Crucified with Christ
The Seven Steps to Spiritual Maturity Under the Grace of Jesus
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Chapter One - Conception to Birth [In this chapter I will be comparing spiritual conception and birth with natural conception and birth. I conducted most of the research while in the Navy, stationed at the Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia (90-93). Do not get side-tract or overly concerned with understanding the medical terminology. My usage is strictly for comparison, not for medical understanding. Th e idea is to gather your concern toward winning men and women to the Crucifi ed Christ, bringing them to spiritual birth, and making them disciples]. Before the disciple-maker can give birth, she has to be the spouse of a husband. In the spiritual sense, believers are espoused to Jesus (2Cor. 11:2). In the Greek culture there were men whose task it was to prepare young upper-class girls for marriage. Should he let these young ladies become corrupted, before the marriage, he would fi nd himself in big trouble. He was to present these ladies to their prospective husbands as a pure virgin. Chapter Two - Adoption or Born Again of the Spirit Th e natural man is a spiritual bastard (Heb. 12:8). He is an alien and a stranger without hope (Eph. 2:12). He is not welcome into the body of Christ’s family (Deut. 23:2). From the onset of spaceman- time, God has known that which would precipitate, and upon the fall of man, set the Devil against him (Gen. 3:15). In predicting the ultimate end of space-man-time, the disciple is told that there is an end-time generation that will hear the righteousness of God (Psa. 22:31). God has told the disciple—in advance—that he needs to pass His “written” promises to “the generation to come…children which shall be born” (Psa. 78:4-6; 102:18), for it is the Children of God who “shall continue” and “be established” (Psa. 102:28). It is the disciple’s responsibility to propagate God’s Word to the worldlings (Mt. 28:19-20). Without the sowing of seeds, there will be no birth of ‘Children of God’. With no new children, the population would decline to zero growth. Chapter Three - Growing in Grace: “Why Don’t You Grow UP?” Th e growing process begins at conception (Eccl. 11:5). Everyone that is born, and born again, is expected to grow (Eph. 2:21). Th e growth process is to be enhanced by spiritual parents (I Cor. 4:15) with their spiritual sons (Phil. 2:22). Spiritual children are to be “built up” (Eccl. 3:1-8), and given strength in their “inner man” (Eph. 3:16). Disciplers are to root and ground them (Eph. 3:17) to the place where they will “walk worthy” of the Lord (Eph. 4:1). Th e discipling parent is to mature her children passed the tossings and turnings of childhood (Eph. 4:14), grow-up (vs.15), and create a following (Eph. 5:1) that “puts off ” the old man, renews the mind (Rom. 12:1-2), and develops the new man (Eph. 4:22-24). Believers, who have indeed been born again of the Spirit, should have an innate desire for the milk of God’s Word, which will cause them to grow (I Pet. 2:2). My Rotweillers had pups (Sep. 19, 2004). Th e pups did not have to work at the desire to feed from their mother’s Chapter Four - Espoused as the Bride of Christ Th e Apostle Paul informs the Corinthian church that he has espoused them to “one husband”. He is making an eff ort to present them to Jesus Christ as a “chaste virgin” (2 Cor. 7:2). Paul says a similar thing to the Romans. Th ey are dead from the law in order that they might be married to Jesus (Rom. 7:4). Th e giving into marriage is a good thing (I Cor. 7:38), and honorable. Every aspect of the marriage union is undefi led, including the bedroom (Heb. 13:4). Mary, the mother of Jesus, was espoused to Joseph as a virgin, and even though she became pregnant before their formal marriage supper, Joseph took her position as his wife seriously (Mt. 1:18; Lu. 1:27; 2:5). Th e believing born-again child of God is encouraged to “draw near”, make positive “approach”, and “engage” the heart in this marital relationship (Jer. 30:21). Jesus can make this claim because He has purchased His wife with the price of blood (2 Sam. 3;14; Acts 20:28).
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Before you can train a child you have to conceive a child. Once you have conceived, then you have to bring to birth. After there is birth there can be growth. It is expected!
Growth is normal and healthy. Lack of growth suggest there is a problem and specialty help needs to be requested. Parents are the most influencial persons affecting the lives to newborn children during their formative years.
About age 5 the child will begin attending school to advance his/her education of the world around him. After about twelve years of this education and growth he/she will cross the hurdle of "Graduation".
At age 18 they are now considered an adult. They may choose more education or occupation, but they are expected to adapt behaviors that come with adulthood.
At some point it is normally expected that they will get married and have children. That is what is considered normal. Lack of children is a negative sign.
As time progresses they will grow old and eventually die. Hopefully they will have left a good testimony behind. Hopefully they will have been crucified.
Now they can experience the full power of the resurrection.
Are you with me so far? Now apply all the above to being saved, and born again, and growing in grace.
Galatians 2:20: I am crucified with Christ. nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
About the Author
BIOGRAPHICAL SCETCH
My father, Warren Anderson (Andy) Lierle was born in 1906, a 3rd generation homesteader on the planes northwest of Dodge City, Kansas. In 1937 he married my mother, Georgia Lou Sandefer. I was born at Dodge City on December 2nd, 1943.
Between 1943 and 1949 my father was a minister for the 1st Church of God. He was pastor, or associate pastor, in Amarillo, TX; Griggs, OK; and Cornell Community, NE. In 1949 we moved to Garden City, Kansas. I graduated from Garden City Senior High, June 1961.
I was saved and born again at the Church of God camp meeting located at Liberal, Kansas. The camp was annually from the last Sunday of July to the first Sunday of August. I believe it was Wednesday, the 1st of August, 1961, in the afternoon service that I went forward during the altar call. Dr. Dale Oldham was the speaker (father of singer Doug Oldham).
August 22, 1961 I joined the United States Navy and went to San Diego for basic training. I ultimately retired September 1993 at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Virginia. I was stationed at Patuxant River Naval Base, Maryland, from 1962 to 1964. During these years I received discipleship training from a group called the Navigators.
In Pensacola, Florida I helped found 2 churches: 1st Church of God (1961); and University Baptist Church (1967). I was married to Janice Marie Taylor at University Baptist, 17 February 1968. I was a volunteer counselor for Christian Servicemen’s Centers from 1965 to 1984. I was pastor of an independent church in Indiana for 18 months.
Currently I am a volunteer prison chaplain; and Director of Bethesda Mission School, USA/Liberia/Ghana as a missionary with Mission Harvest America, Inc. Jacksonville, Florida. I currently reside in Pelion, South Carolina