The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-10-06
Christians Grow

culiar breed that they stand out
side the laws which God has
written into nature, the laws that
govern all human beings whether
Christian or not. The Christian
child has to learn his lessons and
finish his spinach just like other
children. The Christian teenager
is not going to find he can get
by without doing his home work
just because he is a Christian.
The boy who goes out for the
basketball team had better be a
good player or he won't get on
the team. and that holds for Ro-
man Catholics or Quakers just
the same as for atheists.
There are certain. laws Of
growth which are in force at all
times and for all persons. The
Christian grows. and can grow,
only in the way that others do,
when it comes to physical, men,
tai and social growth. But what
about spiritual growth? How can
we, or can we, make progress as
Christians?
Learn From Me"
First of all. and most foun-
dational of all. the Christian be-
comes more of Christian-he
becomes more Christian in every
aspect of his life-by learning
from Jesus. This means at least
that Jesus is THE TEACHER.
the Number One teacher, Of the
growing Christian. If we take
seriously the claims of Jesus as
we read them in the New Tesla
ment. if we take seriously what
the church says about the divine
authority of our Lord, then the
only logical conclusion is: If we
take any other authority ahead
OF the authority Of Jesus, we are
insincere at worst. inconsistent
at best. Now we can't learn from
Jesus, we don't rate the name ~
disciple" which is to say.
learner" if we never read or
stop to think about what Jesus
said. The study of the four Cos
pels is absolutely indispensable
for Chritian growth.
Copy Whom?
OF course, learning from Jesus
is not only learning to do as He
says. but also and always learn
ing to do as He does, to live as
He lived. Even those who are not
Christians understand this. Chris
tianity is fully possible. Bernard
Shaw said once. only in a nation
OF Christs. Quite right; and that
is precisely what Christians
should be aiming at a nation Of
Christs. But after all, some one
Will say. Jesus lived long ago
and in vastly different circum-
stances from ours. How can we
follow Him?
At this point we have a yalu-
able hint from what seems at
first a conceited remark by Saint
Paul. but is not really conceited:
copy me-" he writes to the Phi
lippians fMoffat's translation.
The Christians to whom Paul
was then writing had no written
gospels. and even if they had.
they might have felt a little
oaffled. How could they-Roman
ci1Hens. slaves. Greeks, copy
Jesus who was neither citizen NOR
slave nor Greek? Paul gives the
answer. Copy me-" for us this
would mean: initiate the most
Chrlst-like persons you know. liv-
ing IN your own time and place
Why Christians Don't Grow
1t is a pathetic. tragic fact
that most Christians are stunted
Christianity has not. spread in
the world as one would expect.
and one big reason is that we
don't have enough goods amples
OF genuine all-round Christians.
we are scrawny in spirit for the
same reason that some sick peo-
pie are underweight in body: we
can't or won't take proper nour-
ishment. There is still much
that l could say to you, but the
burden would be too great FIR
you now" Jesus told his dis.
clples. Il could not address Won
as spiritual men," Paul writes to
the Corinthians. but
babes in Christ" Not even an in
spired apostle. not even our LORD
Himself. can cram truth down
INTO the mind Of one who is not
ready for it, or who rejects it.
There is a mental disease. or
symptom. known as aboulia, in
which the patient just does not
want to do anything whatever.
Set the patient, hungry from two