| Just as among human beings, after they are born they | | | | the new human being, the human being with a divine |
| naturally grow, so also among the spirits in us, after | | | | nature. As we grow in the divine life, these |
| they are born, they grow. This is part of the process | | | | characteristics become more and more visible. |
| of our spiritual development. | | | | There is a dynamism in the spirit to grow by himself |
| When different organisms begin to grow they look | | | | herself. You do not tell him/her to grow. He/she grows |
| alike but as they continue to grow they gradually show | | | | naturally. But like other living organisms, he/she needs |
| themselves to be like their parent or their species. | | | | the proper nutrients. The first is good food. The food |
| When the seeds of different kinds of grain begin to | | | | of the spirit is the Word of God. |
| germinate they look similar to one another, blades of | | | | The Word of God as food can be classified into four |
| grass. But as they continue to grow they become | | | | kinds: starting food or milk, growing food or solid food, |
| distinguishable from one another. One grows to be | | | | strengthening food or very nutritious food, and |
| wheat, another grows to be rice, another grows to be | | | | reinvigorating food or dainty food. |
| barley, etc. | | | | The milk or starting food in the Word of God consists |
| In a similar way the zygotes or fertilized eggs of | | | | of the many stories we find in the Bible. These are |
| mammals appear to be the same among different | | | | simple stories which children naturally like to listen. The |
| mammals. But as they grow into fetuses they soon | | | | Bible is filled with these stories, from creation to the |
| become distinguishable. One is the fetus of a cow, | | | | end of the world. |
| another of a dog, another of a human being. | | | | The solid or growing food in the Word of God consists |
| So also when spirits are born, the persons in whom | | | | of the exhortations we read, like what we find in the |
| the spirit is born still looks like other human beings, | | | | text on the Ten Commandments and the various |
| those in whom the spirit has not yet been born. | | | | injunctions in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Proverbs also |
| Physically, they look like the same: Both have two | | | | has many of this solid or growing food. |
| hands, 2 feet, 2 ears, etc. But in reality they are | | | | The very nutritious or strengthening food consists of |
| completely different from each other, they are worlds | | | | the doctrines or teachings we find in the various books |
| apart. | | | | of the Bible. A very good example of this is the Letter |
| One has only a material, physical life. The other has | | | | of Paul to the Romans. It is filled with heavy teaching. |
| spiritual life in addition to having a material, physical life. | | | | The dainty or delicious food consists of the mystical |
| One is merely a human being, even a very good, | | | | and apocalyptic literature in the Bible. The curious |
| talented human being. The other is a growing divine | | | | people are very much interested in this. A very good |
| being. One is an earthly creature, the other is a | | | | example of this is the last book of the Bible, Revelation. |
| heavenly being, being born from the Spirit above. One | | | | The spirit takes his/her pick, what is most suitable to |
| belongs to the human race; the other belongs also to | | | | him/her. Of course, it would be of very much help if |
| the divine race. | | | | there is somebody who can guide the spirit as to what |
| As the spirit in us grows he/she becomes more and | | | | food to eat in the various stages of his/her growth. |
| more and manifests himself/herself more and more | | | | Not only does the spirit need food, he/she also needs |
| like his/her parent, the Spirit God. | | | | to move around his/her house. This he/she does by |
| (A note on the gender of spirits. Usually the spirit is | | | | doing the things his/her family of spirits does in the |
| referred to by the pronoun "it". But among human | | | | Church, like cleaning the place of worship, inviting |
| beings this is not advisable. The pronoun "it" refers to a | | | | people to listen to the preaching and teaching of God's |
| thing. Spirits of human beings are not things. They are | | | | Word, learning Christian songs, etc. |
| persons. The spirit of a female human being is female. | | | | Thirdly, the spirit also needs rest. He/she needs periods |
| The spirit of a male human being is male. Thus the | | | | of doing nothing but just resting and being alone. |
| pronouns used here are "he" and "she.") | | | | Then he/she also needs to be disciplined by his/her |
| As human beings we inherited the characteristics of | | | | Father Spirit God. This means that he/she avoids what |
| the first human parent, Adam. The seed of Adam has | | | | can harm himself/herself, such as going with people |
| been passed from generation to generation producing | | | | who have no concern for spiritual matters. |
| human beings like Adam, the first human being. As we | | | | And he/she needs to relate harmoniously with his/her |
| grow as human beings, these characteristics become | | | | spirit brothers and sisters and his/her parent God the |
| more and more visible. | | | | Spirit. He/she has fellowship with his/her spirit brothers |
| As spirit or divine beings we inherit the characteristics | | | | and sisters. And he/she devotes more and more time |
| of our divine parent, God himself. The seed of God | | | | to conversing with his/her parent God. This is prayer. |
| which is His Word is passed on to us from generation | | | | In this way the spirit grows among us. |
| to generation also producing divine beings like Jesus, | | | | |