Recap:
We have so far looked at how God wants us to respond to the government, our workplace and our husband.
This next section of scripture helps us to see what it means to become a spiritually mature Christian.
How do you know if you are further along in your spiritual development than you were last year?
When you take your children for their yearly physical you can measure their growth with a scale and a growth chart. You can chart their growth.
Sometimes growth can be imperceptible.
Share the book, The Growing Story.
I don’t think anyone can argue that God expects us to grow in spiritual maturity. In Hebrews 5:11 and following we have a warning against falling away.
11” We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
6 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.”
Just as you have an expectation that your child will no longer need the breast or the bottle and that they will progress to solid food; God has that same expectation of us. He expects us to progress from hearing and responding to the Gospel to living a life of obedient faith.
Just as it is unthinkable to put a bottle of formula into a 10 year olds mouth it is unthinkable that we would still require the elementary things of scripture. Spiritual maturity according to this verse can be attained in part by learning to distinguish good from evil. And how does that come about?; by constant use and training. Do you hear the tone of discipline in these words?
So if God expects spiritual maturity from us and one of the ways to obtain maturity is constant use of our faith, how can we determine if we are making any progress?
Turn with me to 1 Peter 3:8-12
Suffering for Doing Good
8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11 He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”[1]
Yardstick for spiritual growth:
8 marks for maturity:
God expects us to grow up spiritually, not just grow old.
Tangible, objective ways to measure your maturity:
Verse 8:
1. Live in Harmony/Unity:
Like-minded
Not allowing petty things to cause division.
Not necessarily relating to doctrine but being of the same mind.
2. Be Sympathetic/Compassionate:
Feeling sorrow for those who are sorrowing, joy for those who are joyful
lack of competition, lack of jealousy.
Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave, you.”
3. Love/ Friendship and Affection
Recognize the need for friendship. What is brotherly love? What are some of the characteristics?
1 Corinthians 13:4
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Are you cultivating friends?
4. Humility:
Lowly of spirit, it is internal. Be humble of mind.
“Maturity is the ability to do a job whether you are supervised or not, to finish a job once it is started, to carry money without needing to spend it, and to suffer an injustice without getting even."
5. Willingness to forgive:
Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead.
Give it to God.
Entrust yourself to the One who judges justly.
You have been called for this purpose, not to retaliate.
How do I know I am growing up?
~When I stop fighting back.
~When I return a blessing for a curse.
6. Tongue Control:
Stop your tongue! This part of these verses are a quote from Psalm 34.
What is tongue control?
Lack of gossip, refrain from telling confidential information.
Honesty in speech
If you want to love life and see good days, control your tongue!
Epitaph on a tomb stone in England:
“Beneath this sod a lump of clay lies Arabella Young who on the 21st of May began to hold her tongue.”
Pray about the use of your tongue. Pray that God will put a muzzle on your mouth. Proverbs 21:23, “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.”
James 1:26, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”
A great way to start the day!
A mark of maturity is a controlled tongue.
7. Purity and Peace: vs. 11,12
Seek peace and pursue it. What does it mean to seek peace? What is the difference of being a peace keeper and a peace pursuer? Is it ever wrong to keep the peace?
Live a life of purity/reverence/righteousness. Which we talked about last time. Living a life above reproach so that no one can speak ill against you.
8. Open communication with God:
In prayer
In practice
2Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”
Signs of spiritual growth, spiritual maturity…..Repeat 1-8.
Harmony, sympathy, love, compassion, forgiveness, tongue control, peace, prayer.
So Grow Up not just older.
Our ultimate goal is to have a heart that is completely His.
How mature are you?
We know as moms if you want to ensure proper growth and development in your children you will need to include certain things into their lives.
Physical:
Proper nutrition that is age appropriate.
Enough sleep
Intellectual stimulation
Verbal stimuli
Love/touch
In order to grow spiritually we need certain things as well.
5 Decisions of a Disciple:
1. Decide to follow Jesus:
become a person of faith in Him.
Do you fully understand who He is and what He did for you?
2. Practice Spiritual Disciplines:
Regular consistent diet of the Word,
Jesus says He is the bread of life. God made certain the Israelites had to gather manna on a daily basis.
Prayer
Worship
Giving
Fasting
3. Grow Together:
You are part of a fellowship, not just in a church but in some kind of small group setting where you are allowing yourself to be transparent and known.
4. Serve:
You have gifts that others need, are you serving?
5. Share your faith:
Always be prepared to share when people ask where the hope you have comes from.
This is a process, takes time, focused effort and energy. It doesn’t just happen like physical growth does.
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