Emotions vs. Biblical Principles [Spiritual Maturity 4]

In this section, we conclude on the topic of spiritual maturity by discussing faith, confidence in the Lord, and acting based on truth and not emotion.

7. Active faith vs. cautious apathy and doubt*
Do we doubt the Lord's promises easily when we don't see how it's going to be accomplished? Do we base our decisions on fear of something or someone? Do we have peace that the Lord is always working even when we don't understand or feel overwhelmed?

 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." James 1:5-7

When we doubt God, we are prideful because we assume that we have to control the situation in some way for it to get better or resolve. The wisdom of the Lord is not the same as the wisdom of man. God is ready to lead with His wisdom, and the mature Christian will have peace in praying about an unsettling situation because He has studied the Lord and knows that He is faithful and works all together for good to them who love the Lord and abide in His will. An immature Christian is easily persuaded by family members, friends, etc. to an opinion that may be good, but is not of God. As you can see, all of these points tie together. Our last point was about careful study of the Word- knowing what you believe and why, so that we can base our actions on these truths, and live in peace instead of fear. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17 God does not change His character, and He will not turn on you like gods would in Greek mythology. He gives good gifts and He loves you- faith in Him is a choice as well as something that the Lord develops in you as you grow in your walk with the Lord. Faith=action. Obey the Lord in the simple things and He will lead you to His will. This leads into the next point perfectly . . .

8. Confidence vs. fear 
 Do we expect an easy life because we follow God? Do we live with crippling fear on a daily basis?
2 Tim. 1:7 "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
Rom. 8:28 
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Fear is not from God. We might experience fear, but when we turn to Him we have peace because He bestows upon us the spirit of power, love and a clear mind. The mature Christians KNOWS beyond any shadow of doubt that every circumstance will work together for good. He also knows that "good" means for the glory of God, not for the comfort of the Christian to an easy life full of material blessings. Do we have confidence that the Lord is going to accomplish good through every circumstance? When faced with fear, do we remember the promises of God and the character of God, and then exchange that fear with peace? Again, this point ties perfectly into the last . . .

9. Feelings and experiences evaluated in the light of God's Word vs. experiences evaluated according to feelings*
Emotions can overtake us as humans sometimes to make rash, foolish decisions. The immature Christians will be led by his/her feelings of fear, being offended, etc. and consequently act on those feelings which can be disastrous to the body of Christ and the immature Christian's testimony. A mature Christian takes a minute to evaluate their circumstances and feelings in the light of Christ and His power which they have available to them to sustain them. They act upon facts of the Word of God, not emotions of the human. Gal. 5:19-26

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

In a very clear picture, the "works of the flesh" which are of the human are contrasted to the "fruit of the Spirit" which is only achieved by the power of Christ growing in the Christian. Emotions are involved in all these works of the flesh, and if that's the motivation for our actions, there is some spiritual immaturity to be dealt with. Are you constantly offended about menial things that you then dislike a person because of it? Do you lose your temper easily and say things you regret? Do you doubt God because others you trust fail you? Do you make decisions and form opinions on how your emotions line up with the issue?

 Hebrew 5:14 "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." The mature Christian has discernment as a result of frequent usage of the principles of God. He will be able to call out the false teachers, and realize when God's will is not being done. Note that the word here "exercise" is used, meaning that in order to achieve maturity, one must work at it! Daily making a choice to see everything in the light of the Word of God, basing our actions on fact rather than emotion, we are able to discern the truth of God. When we study and work hard to learn and meditate on the Word of God, and then totally depend on Him to lead us, we gain discernment. 

Spiritual maturity has nothing to do with physical age. Most Christians today are baby Christians, because they're satisfied with being saved from hell. They want to control their own lives, and are satisfied to get a free pass. What blessings the continual baby Christian misses out on! Are you actively investing in a new Christian? Do you turn to the Scriptures when faced with a moral dilemma and beg the Lord for His perspective to take the place of yours? Are you patient and loving toward the body of Christ you are part of, and are you an active part of that body? Do you base your personal beliefs and lifestyle on Bible verses after careful study? Do you have assurance in your salvation and the peace of God to know that the Lord only has good for you in your circumstance? Like Paul said, let us all "examine" ourselves for marks of immaturity. Most of us have an area where we can isolate it. Then, ask God to help you to be committed as a student of the Word, and ask Him to help you truly know Him, and understand your relationship to Him. 

 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us," Eph. 3:20

Personal Desires and Opinions [Spiritual Maturity 3]

In the next section, we are going to focus on our effort in spiritual growth, and the desires of our heart.  

Numbered List Taken from Life Application Study Bible

5. Desiring spiritual challenges vs. desiring entertainment
 James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
2 Tim. 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

What is your motive for going to church? To learn and then apply truths to your life? Or just be spoon fed small tidbits of truth that make you feel good through the week? Do you make it a point to study the Word of God on your own? Has the Lord laid a ministry or person to be involved with on your heart that you're too fearful to do? 

So many times church attendance is based on the fact that it's a ritual we do in the South and so we don't really engage in the church, we just show up and make an appearance. Let me tell you we're hurting no one but ourselves. When we go to church out of habit, we get bored with one kind of church so we start seeking another kind of church based on the type of music they use or because all the church members are our age. While everybody has to find a church where they feel like they can truly grow, sometimes we forget about focusing on our personal part. If we never make an effort to learn from our teachers and preachers, or get involved with being discipled or being a discipleship leader, of course we're going to be dissatisfied with any church. It's like anything- if you don't have a personal desire to pursue it, you're not going to spend time and money on it. I could care less about football, so I'm not going to watch games, and I'm not going to buy tickets to a game. A true football fan learns stats about their favorite players, spends money on tickets and team gear for them to wear, and carves out a time to make sure they can watch every game. We should seek the Lord's help to purify us, and then help us make His desires for us our desires.
"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. . . The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way." Ps. 37:4, 23

I saw a quote and it speaks volumes here: "God does not call the equipped, he equips the called." It's the Lord that gives your spiritual gifts, and only He knows how He will use them. This means that you are going to be called out of your comfort zone. Moses was out of his comfort zone when God called him to free His people- he didn't feel like he was a talented enough speaker. Abraham was out of his comfort zone when God told him to leave everything he knew to pursue a land that was promised to him with no heir as of yet. The Lord's will is going to be accomplished- the question is, are you going to choose to be a part of it? "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Phil. 1:6

6. Careful study and observation vs. opinions and halfhearted efforts
 Do we simply follow church culture to fit in without personal study to see if our actions are right? Do we take verses out of the Bible without studying the culture and context surrounding it? Do we read in to what the Bible states to support personal opinions? Do we believe that the Bible contradicts itself?  

Repeat 2 Tim. 2:15: A growing Christian is one that is always learning and studying new things about the Lord. He bases his opinion and actions on solid Biblical truth and knows when he needs to seek more mature help when he doesn't understand. An immature Christian is led by their personal opinions and seeks justification for their opinions from the Bible without putting a good effort into really understanding the context of the Scripture he's reading. So many act like the Old Testament either contradicts the New Testament or is irrelevant to Christian living today, and neither is the case. The Old Testament depicts the Israelites whom God chose to show His glory to a fallen world through. Sacrifices were a foreshadowing of the final sacrifice of the Lord to come. Their laws were so strict because they were to be separate, but didn't have the Holy Spirit yet. God never condoned polygamy or slavery, but both were present because of the culture of that time. The Old Testament does not contradict the new in any way, and is very applicable to us! Without the law, like Paul says, we would not understand that we are sinners in need of a Savior! "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." Gal. 3:24 Yes, we live differently now because we live in the church age, but the Old Testament can reveal so much to us if we study and meditate upon it- not just read a verse that says a slave should obey his master and then start questioning the love of God and inerrancy of the Bible. 

Bringing it all back together, let's focus again on the discerning, mature Christian. His natural desire is spiritual challenges- he doesn't relish suffering, but He realizes that the purpose of it is to make him/her equipped for God's glory in their life. They don't fight it, but depend on God's strength to bring them through and accomplish the good work He has for them. He is not comfortable sitting in the pew, and he isn't constantly moving from church to church for superficial reasons. He can discern when his opinion is right or wrong in light of Scripture. He makes sure he knows what he believes and why based on the Scripture. He studies the Bible carefully so he understands the full context of what he's learning before he draws conclusions. He knows he has to depend on the Lord's revelation to understand, and that he may need to ask for help from a more mature Christian. Are we examining ourselves to see if our desire is to grow in the Lord? Do we carve out time to study the Scriptures, and is it the first source of knowledge we turn to when we face a dilemma?

Self Evaluation and the Importance of Unity [Spiritual Maturity 2]

Continuing our discussion from spiritual maturity in my first post, we will focus on the importance of how you see yourself as well as the body of Christ that you are a part of.

These numbered points are a continuation of the list from the Life Application Study Bible.

3.Self-evaluation vs. self-criticism
Do we live in a constant state of guilt over our past? Do we feel like our past constantly shadows accomplishing anything in our futures? Do we feel like there's no point in resisting temptation because we're too weak to resist with that sin nature we struggle with constantly?
As Christians, we are joint-heirs with Christ, and so our goal is not to put ourselves down, but ask for the Holy Spirit's help to examine ourselves so that we can be purified and repent of any sin that hinders our relationship with God. Because of the Lord's sacrifice, we are seen as perfection to the Lord- "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." Ps. 103:12 However, this doesn't give us a free card to sin because we know we're not going to hell "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Rom. 6:18

In relation to taking the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, Paul states, "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." We are not to take the Lord's Supper if our relationship with the Lord has not been examined for purification. Repent of your sin, but then realize that Jesus has already paid the price. We're not to walk around in guilt and defeat, but in the victory that Jesus has already won over all sin and death. Depend on the Lord to take the out that He will always provide when we are tempted. Ask the Lord to expose your weaknesses, so that you can ask for help to correct them and then depend on His power to accomplish that in your life. "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Rom. 8:37


4. Seeking unity vs. promoting disunity
Do we seem to be in constant conflict with certain people in the church? Do we respect the leadership of the church that was put over us? Do we know what our spiritual gift is, and do we use that gift to work with others to accomplish ministry?
 Eph. 4:1-6 
 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

We are the body of Christ, and a body does not work well without an eye or an arm. God has equipped us with gifts to serve Him in the local church to accomplish His will and bring Him glory as the body of Christ. Paul not only states the importance of unity in the body of Christ, but lists the different aspects of Christianity that are essentials and must be agreed upon before we unify with any church or individual which claims to be Christian.The Bible states here that we are to be humble and kind in relation to our brethren. We are to be patient and love each other. 
"Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." Eph. 5:21 While many focus on the husband/wife relationship in this Scripture, submitting to one another or the brethren is the first step. Puts unity in a totally different perspective, doesn't it? This isn't referring to things like women submitting to all men in the church like a husband, but is serving one another with a humble, kind, patient, and loving attitude and motivation. Without unity, the body will not work. So many churches split especially in the south over matters of opinion that are not truly Biblical matters, so please, before getting offended or upset about something, evaluate it in the light of Scripture and prayer.  How can a body walk without feet? How can it speak without a mouth?

Bringing it all back together, lets remember in Hebrews 5:14, the mark of spiritual maturity is discernment. We have learned in this section that discernment to see yourself in the light of the gospel means not living in perpetual guilt, but as a conqueror in Christ. It's examining yourself for sin so that it can be repented of and for purification to take place through the strength of the Lord. It is serving one another in the church with a loving, humble attitude that seeks to love and be patient when another hurts us or isn't making wise decisions. It is preserving unity above all else in the body of Christ even if our opinions may differ. Discernment to know when something is worth separating yourself from a church over, and when it is not. Live in the victory of Christ and ask the Lord to help you see your fellow Christians from His perspective.

Struggling with the Basics [Spiritual Maturity 1]

We're plodding along- everything is pretty ho-hum, needs are met and life is fine. We go to church, get our weekly spiritual inspiration, and help out with the kids' ministry or sing in the choir to do our duty. And then disaster hits- health problems, death of a loved one, loss of a job- and we lose it! Doubt our salvation, doubt that God cares, wallow in despair, and come close to a nervous breakdown altogether. We beg God to take our suffering away, and forget all of His blessings. We reach out for inspirational quotes and even faulty theology in hopes that God is a magician or that earthly treasures are the focus of God's blessings to us, and there are plenty that teach that in our world today. "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" Eph. 4:14

This verse in Ephesians makes it clear what we're struggling with here: spiritual immaturity. And we're not the only ones- apparently Hebrew Christians had the same issue.

Hebrews 5:11-14 seems oddly placed, but spiritual maturity was a must if the Hebrews were ever to fully comprehend and apply the truth of Jesus being their ultimate, eternal High Priest which is a main theme of Hebrews. Instead of merely looking forward to a Savior, they had unlimited access to the throne of God through their Savior. This would be a grave loss of blessing indeed if this truth was not applied to their lives! So, let's read the passage. Hebrews 5:11-14
  
Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

So here we see that the people are "dull of hearing" basically meaning "slow to learn". These Hebrews had been Christians for 10+ years, and yet they were digressing. We see this when the phrase "are become" is used, meaning that their spiritual maturity has declined (Expositor's Bible Commentary). So his main focus were those who should be able to be teachers to babies, instead of babies themselves. It states here that the people had to revisit the basics of Christianity time and time again, and yet they still did not apply these truths to their lives, and consequently never grew in their Christianity like they should have. In Hebrews 6: 1-3, the author lists these basics of Christianity which are essential to follow, but were where the Hebrews stopped learning.

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
And this will we do, if God permit.

 So, what are the marks of spiritual immaturity vs. spiritual maturity? We see this in 5:11-14

Numbered points taken from Life Application Study Bible

Mature vs. Immature
1.Teaching Others vs. just being taught
 The author clearly states that these Christians have been saved long enough to take on the role of teaching new Christians. Let's think about ourselves. How many times have we doubted our salvation? Do we have a full understanding of the Bible's definition of basic doctrines like existence of the devil and hell, purpose of the local church, etc.?Are we continual students of the Word? Does our testimony line up with what we believe and application of those truths? Are we actively mentoring a new Christian? 

We need not go any further than the Great Commission which applies to all Christians, not just those with a spiritual gift of teaching. Matt. 28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." The Lord says to teach all nations of the gospel, and this is a command. Then, He commands to teach new Christians to observe all things which the  Lord had taught them when He was on earth. They were to model their lives after these truths and teach new believers. You may only be teaching one person you develop a relationship with, but the point is, we are all to teach new Christians. 

It is clear that baby Christians should not be leading baby Christians. 2 Tim 2:2 "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." A teacher needs to understand and apply Biblical truth to their lives, be a lifetime student of the Word, (2 Tim. 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."), and proven him/herself to be faithful to the Lord and Biblical doctrine. While it is true some have the spiritual gift of teaching, we are all responsible to be actively seeking non-Christians to tell them of the gospel, and then teaching new Christians to help them to develop into mature disciples of the Word.

This can be a one on one scenario. This doesn't mean that everyone should teach a Sunday School class as a requirement of church membership, but that when we have reached spiritual maturity, we should mentor others, and that's a command. A lot of the mentoring is accomplished by a testimony that lines up with your belief. While we all have a sin nature in our physical bodies, we should all be striving to repent and move forward in the strength of the Lord. Trying to be a pious Christian who hides their sin is dangerous, because the impurity of the heart will show itself at some point and much damage can be done to the whole church body as a result. Mentoring and being open and vulnerable about your personal struggles and how you manage them is a great comfort to a new Christian as they may feel defeated in their new walk.

"And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." - See more at: http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com/bible-verses-about-teachers.html#sthash.C4uW2bzS.dpuf

"And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." - See more at: http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com/bible-verses-about-teachers.html#sthash.C4uW2bzS.dpuf

 2. Developing depth of understanding vs. struggling with the basics
 The author again points to this in citing the basic doctrines that the church continually struggled to comprehend and then apply. I imagine the Hebrews would like to add bits and pieces of the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. In other portions of Scripture, we find whole arguments about whether Gentile Christians should be circumcised or not, because under the Old Covenant, Hebrews were to be circumcised to signify separation. Perhaps we struggle with the basics because we think we are too uneducated to understand, or that it's the pastor job to study the Word for us. Don't worry about what you don't understand in the Bible- read the basics like John, and as you learn more about God, your spiritual understanding will grow as well through the work of the Holy Spirit. Don't ever try to read the Bible alone- ask the Holy Spirit to guide you with His truth to understand the basics, and then go from there. Eph. 1:17 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:" The Lord will reveal to you what He wants you to understand for right now. Don't be concerned that you can't interpret the meaning of Revelation- just focus on what the Lord is teaching you now and He will expand your understanding and reveal to you more and more. Now as it says in 2 Tim. 2:15, we should study and meditate on the Word, but let God do the revealing. That's why teaching through discipleship is of paramount importance- it provides a guide for the new Christian to ensure he/she has a solid foundation in Biblical doctrine to move forward in learning with. 

There are more aspects to discuss about spiritual maturity in posts to come. But for now, let's remember how we define maturity. In 5:14, we see that the spiritually mature Christian has discernment as a result of practice. So far, we have seen that the mature Christian has a firm foundation in basic Biblical doctrine, is continually learning beyond the basics, and applies Biblical principles to his/her life so that he/she develops discernment as a natural result of the revelation of the Lord, and continually living in the strength of the Lord. There is nothing wrong with being a baby Christian if you are a chronologically new Christian, but there is an issue if you continually digress over years of time and constantly struggle with the basics. What if every baby Christian was taught and mentored by a mature Christian? Every Christian would know correct doctrine and how to apply it rather than applying emotion or misunderstood context to their lives. What a revival that would begin! Do your part! If you're a baby Christian, seek out a mentor by talking to the the leadership of your church. If you're a mature Christian, reach out to the new Christian and walk with them in this fallen world. Disciples making disciples making disciples- a picture of what the Lord intended the church to be.