DAY 2
Today we continue our study on Born to Reproduce, a classic
booklet on discipleship, based on a message given by Dawson Trotman in 1955. You
can order the booklet from NavPress . I buy them in bulk here , or view it online.. Please read the section titled “Hindrances”. If you have the book, that can be found on
pages 11-13, if you are using the online document, it is the last part of the first
column and most of the second on page 1 ( here: Born to Reproduce ).
Here, Trotman makes a comparison between physical and
spiritual reproduction. For a couple to
have a child, there must be union,
there must be a certain level of health,
and there must be a certain level of maturity. Bereft of any of these and there can be no
reproduction. Likewise in the spiritual
realm, in order to make a new disciple, in order to spiritually reproduce,
there must be union, health, and maturity.
Today we will look at the union. Dawson says:
“Only a few things will ever keep human
beings from multiplying themselves in the physical realm. If a couple is not united,
they will not reproduce. This is a truth which Christians need to grasp with
reference to spiritual reproduction. When
a person becomes a child of God, he should realize that he is to live in union
with Jesus Christ if he is going to win others to the Savior.” *
God designed the physical to teach us about the
spiritual. We completely understand that
a man and woman must join together in order to reproduce, to bring another
human being into the world which is part of both of them. We ought to as easily understand Dawson’s
point here; that there must be a joining with Christ first, then we (Jesus and
each of us), together, can bring into
being a new creature. So what does that union
look like? To start:
If anyone would come
after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Mark
8:34
I have been crucified
with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in
the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for
me. Galatians 2:20
This is love for God:
to obey his commands. 1 John 5:3
But just as he who
called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy,
because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16
There’s more…but these four verses, in a nutshell, say “To
be united with Jesus, follow Him, die and rise spiritually with Him, love and
obey Him, live like Him.”
Questions:
Do you want “spiritual children”?
Do you feel as if you are one with Christ?
Have you taken any steps in order to be?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All Scripture is taken from the NIV, 1984 edition, unless
otherwise noted.
Quotes marked with an asterisk (*) are taken from :
Trotman, Dawson. Born to Reproduce. Colorado Springs:
NavPress, 2008. Print.Trotman, Dawson. Born
to Reproduce. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2008. Print.
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