Exposing Satan's Playbook The Perry Stone

being from the inside out. This is the initial step of freedom. From experience we all know that a babe in Christ, or what we term a new convert, will often fail in some manner in his or her early walk with God, either through the works of the flesh or by not making the break from wrong influences. Just as we would never expect from a newborn baby what we would expect from a teenager who has lived in our home for eighteen years, so too believers need to exercise patience with a newborn Christian. But as the believer grows, spiritual maturity must take place. Christ initiates a freedom in our lives, but it is up to us to mature in our walk from a babe who drinks milk to an adult who eats spiritual meat (1 Cor. 3:2). As our growth continues, so does our level of freedom, in the same manner that an infant matures into a child, a child into a teenager, and a teenager into an adult with responsibilities. The longer you serve Christ, the more you will discover that there are weights and besetting sins that you will “lay aside” (Heb. 12:1). When looking back, you will be amazed at how much you grew in the “grace [favor] and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). Freedom can only be extended based upon the knowledge you have of your deliverer. When a teenager does something wrong or harmful, you will often say, “What were you thinking? You knew better.” The fact is, all believers who know the Word and act contrary to it can be asked, “What were you thinking? You knew better.”