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Chapter 5. A Gradual Process. Little and small matters are the first steps and natural beginnings of great perfection. William Law. Our change will be so gradual that the world will still suppose us to be Esau when we really are Jacob. Francis de Sales. Because God requires our cooperation, coming to the kingdom life is not an overnight process. God wants our willing hearts. He will not force us into a kingdom life against our will. Few of us surrender our own will all at once, so the process is a gradual one.
It's like the break of day. The sun doesn't overcome the darkness all at once, but by degrees. It's a pity that "Salvation Preaching" rarely includes explanations like this. When given a salvation message, evangelists often bring forth testimonies that give their listeners the impression that enormous changes will automatically take place upon their conversion.
While it's true that conversion often brings about radical changes in a person's life, it almost never instantaneously transforms an unsaved person into one who is living the kingdom life. No. One of the secrets of the kingdom life is that it's a gradual growth process that requires substantial discipline and self-denial. J.C. Ryle, a 19th-century evangelical preacher, made the following observation: "There are some of the Lord's people who seem never able to advance and grow from the time of their conversion.
They are born again, but they remain babies all their lives. They are learners in Christ's school, but they never seem to get beyond their ABCs. They have gotten inside the fold, but there they lie down and go no further. Year after year you see in them the same old habitual sins. You hear from them the same old experience." Actually, to a large degree, Ryle's words describe the typical Christian today.
Many new converts experience growth during the first year or two after their conversion, but often they reach a plateau where they remain the rest of their lives. As Ryle described, "You see in them the same old habitual sins. You hear from them the same old experience." So it's important to remember that the kingdom life is not automatic, and it doesn't happen all at once. We shouldn't be discouraged that the kingdom life doesn't come to us easily.
We should expect setbacks, but we shouldn't let them discourage us from continuing in our surrendered walk. Satan will want to use our failings and setbacks to convince us to give up. He wants us to think that we're spiritual failures when we fall back into old habits or when we fail tests that come our way. With that in mind, we're ready to look at the other secrets of living the kingdom life. I'm assuming you're already born again and are a branch on the vine. The next step is self-examination.
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