Excerpts from Chapter 2:

We Must Give Time to God

Probably the most widespread and persistent problem to be found among Christians is the problem of retarded spiritual progress. Why, after years of Christian profession, do so many persons find themselves no farther along than when they first believed? Some would try to resolve the difficulty by asserting flatly that such persons were never saved, that they had never been truly regenerated….

With a few this may be the answer, and we would accept this explanation as final did we not know that it is never the deceived professing believer who laments his lack of spiritual growth, but the true Christian who has had a real experience of conversion and who is sure that he is this very moment trusting in Christ for salvation….

The causes of retarded growth are many…. One there is, however, which is so universal that it may easily be the main cause: failure to give time to the cultivation of the knowledge of God. … Believing for salvation has these days been reduced to a once-done act that requires no further attention. …

The Christian is strong or weak depending upon how closely he has cultivated the knowledge of God. Paul was anything but an advocate of the once-done, automatic school of Christianity. He devoted his whole life to the art of knowing Christ.

”Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death… I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 5:8,10,14).

…God can be known satisfactorily only as we devote time to Him. … The Christian who is satisfied to give God His ”minute” and to have ”a little talk with Jesus” is the same one who shows up at the evangelistic service weeping over his retarded spiritual growth and begging the evangelist to show him the way out of his difficulty….

There is no short cut to sanctity…. Back of it all is the slow buildup and preparation that comes from waiting upon God.