The principle of new life is given instantaneously. There is no middle ground between death and life. Once a man is regenerated, he is no longer dead in his sins. Until he is quickened, he is entirely dead. There is no gradation between death and life. This is why the Scripture teach us plainly that we must be born again.
But once we are born again, there are gradations. We are not instantaneously there. We have not arrived. God’s intent is for us to grow, and to grow slowly and steadily. He is fitting us for Heaven.
As we come to Him at this Table, we come seeking nutrition. We seek to grow. We should seek this growth in patience. You may not see the difference between this week and last week, just as you do no measure the height of your growing children on a weekly basis. Growth is rarely explosive.
This means that in the course of your sanctification, patience is a two-fold virtue. It is of course one of the virtues that God is folding into you. But it is also the virtue that makes it possible for you to understand what is happening.
The arrival of life is dramatic, but the tending of life rarely is. As you come here in faith, you are seeking to be built up and strengthened over time. The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.
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