Spiritual Multiplication
2 Timothy 2:2 Let's visualize. It looks like this.
Truths about the spiritual life get passed from Paul to Timothy to reliable men to others. If each of the “others” becomes a “reliable” person, then truths about the spiritual life get passed on to more “others.” Who can in turn become “reliable.” The process continues as long as “others” become “reliable” and pass on the spiritual life truths they learn. It's an extension of the plan presented in Deuteronomy 6:6,7, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. . . . “ The commandments of the LORD were to be passed from one physical generation to the next physical generation, their children. Paul's model extended the concept to spiritual generations. From generation to generation, the people were expected to pass on not only the commandments, but also tell stories about the deeds and wonders the LORD did for them. Look at Psalm 78:3-6. From fathers to their children to the next generation to the children yet to be born to their children!
God has always intended spiritual truth be passed from parents to children. Grandchildren to great-grandchildren and so on. Joel 1:3 reinforces the concept. “Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.” Tell what? Tell of what the LORD was doing in the land. Today, we tell our children what we have seen God do during our lifetime. Tell Them What?What am I suppose to pass on? Lessons for life. With my physical children, I teach them how to function successfully in society. I help them mature emotionally. I teach them how to respond correctly to difficult situations. I teach them right and wrong. I teach them my value system, what 's important in life and what's not. I teach them how to live well. It's similar with my spiritual children. I teach them, first and foremost, how to grow into a personal relationship with the God of the universe. I want them to learn to rely on God instead of on me. As my physical children get older, I expect them to rely less on me. The same is true for my spiritual children. Second, I teach them how to find and do the will of God for their lives. We look at Biblical commands to obey, promises to claim, examples to follow, and sins to avoid. Then we practice obeying, claiming, following and avoiding. Third, I teach them skills for passing these spiritual truths on to others. How to share their faith. How to help some one else grow and mature. How to lead a Bible Study. Fourth, in the midst of it all, we talk about character. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is described in Galatians 5:22,23 – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We work on allowing the Holy Spirit to exhibit these characteristics in our lives. Eventually, I believe Romans 15:14 will come to describe them. Paul said of his Roman brothers and sisters, “I myself and convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” “complete in knowledge” -- understand the will of God for their lives “competent to instruct one another” -- have the ministry skills needed to reproduce their lives What am I multiplying? My life into men and women. Men and women with a heart to know and serve God. Men and women with a heart to pass on their lives to others. Reproduction to MultiplicationBefore there can be multiplication, there must be addition. I have to pass my spiritual life on to one person before that person can pass it on to the next. What stops physical reproduction? What stops spiritual reproduction?
Questions to PonderWho is helping you grow in your relationship with the God of the Universe? Who are you helping grow in their relationship with the God of the Universe? Where is your spiritual father or mother? Where is your spiritual son or daughter?
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Posted on February 16, 2009
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