在本期视频中，魏泰德牧师解释了基督复临安息日会基本信仰的第11条——在基督里成长。

成长是需要时间的。

举个例子，在植物成熟之前，种植一个花园需要大量的工作和照料。同样，抚养一个孩子需要多年的培养才能成为一个完全成熟的成年人。即使是友谊也需要时间和承诺来培养关系。

一旦我们接受了上帝藉著耶稣所赐的救恩的礼物，我们就能在基督里成长，这是一种奇妙的特权。从祂在十字架上的死开始，祂把我们从罪中拯救出来。

在歌罗西书1:13-14，上帝“救了我们脱离黑暗的权势，把我们迁到他爱子的国里；我们在爱子里得蒙救赎，罪过得以赦免。”

在罗马书8:1接着说“如今，那些在基督耶稣里不是靠着肉体，而是靠着圣灵的，就不定罪了。” （——KJV版本直译，“如今，那些在基督耶稣里的就不定罪了。”——和合本）

尽管如此，“靠着灵行事”必然要求自我死去。“我已经与基督同钉十字架，现在活着的不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着；并且我如今在肉身活着，是因信上帝的儿子而活；他是爱我，为我舍己。”（加拉太书2:20）

我们越靠近基督，越爱祂，就会越变得像祂。

 “上帝的灵住在人心里，就能改变人的整个生活。罪恶的思想丢开了，不良的行为抛弃了；仁爱、谦让及和平，代替了愤怒、嫉妒与纷争；忧愁变成了喜乐。容貌也反映出天上的光辉。虽然没有人看到上帝为人卸下重担，也没有人见到从天上射下的光芒，但人因信投靠上帝时，恩惠、福气就临到他了。如此，人眼所看不见的能力，就按上帝的形象造出一个新人。”（《历代愿望》173页）

This concept of growing in Christ is echoed in our eleventh fundamental belief.

这个在基督里成长的概念与我们的基本信仰第11条相呼应。

其声称：“借着祂在十字架上的死，基督胜过了罪恶的权势。那在世上工作的时候，就征服了邪灵的一位，已经打破了魔鬼的能力，并注定了它们最终的毁灭。当我们在基督的平安、喜乐、以及祂爱我们的保证中与祂同行的时候，耶稣的得胜就把胜过那些仍企图控制我们之邪恶势力的胜利赐给了我们。现在，圣灵就住在我们里面，并赐能力给我们。既不断地效忠于耶稣，认祂为我们的救主，我们就从自己过去行为的重担中得了释放。我们不再生活在黑暗、惧怕邪灵、蒙昧无知、以及先前行为的虚妄中。在这样一个基督里的新自由中，我们蒙召要长成基督品格的样式，日日在祷告中与祂交往，在祂的话中得喂养，默想祂的话及祂的眷顾，唱诗赞美祂，聚集一起敬拜祂，并参与教会的布道使命。我们也被蒙召跟随基督的榜样，以同情的心服务于人类的身体、心理、社会、情感和属灵的需要。当我们将自己投身于对周围之人的爱心事奉、对主救恩的见证中时，每一刻，每件工作，就因祂在圣灵里与我们的同在，而升华成了一次次属灵的经验。”

这个信条更多相关学习资料可登录网站：www.adventist.org/growing-in-christ/  。

最后，魏泰德牧师分享了在基督里成长的四个基本、实用的要诀：

祷告

通过祷告，我们与上帝联合。

歌罗西书4:2提醒我们“你们要恒切祷告，在此警醒感恩。”

研读《圣经》

《圣经》是我们最忠实的向导

提后3:16说：“圣经都是上帝所默示的，于教训、督责、使人归正、教导人学义都是有益的。”

把我们所学到的应用出来

我们不仅要读经还要行出来。

雅各书1:22－25：“只是你们要行道，不要单单听道，自己欺哄自己。因为听道而不行道的，就象人对着镜子看自己本来的面目，看见，走后，随即忘了他的相貌如何。惟有详细察看那全备，使人自由之律法的，并且时常如此，这人既不是听了就忘，乃是实在行出来，就在他所行的事上必然得福。”

与其他信徒团契

上帝要我们鼓励和坚固我们的同伴，因为我们在基督是一家人，同为一个肢体。

 “也要坚守我们所承认的指望，不至摇动，因为那应许我们的是信实的。又要彼此相顾，激发爱心，勉励行善。你们不可停止聚会，好象那些停止惯了的人，倒要彼此劝勉，既知道那日子临近，就更当如此。”（希伯来书10:23-25）

当你在基督里成长时，要记住祂爱你，看顾你。祂的死是为了把你从罪中救赎出来，给你永生。祂藉著圣灵住在你里面，藉著祷告与你说话，藉著祂的话语引导你。

In this episode, Pastor Ted Wilson tackles the eleventh fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists—growing in Christ.

Growth takes time.

For instance, planting a garden requires a lot of work and care before the plants get mature. Similarly, raising a child takes years of nurturing before he becomes a full-grown adult. Even friendship takes time and commitment for the relationship to grow.

Growing in Christ is a wonderful privilege to have once we accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus. It begins with His death on the cross that redeemed us from sin.

In Colossians 1:13 and 14, God “has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

In connection, Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

However, to “walk in the Spirit” requires death to self. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

The closer we get to Christ, the more we love Him, and the more we become like Him.

“When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God” (The Desire of Ages, p. 173).

This concept of growing in Christ is echoed in our eleventh fundamental belief.

It states, “By His death on the cross, Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. He Who subjugated the demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has broken their power and made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus’ victory gives us victory over the evil forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance of His love. Now the Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. Continually committed to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life.”

To read more about this fundamental belief, you may visit http://www.adventist.org/growing-in-christ/.

In closing, Pastor Wilson shares these four essential, practical building blocks for growing in Christ:

Prayer

Through prayer, we connect with God.

Colossians 4:2 reminds us to “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”

Reading the Bible

The Bible is our faithful guide.

2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Applying what we’ve learned

We must not only read the Bible but also do what it says.

As stated in James 1:22, “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

Meeting with other believers

God wants us to encourage and strengthen our fellow believers for we are one family and one body of Christ.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He Who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:23-25).

As you grow in Christ, remember that He loves and cares for you. He died to redeem you from sin and give you eternal life. He dwells within you through the Holy Spirit, speaking to you in prayer and guiding you through His Word.