Roadmap

to Spiritual Maturity and Service

Begin with the End in Mind

Last week we learned about the stages of spiritual growth. This week we want to ask and answer the question, What is the goal of spiritual growth? One of the habits of an effective person, according to Steven Covey, is to Begin with the End in Mind. And thats what we want to do here. If you ask any Christian What is the goal of your Christian life? they would say Christian Maturity, and rightly so. Do you know what is Christian Maturity? Most of you would tell me that a mature Christian is someone who knows the Bible well, walks with God, prays often, and serves God. You will be surprised, by the end of this lesson, to learn what Christian Maturity is. Lets start by learning what Christian Maturity is not.

What Christian maturity is not

1. It is not an aging process Every human being is constantly aging. Aging began the day you were born, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. You might be able to slow it down some, but you surely cannot remain at a certain age for a long time. But is aging the same as maturity? You and I know that the answer is no. You might be old but your behavior and reaction to circumstances is far from being mature. You still have not, for example, brought your temper under control, or tamed some of your carnal urges. While you cannot stop aging, you can stop maturing. Many have. 2. It is not instantaneous How does a child grow up into an adult? How does a seed become a tree? Slowly, of course. In the same way maturity is a process that cannot be hurried. It must take its due course. Having said that, many have taken longer than necessary to mature. Thats the problem we want to address in our lesson today. Because we do not understand the process of growth and maturity, we think that by doing certain things we can quickly grow up. Some of the things we do include attending Bible School, going on a Mission Trip, or serving in a ministry in church. These activities, dont mind me saying, are for mature Christians; not infants. It is wrong for a spiritual infant to do any of the above? It is not wrong, per se. Just inappropriate. Let me ask you: Is it wrong for a two year old child to go to

Joshua Loke

July 11, 2011

Roadmap to Spiritual Maturity and Service

Disneyland? No. But he would not be able to really enjoy the rides simply because of his age, or lack of it. 3. It is not automatic as a result of the mastery of the teachings of Scripture. As I have said in the previous point, many think that by attending a Bible School, even if it is only a short course, they will somehow grow spiritually. Granted, there might be some growth as the Christian is challenged by the Word of God and as he fellowships with other Christians. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. But on the whole, the accumulation of Scriptural knowledge does not necessarily translate into spiritual growth. The devil knows the Scripture; but is he a disciple of Christ? The accumulation of biblical information is of immense value, but it is only as the principles of Scripture are worked out in daily obedience that spiritual growth is advanced. In the words of James, we are to be doers of the Word, not hearers only; deceiving ourselves. Even the experts have discovered recently, in the last ten to twenty years, that having a high IQ (Intelligence Quotient) is not enough. The successful people in the world got to where they are mostly through EQ (Emotional Quotient) instead. The Church must likewise come to the realization that Bible Knowledge alone will not produce mature Christians. We need something more. Jesus disciples already knew the Scripture because they were Jews. But what they lacked was divine revelation. When you have the truth, Jesus said, the truth will make you free. Judging from the number of Christians around the world who are still struggling to be free from strongholds, bondages, and sins is evidence that they have not had the truth. They might have the knowledge of the truth, but it is not the same as having the truth. 4. It is not the mere possession of spiritual gifts Spiritual gifts is one thing that God has made available to every Christian. Each one of us have at least one spiritual gift to use. They are tools, not toys or trophies. They are powerful tools which, like any tool, are neutral in and of themselves. The product of the tool depends on the user. For example: put a revolver in the hand of a childand he might shoot his playmate with it, and kill him. Put a revolver in the hand of a gangster and many innocent will die needlessly in gang wars. But put a revolver in the hand of a well-trained police officer and he will defend the defenseless. By giving you the spiritual gift, God is not endorsing your spiritual state. It does not mean you have attained it. There is still a lot of growing that you need to do. Now that you know what Christian Maturity is not, you are ready to learn what it is.
Joshua Loke July 11, 2011

Roadmap to Spiritual Maturity and Service

What Christian maturity is

The Greek word that is translated into maturity in the Bible is teleios. When you consult Strongs, you will find that teleios means, among other things, complete, full age, and perfect. Full age is another way of saying mature. But why has Bible translators preferred mature over perfect? Does mature and perfect mean the same thing? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, mature means adult, full-fledged, and ripened whereas perfect means without fault or defect. They do not mean the same thing. To be mature is one thing, and to be perfect is another. Jesus was not only mature; He was also perfect. Yet, many recent English translations of the Bible such as the English Standard Version (ESV) have preferred mature over perfect, presumably because it is more palatable to modern Christians. Perfection is a word modern man hardly use except to describe someone who is a perfectionist. To call someone a perfectionist is hardly a complement. I know because I was a perfectionist for many years of my life. The word perfect might have its negative connotations, but that should not cause us to stop using it altogether. We use it constantly to describe our ice- cream, our food, our clothes, and so on anyway. Truth be told, when modern Christianity started to use the word mature in place of the original word perfect, the divine standard of God was compromised. Christian pastors and leaders no longer preached and expected perfection from their flock, just maturity. Even then, only a high degree of maturity is expected and not full maturity. This way of thinking were inspired by the writings of Christian giants such as William Hendriksen, who wrote, A high degree of maturity can be attained in this life here and now, but full maturity cannot be realized this side of heaven. In heaven we will be perfectly sinless and obedient (Hendriksen. Ephesians. p.200). Oswald Sanders echoes this way of thinking when he wrote: The word perfect or mature can be used of our Lord in the absolute sense, for during his life on earth all his powers reached their full development When the word is used of man, however, it is not absolute but relative, as of a child compared with an adult. (Sanders. In Pursuit of Maturity. p.21) The writer of Hebrews did not mince his words when he wrote: 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 Hebrews 6:1 (KJV) The Greek word for perfection here is the word teleiotes, which has a more specific meaning than its root teleios: the state of completeness or perfectness. It is settled then: perfection is the goal of our spiritual journey.

Joshua Loke

July 11, 2011

Roadmap to Spiritual Maturity and Service

Jesus and Paul

What did Jesus and Paul think? What did they expect from their disciples? In Matthew 5:48, Jesus had this to say: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Paul, the apostle, never expected anything less than perfection from those to whom he preached, warned, and taught (Col 1:28). It is not a coincidence that Paul was an apostle whose God-assigned task was to equip the saints according to Ephesians 4:11, and the Greek word for equip is katartismos which means completing, furnishing and perfecting. So you see, there is really no way to mitigate the fact that God requires perfection from His saints. There is no way to rationalize it away or to even disregard it just because we are discomforted by its prospects. Well, have you met any one who is perfect? Yes, I have. His name is JESUS. Many of you will object to me using Jesus as an example of a perfect man citing His divinity as the reason. But let me remind you that Jesus was not BORN perfect; He BECAME perfect (Heb 5:9). Learned he obedience by the things which he suffered (verse 8). And how many of you know that all that Jesus experienced and accomplished remains today as an example for us to follow including His perfect-ness (1 Pet 2:21). From Matthew 5:48, we know that you and I need to become perfect too. Paul, based on his own testimony, was also perfect. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, BLAMELESS. Philippians 3:6 Paul was perfect with regards to the law of Moses. He had the righteousness of the Pharisees a great accomplishment in and of itself. But Jesus said, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:20). For this reason, Paul was in constant fear and trembling. How do I know this? From what he wrote: Philippians 2:12: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, When Paul wrote: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling", do you think he was in fear and trembling as well? What reason would he have to be fearful and be trembling? After all he was an apostle. Already he had suffered more than any saint for the gospel. God must have a special for him. No way. Paul understands that he needs to discipline his body and keep it under his control, lest after preaching to others he himself should be disqualified (1 Cor 9:27).

Joshua Loke

July 11, 2011

Roadmap to Spiritual Maturity and Service

To the believers in Philippi, Paul also wrote: So let's keep focused on that goal [perfection], those of us who want everything God has for us. There are rewards waiting for us when we meet the Lord Jesus, but they are only for those who have accomplished the goal, which is perfection. It was the same message he gave to the believers in Corinth. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Cor 7:1) Some times one has to watch the company that one keeps if one wants to lead a holy and godly life. For this reason, Paul warns the believers not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, not to have anything in common with them. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Cor 6:14-16) The reward for doing so would be the Father receiving you as His son or daughter. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (verses 17-18) John the apostle writes in his first epistle, Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2). What this means is that when we, the saints, meet Christ in the air at His Return, we will be transformed into His likeness. This will mark the true fulfillment of Romans 8:29, which states that, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. But in the meantime, the saints are expected to keep themselves pure as Christ Himself is pure (1 John 3:3). Many Christians, unfortunately, are looking forward to Christs Return without keeping themselves pure. They want Christ to return sooner than later so that they could be delivered from this imperfect world. They will be shocked with Christ really returns because they will find themselves wanting and unprepared.

Joshua Loke

July 11, 2011

Roadmap to Spiritual Maturity and Service

They will be doubly shocked when they hear Christ say to them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matt 7:23).

John Wesleys Sermon

Perfection was also the subject of one of John Wesleys sermons. John Wesley, as you know, was the founder of the Methodist Movement. In this sermon, Wesley explains in what sense are Christians perfect. They are not perfect in knowledge. They are not free from ignorance; no, nor from mistake. We are no more to expect any to be infallible, than to be omniscient. They are not free from infirmities, such as weakness or slowness of understanding, irregular quickness or heaviness of imagination Neither can we expect, till then, to be wholly freed from temptation: for the servant is not above his Master. Then in what sense are Christians perfect? They ought to be perfect in that they do not commit sin. But didnt John the apostle himself say, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves; and if we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us? To this, Wesley replies: The ninth verse explains both the eighth and tenth: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. As if we had said, I have before affirmed, The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin. And no man can say, I need it not; I have no sin to be cleansed from. If we say we have no sin, that we have not sinned, we deceived ourselves, and make God a liar. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, not only to forgive us our sins, but also to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, that we may go and sin no more.. Thus doth Jesus save His people from their sins; not only from outward sins, but from the sins of their hearts. it remains, then, that Christians are saved in this world from all sin, from all unrighteousness; that they are now in such a sense, as not to commit sin, and to be freed from evil thoughts and evil tempers.

Can Christians Still Sin?

This issue of sin in the lives of Christian is a hotly debated one. Here, I would like to share with you David Pawsons exposition of the same passage of Scripture that Wesley examined in his sermon on Perfection. Video: David Pawson Can Christians still sin? (http://youtu.be/P1Anb3hB-zg)
Joshua Loke July 11, 2011

Roadmap to Spiritual Maturity and Service

Twice Dead
Finally, let us consider the writings of Jude. Jude 1:17-25: But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. First, Jude warns us that there are Christians (trees) in the church (Gods vineyard) that are fruitless, and have been so for a long time; yet they remain in the vineyard. They are twice dead. They were dead before they were redeemed. And then after being saved and revived spiritual, they perish the second time due to willful sinning. He goes on to say that there will always be some of these because the apostles have predicted it (verse 17). What we must do is to build ourselves up in our most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life (verse 20- 21). In other words, hang on to your faith and to God by doing all these thingand more. Whats more we are to have mercy on those who doubt but hate even the garment stained by the flesh (verses 22-23). Our comfort, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, is derived from the fact that God is able. He is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy (verse 24). To Him be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Conclusion
The notion that perfection is the goal of all our spiritual journeys might scare some. But heres something that will comfort you: Consider Romans 8:29. It says that those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son To predestine is to set before hand, or to make it as a goal. The goal is to make everyone whom God has chosen be like His Son Jesus. Whose goal is this? Gods. Who is responsible to accomplish it? God! Our part is to know it, accept it, and believe it. The just, God says, shall live by faith.

Joshua Loke

July 11, 2011

Roadmap to Spiritual Maturity and Service

Now consider Galatians 5:22, 23. The fruit of the Spirit is what all Christians desire to have in their lives. It is the hallmark of the presence and pre-eminence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But at the same time, we miss the point that the fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the SPIRIT, not men. Yet, we hear of classes run by well meaning churches to help Christians develop Christian character along the lines of the fruit of the Spirit. Please understand that I am not advocating passivity in the Christian. I am not saying that as Christians we need to do nothing and just let the Holy Spirit do everything. I am especially not saying that since God said He would do it, we can do as we please. After all, if God said it, it will come to pass, wouldnt it? I am saying, however, that since it is God who works in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure, we ought not resist, or quench, or worse still grief the Holy Spirit through whom God works in us. We should instead yield and submit to Him through faith and obedience. Of Hebrews 6:1, Adam Clark says, Let us be carried on to this perfection. God is ever ready by the power of his Spirit, to carry us forward to every degree of light, life, and love, necessary to prepare us for an eternal weight of glory. There can be little difficulty in attaining the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls from all sin, if God carry us forward to it; and this he will do if we submit to be saved in his own way, and on his own terms. Many make a violent outcry against the doctrine of perfection, i.e. against the heart being cleansed from all sin in this life, and filled with love to God and man, because they judge it to be impossible! Is it too much to say of these that they know neither the Scripture nor the power of God? Surely the Scripture promises the thing; and the power of God can carry us on to the possession of it1.

1 Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on Hebrews 6". "The Adam Clarke Commentary".

<http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=heb&chapter=006>. 1832

Joshua Loke

July 11, 2011