Imperishable Inheritance

One more year added to the crazy number that is my age. Upon times of changing age, it is important to ask: how old am I truly? Am I truly 22? Maybe 33 or 15? The truth is that I am coming up on my first birthday.

The Bible speaks very much that regeneration brings forth life from death (John 5:24; Romans 5:12-17, 8:6; Ephesians 2:1; 1 John 3:14). These verses speak in the time sense of the current change brought inward by the work of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we escape death through Christ (Proverbs 11:19, 12:28; Romans 6:23; 2 Timothy 1:10; Revelation 2:10); but I am referring to the act in our mortal lives. We do escape death by two means expressed: (1) we pass from spiritual death into spiritual life through regeneration/faith (2) we escape eternal death (hell) and obtain the inheritance of eternal life (heaven).

Now that is distinguished, I am referring to the first. Through this the observation must be made that until I was regenerated, I did not age; because I truly was dead (spiritual, yet dead still in God's eternal eyes). So, I am not even a year old!

Why Does This Matter?

We think of our earthly age as a symbol of wisdom, youth, being old, naive, experience, inexperience, or many other pronouns. But truly our earthly age means nothing. The only age that matters is that of our spiritual age, because that is how the Creator sees us.

I can parallel our spiritual to age to that we think of in an earthly sense. For instance, I am coming up on a year; and I am displaying characteristics of a one-year-old (in an earthly sense). I am conceited, the only thing I see is my world, and everything is so new I want to explore and am amazed by everything. Furthermore, I don't mind to say what's on my mind without regard to others (sounds like a one-year-old).

Causal Chains of Growth

I have found a few causal chains indicative of spiritual (and true) aging.

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
2 Peter 1:5-9

None of the attributes the apostle mention come automatically upon regeneration (if so, I'm doing something wrong). Growing in faith provides the ability for moral excellence to knowledge to self-control to perseverance to godliness to brotherly kindness to love. It's amazing that love is the final, apex attribute mentioned in the chain.

And not only this [Justification], but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:3-5 (emphasis added)

Paul mentions the importance of tribulation to perseverance to proven character to hope (and love is associated with that hope).

Growth Through Perseverance

Here are a few verses that exemplify how perseverance (usually through trial/tribulation) aid in our growth.

"But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.
Luke 8:15

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:4

Friends, the perseverance the Bible talks about is not something that happens immediately. We often get distressed by our lack of growth at times (as I can attest too personally), but that is not something that we have to concern ourselves with. Titus 2 actually speaks of the older (men and women) aiding the younger and all in references to the saints.

My True Age

I am not 22—I'm only working on my first year! May I continue to grow in age, wisdom, and persevere in anticipation the inheritance promised (and reserved) to me (1 Peter 1:3-5).