks and praise for the truth.
The cross is more powerful than your sin and mistakes. Thank the Lord with great joy that you
do not have to put your faith in the severity of your self-condemnation. Thank God for His
promise never to leave nor forsake you. Praise Him for His faithfulness and Justice. Thank Him
for the power of the Holy Spirit within you.
Delight your heart by praise towards God that you
dont have to wait to trust the forgiveness of God
until you are "done feeling bad."

React with thanks and praise at the

slightest indication of selfcondemnation or self-based
righteousness

Biblical recommendation of how to be holy is a more

effective way to growa way of delight towards
Godnot of contempt towards yourself. You have to get to the heart of the matterwithout
self-condemnation.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. (Psalm 37:4)
Delighting yourself in God helps you maintain His consciousness always, and keeps you in
constant fellowship with Him.

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Reality Check
Points to Note: the call unto holiness is NOT for the emotional and complacent Christians who
desire from God nothing more than bread and milk alone.

List other lessons in this chapter.

Verse to Memorize: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. (1 Jn 1:8)
Personality Check: Am I truly living a holy life?

Explain in your own words what how not to be holy means according to this chapter.

Prayer: Father, help me to experience the joy and excitement of holiness always, amen.

For further help or counseling, contact us at Divine Realities Ministries

Helpline: +234 809 3333 224
E mail: [email protected]

24 | P a g e

CHAPTER THREE

Consecration
Keep away from everything impure. For the LORD your God moves about in your
camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that
he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.
Deuteronomy 23: 9b, 14
It is a comforting truth that God lives and moves in us to protect, deliver and grant us total
victory over the enemy, but a solemn reality is that anything indecent, ungodly, and unholy can
easily turn him away and deprive us of his presence, thereby making us vulnerable to our
enemies; not because they have the right of victory over us, but because we have failed to
maintain and retain the presence of God which is our only guarantee for victory. And grieve
not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
Consecration is a requirement to retaining Gods presence around you. God has come and
reveal himself to us through Christ Jesus, and the question is, can we retain, hold, and maintain
his presence?
Consecration is not what qualifies you for salvation, but it is what matures your salvation
experience. It is neither what brings God blessings nor favour, rather it is what helps you build
capacity and fortitude to accommodate Gods blessing and favour.
Many are called into the priviledge of service, but it is
the sacrifice of consecration that qualifies the chosen.
Consecration is not what qualifies
Consecration is a spiritual engagement and instrument
you for salvation, but it is what
useful for effective preparation for service and for a
matures your salvation
smooth daily experience of holiness. When God calls
experience
you into service, it usually requires that you offer the
sacrifice of consecration, and this makes you
predisposed to godly influences, and susceptible to divine inclinations. Consecration engenders
unction, equips with power, breaks and destroys self, and qualifies the chosen.
A man that allows God to actually work on his life during this period will eventually discover
that submission and obedience to God becomes easy. He may discover that the power of the
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flesh becomes weak while his spirit man gains strength of control and he can exercise his will
without much confrontation from the flesh.

The Wilderness of Consecration

In the wilderness of Consecration, it is important you understand that you are alone with God.
People around you may not have an understanding of what is going on with you. Few may
become curious about your new attitudes, dispositions and situated restrictions around you.
Some may ask spurious questions and tag you with a
label, but they will never understand, even if you try
Consecration engenders unction,
to explain.
equips with power, breaks and
You are alone; it is a wilderness.
destroys self, and qualifies the
You are separated unto God.
chosen
You become exclusive to Him.
Also take note that God alone works on you during this period if you sincerely submit to him.
Satan is kept at arms length while God himself shields and protects your affairs. So it is God
alone that can satisfy you and quench your thirst during this period.
You may become strange to things and people around you and you may no longer fit into some
circles. You may eventually feel lonely until God leads you into fellowship with pilgrims in the
wilderness of consecration.

Understanding Your Part in Consecration and God's!

A technical definition of consecration means that you are to set yourself apart from evil, turn to
the Lord, and be prepared to be used by God.
Consecration plays an important role in your growth towards God. But consecration has two (2)
parts; our part and Gods. Our part is the practical side of separating ourselves from sinful living
while Gods part of our being consecrated, is to prepare us for His use by actually making us
holy. Note that in being prepared for holy use, God has to also prepare our body for being used
in ministry.
If you are a Christian, God has already cleansed you on the inside and made you holy. But
consecration in the Old Testament was for cleansing the outside of vessels which was not
sufficient in completing the work of holiness, because a vessel cannot be fit for use until both
the inside and outside is clean. But after salvation, God's part in consecrating us for His use
includes washing our body with His presence.
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Both our part and God's part in consecration work together.

Half of our part in consecration involves separating ourselves from evil by continually working
with our heart so that we drink from earthly sources less and less all the time. But doing that is
only half of what we can do for practical holy living.
The other half of our part in consecration is that of actually drawing near to God and drinking.
God designed us so that we have to be "drinking" from something. By our drinking from God,
purity works its way into our experience because enjoying God's presence becomes our
preferred way of quenching our thirst, not sin or unwanted behaviors. By drinking from God,
the earthly ways of unrighteous living become less and less attractive to us.
But by our turning to God and drinking, something else happens: God is able to do His part in
consecrating us. By our drawing near to God and our letting Him draw near to us, God is able to
prepare us for His use because He washes us holy all
the while He is drawing near to us.
Consecration is not something that
Do you want to be prepared for God's purposes? You
you can do and then think you are
have to draw near to God and let Him draw near to
done with it.
you, or the outside of your vessel won't be
consecrated to God.
God will do His part. We just have to do ours. Practical holiness and the cleansing of God for
holy use cannot be separated. One without the other is not possible.

Consecration First
The Bible says, "...Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near..." (2
Chronicles. 29:31). The cross of Christ is the doorway to experiencing the presence of God. We
have to consecrate ourselves before we enter the throne room to draw near to the Lord.
But please note that consecration is not something that you can do and then think you are
done with it. The Bible says that "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:27). But "carrying outcross" is something that you will always
have to do.
None of us will ever grow enough to put down our cross.
The Bible talks about "always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus..." (2 Corinthians.
4:10). Since we won't ever grow out of it, consecration has to become a way of life.

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Our consecration won't ever be complete. So when it says, "...Now that you have consecrated
yourselves to the Lord, come near..." (2 Chron. 29:31), this does not mean that you should be
fully consecrated before you draw near to God.
I am praying for the Lord's abundant blessing on your efforts to direct your heart towards Him.
Dont wait for the day when you look at your practical righteousness and say, "Now I think I am
doing good enough to draw near." If you do that, you will only be depending on the
righteousness you think you have achieved and not Gods.
Be in consecration for several days or just a few weeks and then take steps to draw near to
God.
Practical purity from consecrated living is not possible without also drawing near and quenching
our thirst with God: you have to enter and drink the Spirit. Otherwise, your thirst will drive you
back to earthly sources. If consecrating yourself doesn't also turn you to God, you will find
yourself just as bad off as when you started.

Do your part! Trust God to do His

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,

an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should
show forth the praises of him who has called you out
of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time
past were not a people, but are now the people of
God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have
obtained mercy

Practical purity from consecrated

living is not possible without also
drawing near and quenching our
thirst with God

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they
speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify
God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:9-12)

You have a role to play in other to walk in the realty of this scripture above. It is consecrating
engagements that will facilitate the reality of this truth in your experience.
To walk in His marvelous light, you may need to step out of darkness and be committed to
walking in the light; for he has called you out.

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To remain a holy nation, there may be need to separate from contamination of Sin which is a
reproach to any people, and become committed unto righteousness which exalts a nation.
(Proverb 14:34)

Consecration is the key that makes

the power of God available for your
daily victory.

To fulfill your mandate as a royal priest, you may

need to step higher in self-discipline and self-control.
Not after the flesh or after the law, but in keeping
with the grace of God with praise and thanksgiving.

Gods part is to sanctify you on the inside and furnish

you with inward capacity to be holy and maintain his
presence by the power of the Holy Spirit. For it is God who is producing in you both the desire
and the ability to do what pleases him (Philippians 2:13)
Therefore I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown you, offer
your lives as a living sacrifice to him--an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him.
Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should walk with him in this way.
Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly
and change your way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God
wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
(Romans 21:1-2)
Consecration is the key that makes the power of God available for your daily victory.

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Reality Check
Points to Note: Consecration is not what qualifies you for salvation

List other new things you learnt about consecration.

Verse to Memorize: Keep away from everything impure. For the LORD your God moves
about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy,
so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you. Deuteronomy
23: 9b, 14
Personality Check: What steps have I been taking to draw near to God thereby

quenching my thirst with God?

Identify and list practical ways you intend to begin or continue your walk of
consecration.

Prayer: Father, help me to draw near to You and quench my thirst with you, amen.

For further help or counseling, contact us at Divine Realities Ministries

Helpline: +234 809 3333 224
E mail: [email protected]

30 | P a g e

CHAPTER FOUR

Why the Stumbling and Conflict?

for though a righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again, but the wicked stumble into
calamity (Pro 24:16)
As a young believer, I struggled to align the reality of why a righteous man is not the perfect
man.
Why is it that after being born again and became the righteousness of God in Christ (2
Corinthians 5:21), I cant just be perfect and live on without sins tendencies and
susceptibilities? Why is it that after being possessed by the Holy Spirit and the old things had
passed away, the new creation that I am cant just express its reality in my body automatically,
and lead me on as a perfect man before men and before God?
Many and more of these questions troubled my mind in the past and held me bond to my
works of righteousness and deprived me of growing in grace and walking in the liberty afforded
me in Christ.
I craved for instant perfection, but I did not get my freedom and begin to walk in the liberty of
the Spirit until I realized that though I am righteous and a saint, I am being transformed into His
likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit of
righteousness, as I unveil and reflect upon the glory
of his grace and word without doubt or disbelief. (2
The inward conflicts and
Corinthians 3:18)
intermittent stumbles you make are
A baby is not in any way an animal or a beast because
signs of spiritual growth and
he has not grown to become a man; neither will a
development
mother gorilla be classified as a human because it
looks like one. The fact is that the little child is a
human being as much as a grown up man, and the truth is that the little child will eventually
grow up to become a man. So when a census of human being is taken, both the baby and the
men are reckoned.
A baby might not be able to walk, talk, run, do stuffs like the adult, and may fail and fall often
while attempting to do them. But as he grows and develops, he perfects his skills by consistent
attempts and faith in the fact that he can do all things.

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The inward conflicts and intermittent stumbles you make are signs of spiritual growth and
development. Just like a child falls and stumbles until his feet becomes firm and steady, so also
your experience as you grow and strive to develop into Christs likeness as a righteous man.
Therefore, it is not a question of being perfect, but a matter of whether you are growing and
maturing as a righteous man.
The standard or yardstick of our growth is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. We are to grow up to
Him in all things- Eph. 4: 15; that is, we are to become like Him in mind and in every way. This
should be our longing and aspiration daily. With this in mind, our growth cannot end. We keep
on growing to be like Him, until we see Him face to face.
I found this teaching about spiritual growth very precious and priceless when I was exposed to
it several years ago at my local church Grace Covenant Centre. Since then it has become a
plumb line against which I measure my spiritual progress and development periodically.
I am very certain that you will likewise find it helpful as I share it with you.
Why Should I Grow Up?
Our physical lives begin with a birth. So do our
Our days outside Christ are not part
spiritual lives. Spiritual maturity is a process that
of our Christian lives no matter how
begins when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, and it is
religious we were
an ongoing process. This means that we start our
lives only when we are born again and not before!
Our days outside Christ are not part of our Christian lives no matter how religious we were. No
one then is really a Christian until he/she is born into the kingdom of God.
It is true that nobody is ever born an adult. No one is born already grown up. It is contrary to
nature. This truth applies spiritually too. When we are born again, we start our lives out as
spiritual babies, no matter our physical age or the status we have attained in the world before
the new birth.
Like newborn babies, thirst for the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in your
salvation. (1Peter 2:2)
To grow means to increase in proportion or size; to develop or to evolve into a better state or
form. Hence growth is a dynamic process and not a static one. Growth is a tangible thing. It can
be seen, felt, and measured. No one who is growing remains on the point, or at the same level
day in day out. If you are growing, you will notice it too. We notice it when we are growing
physically.
You need to have your eyes open to the need for growth in your spiritual lives.

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One of the problems in the church is that of over-aged babies: Christians who have refused to
grow up or mature, even after several years of conversion; ever learning but never coming to
the knowledge of the truth, perpetual babies(2Timothy.3:5-7, 1Corintians.3:1-3.)
Over-aged babyhood is sorrow.
Although babyhood is interesting, it is not the target
of life. God wants us to grow up and mature
spiritually.

You can enter into your full

inheritance and enjoy your rights
and privileges as sons

Growth is a natural outcome of life. Living things grow

and cessation of growth is an indication of death. Moreover, you need to grow up and mature
spiritually so that:
You can do all that God wants us to do and to fulfill His eternal purpose and counsels for
our lives. There is a limit to how far we can go as babies!

You can enter into your full inheritance and enjoy your rights and privileges as sons.
Now what I am saying is this: As long as an heir is a child, he is no better off than a
slave, even though he owns everything. Instead, he is placed under the care of guardians
and servant managers until the time set by the father.Galatians. 4:1-2.

So examine yourself now. How long ago were you born again? Have you grown much since
then? Is the word of God making any impact on your life? Are there noticeable improvements
to praise God for, or are you stagnant?
And how about the RATE at which you are growing; is that Satisfactory and pleasing to the
Lord?
Examine yourselves honestly before the Lord.
Stages In Spiritual Growth

I considered it helpful to take you through different stages in our spiritual development so that
you may know at what stage you are in the growth timeline.

I: BABYHOOD

Babyhood is the starting point for everyone who is born again, no matter how old or
highly placed physically. The church often makes the mistake of immediately treating
spiritual babies like adults with grave consequences!

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The way to grow out of babyhood is to desire (hunger for, seek after, and pursue) the
sincere (Pure, Truthful, Unadulterated) word of God 1Peter 2:2.
This is a responsibility for everyone who wants to grow.
Spiritual babies exhibit the following traits just like physical babies:

Dependence: Babies cant help themselves much. They are easily dependent on
older people to take care of them. This is normal, and spiritual parents and older
brethren in the Lord need to be responsible and understanding.

Ignorance: Babies usually think anything is food and do not recognize danger.
Hence they need to be watched over. Some spiritual babies take poison (wrong
doctrines, teachings, examples) unknowingly. Some have died as a result.

Innocence: Babies have no past 2Corintians. 5:17; Hebrew. 10:17. They are not
stained with the prejudices and hidden intentions that sometimes trouble adults.
This is a good characteristic that should not be lost even in adulthood
1Corintians.14:20; Spiritual babies too usually think every Christian is genuine and is
an angel. They believe what they see on the surface and will trust to a fault.
Sooner or later, spiritual babies must learn to add discernment and wisdom to their
innocence. Until then however they need to be watched over carefully. Give
practical illustrations.
As much as babyhood is a
necessary stage for everyone, it
should not be overstayed

Easily Spoilt: Babies can easily get

spoilt to certain things if care is not taken. It
seems that the Corinthians became spoilt to
certain ministers and this led to divisions in
the church 1Cor. 3:1, 3-9, 21-23.

Milk Feeding:
Babies feed
principally on milk and cannot digest strong food 1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:12-14. Some
teachings of the word of God which require balanced judgment and mature
understanding or deep sacrifice and consecration may prove tough for babies who
may then stumble at them Jn. 6:59-60, 66.
As much as babyhood is a necessary stage for everyone, it should not be overstayed.
When spiritual babies fail to grow, they become Carnal or Worldly, as was the case with
the Corinthians
That's because you are still worldly. As long as there is jealousy and quarreling among
you, you are worldly and living by human standards, aren't you? For when one person
says, "I follow Paul," and another person says, "I follow to Apollos," you're following your
own human nature, aren't you? 1 Corinthians 3:3-4

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In the light of the above, are you growing spiritually? Or are you over staying Babyhood?
What worldly traits do you still manifest?
Be sincere and then pray accordingly.

II: CHILDHOOD

that we henceforth be no more children Ephesians. 4:14.

The time comes when a growing Christian knows that he is no longer a baby in Christ,
even though he is not really mature in many things. He knows that he has left behind
several babyish characteristics and in fact can recognize them in others who are still
babies; but he is aware too that a wide gap exists
between him and several mature brethren he
knows. He is out of babyhood even though he has
When spiritual babies fail to
not reached adulthood or manhood.
grow, they become Carnal or
Worldly, as was the case with
The Bible actually speaks of a childhood stage
the Corinthians
between babyhood and manhood. Perhaps the vast
majority in the church today are in this position,
making the message of growth even more important today.
Spiritual children exhibit the following traits, just like physical children:
Unsteadiness: Physical children cant concentrate on things for long. Their attention
span is quite short and interests fluctuate rapidly. This brings inconsistency. Spiritual
children can be inconsistent very high today, very low tomorrow; working
zealously today, ready to give up tomorrow; quick to promise God many things
today, quick to forget and break the promises tomorrow. They can also easily be
carried away by strange or new doctrines particularly if they are so alluring.
Unsteadiness affects different aspects of the lives of spiritual children e.g. their
prayer lives, study of the word, responsibilities they are given in the church, etc.
Curiosity: Children often want to know about everything that goes on around them,
whether it concerns them or not. You see this in the questions they ask. Spiritual
children too can be quite inquisitive, sometimes under the guise of collecting prayer
points. They need to learn that not every knowledge is profitable; and they do not

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need to meddle in things that do not concern them. Spiritual children grow in their
learning of spiritual things without falling into the pit of unhealthy curiosity?
Talkativeness: sign of Spiritual Maturity is the ability to bridle our tongues James.
3:2. Children One dont know when to apply the brakes and have not learnt the
value of silence. Spiritual children often sin with loose tongues Proverbs.
10:19.The following sins are easily committed in talking loosely:
o Evil Speaking Ephesians. 4:31: Gossip about the faults and failures of others
Just to pray about them: Spiritual children are quick at criticizing others for
every fault they notice. They often wonder if those with faults are Christians at
all. They may carry tales around in the church and pass judgments, forgetting
they do not have all the facts. This is all because they have grown a little
themselves.
o Vain Speaking 2Corintians. 10:12, 17-18: Boasting about oneself, Spiritual
children will boast about their church, gift, talent, achievements, how they are
better than others, etc., and give the glory to self.
o Foolish Talking Ephesians 5:4 Jesting and joking which are not edifying or
convenient, because they cause us to lose precious anointing. Many Christians
leak through the mouth! Ephesians. 4:29.
o Lies/Exaggeration Proverbs. 10:19: These often come in when the tongue is
not restrained. It is also the reason why spiritual children cannot keep secrets
and breach confidence.

Full of activity: Children are often full of energy and can be very restless, jumping
from one activity to another. Spiritual children are similar and can run all over the
place with Christian activities. With maturity comes balance and a clear
understanding of what is really beneficial and what God wants them to do at any
point in time.
Spiritual children can be helped to direct their energy or zeal aright.
What a dire need exists in the church today for adults to help model the children!
Playfulness: Children are often playful and are more bothered about the little, little,
unimportant things, events or details. In meetings, a spiritual child may be
concerned only about the dress of the minister, the hairstyles and other such details.

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 Misuse of liberty: Children are apt to misuse the liberties they are given. A balanced
use of Christian liberties requires maturity Galatians. 5:1; 1Corintians. 8:9-13.
Spiritual children may have problems with how much television Videos, Games,
Internet browsing and other liberties they use.
When spiritual children fail to grow, it becomes difficult for the Lord to use them as He
would want to. This means children who refuse to grow may never fulfill their destiny.
This also is Sorrow.

III: MANHOOD

This is the mature stage of our Christian lives. It is the stage that the Lord eagerly
expects individuals and the church as a whole to reach
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians. 4: 13.
The mature Christian has left behind the babyish
traits of over-dependence, ignorance and milkfeeding; he has also put behind him the childhood
tendencies of unsteadiness, unhealthy curiosity,
talkativeness, etc - 1 Corinthians. 13: 11.

When spiritual children fail to

grow, it becomes difficult for
the Lord to use them as He
would want to

The mature Christian is characterized by the

following traits:
He is truly spiritual; esteeming earthly things lightly and is more minded about
heavenly things - Hebrew. 11:24-26; Romans. 8:6-8; Colossians. 3: 1-3.
He is dead to human praise and censorship and so is not hindered from doing God's
will as a result of what men will say 1 Corinthians. 4:3-4; James. 4:4; Galatians.
1:10.
He is able to make sound and balanced spiritual judgments and take decisions
according to God's will - 1 Corinthians. 2: 15.
He is able to endure the strong meat of the word of God, because his spiritual senses
are trained to discern between good and evil- Hebrews. 5: 14.
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 He is able to walk on steadily in the will of God; not falling today, rising tomorrow;
high and faithful today, low and unfaithful tomorrow. Thus he can fulfill his course in
God's plans and purposes. He is consistent and faithful in his Christian life and
service; and is not easily carried away by strange doctrines.
He knows in real life what it means to be dead to self - Galatians. 2:20, 5:24.
He is able to walk in love towards others irrespective of what they do. This is an acid
test of maturity - Colossians. 3: 14.
He is strong in faith, trusting God as an outcome of his personal walk with Him.
He is able to handle delicate spiritual matters without causing damage or ruin.
All fruit of the Spirit is mature in him and are not bitter or sour.
You know a mature Christian by the way he talks. His word is filled with grace and
wisdom.

Maturity is only the beginning of a

deep, personal, faithful, enriching
and fruitful walk with the Lord

Maturity does not necessarily come as a result

of having spent "donkey" years in the Lord Hebrews. 5: 12. Maturity comes as a result of
faithful obedience and following the Lord even
in the little, little matters of daily life. Hence a
baby in the Lord today can reach maturity
within a short time.

Therefore, exercise at spiritual gyms and mere outward appearance are not sufficient as
signs of maturity. The Corinthian church had as much carnality as spiritual gifts - (Cp.
1Corinthians. 1:4-7 with 1Corithians. 3:1-4).
However, the fact that one has matured does not mean one has arrived at a level where
"there is no more to add". Maturity in the Lord is not the end of the road in our spiritual
lives, and mature Christians have not 'arrived'!
Maturity is only the beginning of a deep, personal, faithful, enriching and fruitful walk
with the Lord. Hence there is a need for mature Christians to "press on". This is the rule
for growth in maturity - Philippians. 3: 12-16.
Nevertheless, when mature Christians fail to press on, they become blind and
insensitive to what new things God is doing. As a result they become incompetent to
guide babes in Christ in God's new move. God may then set them aside. They may
stagnate, glorying only in their past and become an institution in themselves! They may
retain their gifts, talents, large congregation, etc., but they miss the highest and best
that God has for them.
Let us go on to maturity and keep pressing on!

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Why Do I Stumble Often and Easily?

Poor Nutrition: Inadequate feeding on the word of God. Neglect of the word.
Imbalance feeding 1 Pet 2:2-3

Choking Of the Word: Word killers, Fire extinguishers, Legitimate things which make
the environment of ones life not conducive for spiritual growth Matt. 13: 22. E.g.
Movies, Entertainment, Unnecessary gossips, bad company etc.

Disobedience, unbelief, failure to walk in the light that we have received Heb. 4:1-3.

The Fear of Men

Ambitions

Anxiety and Cares

Spiritual apathy or complacence, lack of

desire for spiritual growth Matt. 5:6.

Indiscipline, Failure to pay the price for

spiritual growth. Illustrate practically.

Reluctance to leave behind childish things 1 Cor. 13:11

Pride

When mature Christians fail to press

on, they become blind and
insensitive to what new things God
is doing

How Do I Know I Am Growing?

How can we tell that we are growing spiritually? We can know for sure that a plant is growing
when we see its leaves blossom and its stem getting bigger and taller. But what factors should
be measured in a Christians life to determine his/her growth? In other words, in what areas
should our spiritual growth be made evident?
1. The Bible makes it clear our spiritual growth will be evident in observable increase
(multiplication) in the following areas of our lives:
In Grace 2pet. 3:18: Gods grace is His enabling power.

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As we grow in grace, we increase and develop in our ability to do Gods will (no matter
how difficult). We increase in our ability to carry out His will for our lives, fulfill His
purposes and please Him in all things. As His grace multiplies in us, we are able to be
and to do all He wants us to be and do.
Are you growing in grace?
In the knowledge of God 2Pet. 3:18: to grow in knowledge of God is to have a more
thorough experiential Knowledge of His person, His ways, His plans, and so readily fit
in. Our growing knowledge of Him transforms us and makes us to conform to His image
-2Cor.3:18.
In Faith- 2Thess.1:3: we should continually increase in our ability to believe God and
trust Him in all circumstances
LoveThess.1:3: we should increase in our ability to give, love, serve, care for and
forgive one another in the body of Christ. A fellowship/church that grows in love will
also grow in number.
Our Christian lives are but a totality
of the spiritual judgments and
decision we make on a daily basis

In the Fruit of the spirit Gal.5:22-23:

The fruit of the spirit is the expression of Gods
nature and character in us. As we grow in the
fruit of the spirit, we become increasingly dead
to self and more yielded to the Holy Spirit. In
short we become more and more like Him.

In understanding 1Cor.14:20: Growth in understanding will enable us to make mature

and balanced judgments on Issues and take decisions accordingly. Our Christian lives
are but a totality of the spiritual judgments and decision we make on a daily basis1Cor.2:15.Without understanding therefore, our judgments will be carnal, reflecting
only our flesh traits and prejudices. Often without understanding, we will simply jump
to conclusions about issues and so make decision, and take actions which contradict
Gods will and thought. We need to grow in understanding.
In service to God -1Cor.15:58: There is no retirement age in service the Lord - Ps.92:1314. In fact we should seek to bear more fruit in service to Him.

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Reality Check
Points to Note: Inward conflict and intermittent stumbles I make are signs of spiritual growth
and development.

List other convictions you got from this chapter.

Verse to Memorize: for though a righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again, but the
wicked stumble into calamity (Pro 24:16)
Personality Check: Are there noticeable improvements to praise God for in my life ever since I
became a Christian, or am I stagnant?

List areas you are still manifesting worldly traits.

Prayer: Lord, let my spiritual growth be made evident in every areas of my life, amen.

For further help or counseling, contact us at Divine Realities Ministries

Helpline: +234 809 3333 224
E mail: [email protected]
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