Maturity

Jesus says we are to have "faith like a child," but he didn't tell us to BE a child.

God calls us to reason, to use our minds in regards to our faith. 

In Acts several times it notes that Paul tried to reason with the Pharisees in the temple that Jesus was the promised Messiah.  God used miracles, signs and wonder through Paul, but Paul also preached the Word to as many as he could.  "Faith comes by hearing the word" primarily.  Miracles can get people to follow after anything.  But the Word, the Gospel, is what makes people put their faith in Christianity specifically.  To have miracles without the word does nothing in regards to winning people to Christ. 

We do not need to forget out mind and listen to our heart as a Christian.  That is what the secular world tells people to do.  No, we very much need to use our minds and reason as a Christian.

We are called to "test the spirits."  We cannot believe every miraculous thing to have come from God etc.  We need to be aware of Satan's schemes, that he "prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour."  We have to be cautious and rational in all things. 

Jesus calls us to be "as wise as serpents but as innocent as doves." 

Paul says:

1 Cor. 13:11
"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways."

Here he is referring to spiritual gifts and the gift of tongues specifically.  We are to embrace spiritual gifts, but we are also to be mature about them.  For some reason the gift of tongues can get the most out of hand and is more commonly used in an immature manner. 

Paul set out certain rules and guidelines to govern this spiritual gift.  We are called to do everything in order in our Christian faith.  If a tongue is spoken in a church, there must be an interpreter. 

Children do not know how to have order.  Children are naturally chaotic.  They need to be reigned in and disciplined in order to learn to have order. 

We are called to be adults in our faith, to have self-control, and to be rational and orderly. 

Children are emotional.  They are unable to reason when they are emotional.  Adults have developed the ability to set emotions aside when needed and be rational.       

Ephesians 4:14-15         

"So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ."

How do we become not like children?  By knowing God's word like the back of our hand.  By memorizing God's word.  "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."  We fight against Satan's lies with God's Word.  That is our only offensive weapon against Satan.  The more we know God's word, and stick to it, the more we can have discernment about if things are from God or not.  The more we know basic doctrines, the more we will not be deceived by false doctrine. 

We need to be on the alert for "human cunning" and "craftiness" and "deceitful schemes."  Why would people want to scheme us?  Because there are many con artists out there.  Con artists that are after your heart or your money etc.  The natural man's drive to have power over others and to get rich is very strong.  This will cause them to do almost anything to get power or riches; manipulate people, lie, wear a mask and pretend they are something they are not etc.

How do we combat against getting fooled in this way?  We are to "speak the truth in love" to each other.  Often times people will be loving, but will neglect to speak the truth to others when they need to.  And other people tend to speak the truth quickly but have a hard time doing it in a loving way.  That is more my struggle. :)  We need both love and truth to keep us on the narrow path.  The more truth we know and are sure of, the less likely we are to be fooled by schemes.  And often times we need to reminded of what the truth is.  Amen.   

Ephesians 4:13         

"Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

What does it mean to have "the fullness of Christ?"  This phrase has always struck me as being interesting.  I believe it is to have wisdom.  In Proverbs wisdom says that she was there when God made the world.  Jesus was there when God made the world.  Therefore Jesus is the embodiment of wisdom perhaps. 

"In the beginning was the word and the word was with God."  Jesus is the Word.  He is the truth.  He is all wisdom. 

As we grow in wisdom, we become more and more mature.  And then we become more like Christ. 

It is as we increase our knowledge that we filled up to all the fullness of God. 


May we all increase our knowledge and pray for God's gift of wisdom every day.  Amen. 

May God bless you! :)