Message of the Month

                                                        2-1-12

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. (II Peter 3:18)

In this passage of scripture Peter tells us to first grow in grace and second to grow in knowledge. Why these two things? Why not in love, in peace, or in the other fruits of the spirit? I believe that Peter had a specific reason for choosing these two.

Grace has a Divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in life. Peter is telling us to let God’s grace flow through us and let it influence our life. As we grow in grace, it will have a greater and greater influence on our way of life. As it changes our life, we will reach out and affect those we come in contact with. The grace of God actually means unmerited favor. Or we get God’s love and mercy that we don’t deserve.

Second, we are to grow in knowledge of our Lord. Why? Because, as a Christian, to know Him is to love Him. The more you get to know Jesus Christ, the more your love grows. The more your love grows, the more you want to please Him. The more you want to please Him, the more you will be conformed to His image. That is what Christianity is all about. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:28-29) Paul tells us in Romans that the final goal of God is to conform us to the image of Christ. Peter tells us to grow as a Christian, not to stand still. Not to be satisfied, but he tells us to grow. He knew you can’t stand still. You are either growing or fading away. There is no middle ground.

There are four stages of Christian growth that I would like to look at today. They have nothing to do with how old you are or how long you have been a Christian. The first is the baby stage. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able. (I Corinth. 3:1-2) Paul recognized that the first stage in Christianity is the baby stage. All Christians go through this stage. They are not able to receive solid food but must be nurtured in the things of Christ. According to Paul the baby Christian still is carnal. He is unable to immediately jump into the deep Christian walk and be all God wants him to be. Babies have certain characteristics in normal life that parallel the spiritual life. Babies and baby Christians usually think first of themselves. They go to church to receive and never give of themselves. If they don’t get what they want, they change churches. They cry but never sing. They are never in harmony with the body. A baby lives to be served. This is not bad unless they never grow beyond this stage. Many Christians stay in the baby stage.

The second stage is the little child stage. I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. (I John 2:12) John recognizes that there is a little child stage. Like natural growth, spiritual growth occurs in stages. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (I Corinth. 13: 11) When we reach the little child stage of our growth, we will think, act, and understand as a child. So often the mature Christian expects far too much from a young believer. They will act and think as an immature Christian should act. Childlike behavior is to be expected. These Christians are often untruthful: not by lying but by false living. They learn the right words to say and the right way to act when they are around other Christians, but they act differently when in the world. They love praise but easily get puffed up. They seek things that appeal to self.

All churches should have both babes in Christ and little children. Neither are ready to be fed the meat of Christianity. It is hard for many mature Christians to look at them and think they are really born again Christians. Paul didn’t say, “Believe in your heart, confess with your mouth, live up to the standards that mature Christians want you to, and you shall be saved.” No! He said, “Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth and you shall be saved.” In I Corinth 3:1-4 Paul calls the babes in Christ brethren, Christian brethren. If your church doesn’t have both babes and children, then there is either no birth in your church or no growth.

The next stage is the most exciting stage. It is the young adult stage. Why is it the most exciting? I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. (I John 2:13b) When you have reached the stage of becoming conformed to the image of Christ, you will find that you have become familiar with the life of Christ and are letting Him control more of you. As a result you are seeing the power of Christ becoming manifested in you. Not only that but you are also seeing the gift of discernment being manifested so you can recognize the wicked one and his tricks. You no longer fall prey to Satan as you used to. You even recognize him when he comes disguised as an angel of light. You begin to see the armor of God as something to take into battle and not just something to sit and shine. You are able to forget the past and press on into the fullness of God. You begin to have a vision for the future and faith to tackle it. The faith to tackle it is the key. Many have a vision but lack the faith needed to step out for God and trust only in Him.

Faith is such a misunderstood thing. There are two types of faith. First, there is natural faith. We all have this faith. It is evident every time we sit on a chair. We expect the chair to hold us and usually this faith is rewarded by the results we expect. We really need this faith to exist in the world. Immature Christians tend to use natural faith in the spiritual realm. But Thomas, called Didymus, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at my hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:24-28) Thomas had to see to believe. He had to use sensory evidence to believe the spiritual. This is more risky than having spiritual faith. If you stick a very cold hand in warm water, you believe the water is very hot. Using only physical evidence to base your belief on is very dangerous. Yet, we as Christians do it all the time. I recall one time I had a monetary need. I prayed and prayed for it but really became worried. One day I received a phone call from a friend saying that he would provide for that need. I immediately felt relief. I still didn’t have the money, but I believed it would come. Jesus said that He would provide all our needs, but I didn’t have faith in what He said. But when my friend said he would provide it, I had faith in his word. This demonstrates the way so many of us live. Jesus said, “Blessed are they that believe and have not seen.” Maybe we who think we are mature Christians are not so mature after all.

The second type of faith is spiritual faith. As a Christian proceeds in the maturation process, he begins to develop spiritual faith. This faith is defined in Hebrews. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) James tells us: But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18) This confuses many. James is not saying that faith is works, but when faith is evident in the life of a Christian, you can see he has faith by the way he lives.

If we go back to the faith chapter, chapter 11 of Hebrews, we can see what James was talking about. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice. The first work of faith is to offer: To offer God the first fruits of your life. First you offer to God what He wants to do with your life. Then after that you can do what you want with what is left. In verse 17 Abraham offered. He offered his all. He offered Isaac, his only begotten son, the son of his promise. He could have said, “No, God, You promised my lineage to become a great nation, and Isaac is that line.” But he didn’t. Abraham, in faith, offered Isaac to God.

The second work of faith is in verse 5. Enoch pleased God. He walked to please God. It is too easy to talk the talk but not walk the walk. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (I John 1:6) The apostles and early leaders of Christianity set up a way to measure if a Christian was what he said he was. A Christian cannot walk in darkness. He must walk in the light. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He (Jesus) walked. (I John 2:6) This brings us back to Paul’s writings when he said that we should strive to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. We should strive to live like He lived. We must walk as though we had Christ with us. We must practice the presence of Christ. We must stop rationalizing our sin, no matter how small. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5) Do you mind the things of the flesh first and then consider the things of the Spirit, or is your life the other way around? Is the physical or the spiritual controlling your life?

The third work of faith is in coming out. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. (Hebrews 11:24-25) Moses did just as we need to do. He separated himself from the pleasures of sin. He became different than the world. He came out of his old life, forsook the world, and moved on into God’s plan for him. We must do that. As we do this, our life will become an example for God in a world of darkness. As you read chapter 11 of Hebrews, you will see many other works of faith. They passed through trials, they overcame the enemy, and many others. If someone has true spiritual faith, you will see these works of God in his life.

The fourth stage of spiritual growth is maturity. What characteristics will you see in a Christian who has reach maturity in his walk? First, they will have God’s peace. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) The first characteristic of a mature Christian is that they have peace in all circumstances. This is a peace that passes all understanding by the world.

The second characteristic is that a mature Christian is quick to share the love of Jesus Christ with those that are lost. To Timothy, my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our father and Jesus Christ our Lord. (I Tim. 1:2) I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you by Christ Jesus. (I Corinth. 1:4) When a Christian reaches full maturity, he will have sons and daughters in the faith, and he will rejoice in them.

Third, a mature Christian also knows his source of true strength. Until that time we all try to do it ourselves until we fail, and then we turn to God. We are like Simon Peter in Luke 5:1-10 Peter had fished all night and had caught nothing. Then he obeyed Christ and let Christ take over, and he was overwhelmed with fish. Mature Christians seek God first.

Fourth, a mature Christian listens to God. Many Christians feel that God doesn’t speak to them. I say He speaks continually, but we often don’t recognize His voice. If you are truly mature, you will hear His voice. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. (John 10: 1-5)

How do you get to know His voice? You get to know anyone’s voice by being around them. The more time you spend with Christ, the more you recognize His voice. Spend more time in prayer, reading God’s word, in church, in Christian programs, and in many other things that submerse you in the voice of Jesus Christ our Lord. Then you will get to know the voice of God. As the scripture said, when someone comes along that is not speaking for God, you will recognize it as a stranger’s voice and will not follow him. We need to realize that recognizing God’s voice is so important in this day and age. Just as all that glitters is not gold, all that speaks is not God.

A mature Christian can endure any trial that comes his way. If it is from Satan, he has the victory through Christ Jesus. If it is from God, it will refine him further. A mature Christian cannot lose.

These are the four stages of Christian maturity. Are you a baby Christian, only able to digest the milk of the word? Are you a child, still self centered? Are you a young adult, fully into the battle and catching the vision? Are you a mature Christian, at peace recognizing and fully following God? No matter what level you are at, God has more for you. You must strive for a deeper walk with God. As you learn of Him through the many ways that are provided, you will grow in your walk and soon will move to the next level.