When the wife of missionary Adoniram Judson told him that a newspaper article likened him to some of the apostles, Judson replied, "I do not want to be like a Paul...or any mere man. I want to be like Christ...I want to follow Him only, copy His teachings, drink in His Spirit, and place my feet in His footprints...Oh, to be more like Christ!"According to Ephesians 4:11-13, God gave the church her spiritual leaders for the sole purpose of promoting spiritual growth within the body of Christ. The reason why growth is needed is obvious. As a matter of fact, the Bible is clear when it tells us that every Christian is a baby when they are saved. That's why the process is called "The New Birth" (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23).
Just as every parent in the world is ecstatic when they see their children growing and maturing, God is blessed when He sees His children making the transition from babyhood into adulthood in a spiritual sense. God wants us to move from the spiritual nursery to the spiritual battlefield.
He wants us to leave the world of milk, bibs and diapers and He wants us to enter the realm of meat, battles and devotion (Ephesians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:12-14). God's plan for every one of His children is to see them all reach spiritual maturity! He just wants us to grow up!
A few do, some never will, and others reach for that goal daily. This week's message is not meant for those who have already arrived today. It would be of no use (since you're already confident in your achievements, proud of your humility, and are so sure of your advanced spiritual standing), for a foolish person like myself to try to say something to someone like you, anyway.
Neither is this message meant for those who are satisfied just to be saved. You, like the Lord's disciples, have merely entered the gate of His garden. From where you sit, the world and the things of God are both within easy reach. You're content to be saved and you do not wish to be bothered. Don't worry, I won't disturb you.
The people to whom I am talking to today are those who are genuinely saved by grace. You know Jesus is your Savior and you know you're headed to Heaven. You know you're far from what you should be, but there's a genuine desire in your heart to be all the Lord has saved you to be. Your life is filled with ups and downs, with the struggles of the flesh and the spirit. You're not self-righteous, self-confident or self-reliant. You merely want to grow! It's with you, those who fight the same battles I face, that I share this message!
Ephesians 4:11-32 contains information we need in order to make our desire to grow a reality. These verses point out very clearly the marks of a maturing Christian; and will tell you whether you're growing or not.
First, mature Christians are marked by calm steadfastness, or dedication (Ephesians 4: 14-16). They are steadfast in their doctrine. They're not constantly being taken in by the false teachings in the world around them. The maturing believer is one who knows what they believe and why they believe. They are spending time in the Word of God and are not deceived by the lies, tricks and traps of the enemy! (2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
They are steadfast in their development (Ephesians 4:15). The growing believer has a deep attraction to the truth of God. They are constantly adapting their lives to the teachings of the Bible. They take the time to find out what God wants from their lives and they change whatever it takes to line up with His will. (1 John 2:3-4; 5:3) they do this because obedience the to word of God produces genuine Christlikeness in their lives! The growing believer is steadily progressing in his growth relationship!
They are steadfast in their devotion (Ephesians 4:16). Just as our human bodies are knitted together in a wonderful way, so the body of Christ has been carefully "compacted" together. Each member in the place that pleased the Lord (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). The growing believer wants to find his place in the body and fulfill that place to the best of his ability. It's a sign of spiritual maturity when a believer does his/her best to carry out the assignments they have been given by the Father above.
Next, mature Christians are marked by clear separation (Ephesians 4:17-24). In other words, a maturing believer is easily identified because he/she is so different from the world around them.
They are separated from the works of darkness (Ephesians 4:17-19). Paul makes a distinction between how the lost man lives and how the saved man lives. When a person receives Jesus as their personal Savior and is born again, they literally receive a brand new life.
They can no longer walk as they once walked. They can no longer live as they once lived. You see, the lost man lives like he does because he is blind to the causes and consequences of his actions. He doesn't know where he is headed and he doesn't see the need to be different than he is.
The maturing believer, on the other hand, is no longer in darkness. The lights have been turned on in his soul! The old manner of living is not good enough any longer. There's a new desire to walk in the path the Lord lays out. Life has ceased to be about "self-will" and has become all about "God's will". That's why the Bible identifies the believer as "a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
They are separated from a walk of darkness (Ephesians 4:20-24). The believer has received a change of life that results in a change in his walk. We're called upon to "put off", once for all, the ways of the old man who is just growing worse day by day. (Note: The words "is corrupt" are present tense and speak of a corpse that lies rotting in the sun. Each day brings with it more evidence that the corpse is dead!)
We're called upon to "put on", once for all, the new man, who had been created in righteousness and holiness. When the new believer comes to faith in Jesus, he learns a new way of life (Ephesians 4:19-20)! He has experienced a change of heart that results in a profound change of mind (Ephesians 4:23).
God puts a new desire within His children that makes them want to live differently than they used to live. The bottom line is this: the maturing believer looks different, acts different, walks different and thinks different than he did before!
Finally, mature Christians are marked by Christlike standards (Ephesians 4:25-32). They are Christlike in how they act (Ephesians 4:28). Instead of taking what belongs to another to satisfy personal lusts, the believer is challenged to go to work so he can make money to help others. The whole point here is that self ceases to be great motivator in life! Others grow in their importance to us. The maturing Christian is one who has begun to look beyond self (Philippians 2:4), to see the needs of others.
They are Christlike in how they react (Ephesians 4:26-27; 31-32). These four verses all talk about the same thing. They speak of learning to control your anger when you are offended and of learning to offer forgiveness when you have been hurt! The maturing believer doesn't allow the hurts they suffer at the hands of others to cause them spiritual problems!
They are Christlike in how they interact (Ephesians 4:25; 29-30). These verses talk about how we relate one to another. We are to always speak the truth (Ephesians 4:25). When we lie to a fellow believer, we are lying to the body of Christ and to ourselves. We are to watch the lies that try to pour from our mouths.
When we speak it should be to edify, or build up someone else! Anything else grieves the Spirit of God and hinders the church! The mature believer knows this and seeks to control his tongue (James 1:26; 3:1-12). Whereas, the foolish speak and demonstrate their ignorance (Ecclesiastes 5:3). It's better to be quiet and allow people to think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!
This week I will close with a couple of thoughts for you to consider. Are you maturing? Do "you" possess the marks of a maturing Christian? Be honest as you answer these, and remember that Christ loves you!
Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 Peter 2:21; Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 2:5; Philippians 2:8; Romans 6:4; Philippians 2:5
O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. This we ask for in thy name's sake. Amen
Until next time...
May your week be blessed!
Bibi
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