All bible quotes not otherwise marked are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016)
A lot of Christians I fear don’t ask the question: where am I at with God? Am I on track with God’s plan for my life? What is my mission for Christ? I am writing here to emphasize to myself and those who will read that we all have one. We all have a mission for Christ and we all are performing at some level in the pursuit of that mission.
1 Corinthians 9:24
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Paul likes to describe the Christian life as a race. As runners we must exercise self control. We have to practice. This requires a lot of discipline. As Christians, one aspect of our mission is preparation. We prepare by praying, reading the bible, attending a bible preaching church, and fellowshipping with other believers. Those are nice preparations. We also put what we learn into practice. We exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. We are ready to present the gospel to a lost person when God puts us in a position to do so. You see, it’s not enough to eat right, diet, and be in good shape. If you are going to win a race you need to actually run to get better. Running the race is engaging the lost world.
First Preparation
Before I get into other things let’s focus on preparation first.
Hebrews 5:12
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
So all Christians need to know the basics. That does not mean they have to be theologians with doctoral degrees in Greek. It does mean they need to know the fundamentals. Why would this shock anyone? Surely if we are to run the race we need to know that we need to wear the right shoes. If someone shows up at a race in high heels they’ve put themselves at a definite disadvantage right?
Hebrews 6:1-2
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
Here the author of Hebrews points out some of the fundamentals of the faith. Repentance and faith. We need to know well the doctrine of salvation. How can any Christian function if they aren’t knowledgeable of such a fundamental doctrine? In the army, even those who drive trucks, operate the kitchens, and do various logistical support duties are taught infantry basics. They may not fight every day but they are ready to fight. So even if you are working in an area where you are supporting others on the front lines, you still need to be ready to explain the hope that is in you.
1 Peter 3:15
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;
Peter here drives home the point. Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you. If you are exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, people are going to wonder about you? They are going to ask. You need to be ready for that moment. That person may not get another chance.
Next we talk about various other church doctrines. Washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. If as a Christian you don’t know what is coming how are you going to answer their questions? I’ve noticed lost people really care about the end times. Perhaps if you can answer a few questions about the future, you can lead them to God who will make their future far better.
When you become a new Christian, your first goal should be to learn the fundamentals. But those fundamentals are not just a list of facts. You need some experiential knowledge as well. It’s one thing to read a book on exercise and it’s another to actually do some exercise. One of my big mistakes as a new Christian is I read plenty but failed to practically apply it as I should. I was just like these Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 3:1-4
But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
Jealousy and strife are not of God. When we fight amongst ourselves that is showing that our church is not Spiritually mature. Why? Well if everyone in the church is submitting to the will of the Holy Spirit then there will be unity. The Holy Spirit will not fight against Himself.
Put it into Practice
Our goal should be to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. By yielding to the Spirit’s control, we will exhibit that fruit. Let’s start with the most important fruit: love
1 Corinthians 13:3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends
I don’t know about you but that is pretty convicting for me. Love is patient. I can definitely use patience at times. It is a fact of modern science that stress is bad for our health. I often ponder if our lack of patience leads us to stress which shortens our life. It is sin and sin shortens our life.
So folks, let me assure you that just knowing a lot of facts is not maturity. It is essential to maturity but it is not maturity. Maturity is putting those facts into practice. Loving other people. There are some old country preachers that are so full of love and compassion that I don’t doubt they passed my spiritual maturity a long time ago.
Since I’m writing about Christian maturity in general, I am sure I will get back to love a lot here so I am going on but let me assure you love is important. It is vitally important. A loving church will not split over carpet color. Would you disown your own daughter over carpet color? No? Then why would you leave the brothers and sisters you love as family. You don’t love them that much? Well there is the problem.
Matthew 12:46-50
46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Jesus sets the example. Let’s not forget our church family is family. Treat them like you love them. Treat them like your kid, your brother, your mother, your sister.
Now let’s look at the other fruit:
Galatians 5:22
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Notice love is first as mentioned previously. Joy is next. Depressed Christians aren’t really a good testimony for Christ. If you are depressed why would a lost person look at you and say they want what you have?
Peace is one of the greatest witnessing tools of them all. This world is in turmoil. Everyone is worried about everyone. Hate is flowing across the internet in every direction. Everyone is saying the world is going to end if this or that happens. Ordinary things in fact. If I believed all sides the world is certain doomed at the next election because our very existence is at stake.
Really? Are you not a blood bought child of God? Are you not aware that God is sovereign and all will unfold according to His plan? Are you really worried when your father is the supreme power in the universe? Your dad is not the president. He is not the dictator. He is not the emperor. He is the SUPREME POWER IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. Start acting like your faith is in Him where it should be and stop worrying. The lost look at so many “worried” Christians and wonder why if we believed what we say we’d be worried.
James 4:14
14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes
We have no promises that aren’t from God. The only thing we can count on is God. Our life is short. Follow his lead. Seek His will. Don’t let the world trouble you.
Hebrews 12:4-7
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
If you are going to worry, and I say don’t but if you must, then worry about failing your mission for Christ. Don’t worry about what the lost world is doing.
Patience. Whoa here it is again. Patience is a hard one for me. We need to realize that we aren’t really in that big a hurry. I can often work myself up into a frenzy about getting something done when in fact I have nothing to do afterwards. I could take another five minutes and not stress about it. Learn patience and you will live longer.
1 Corinthians 6:4-10
4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
All of those things help build up your patience so as a child of God, if you don’t learn patience the easy way He has some harder ways to learn it.
Kindness goes hand in hand with love. How can we love people and not be kind to them. I often think of the various grifters out there taking advantage of churches. I also wonder if in the still small quiet hours of the night God doesn’t use our love and kindness to convict that lost sinner. Yes they grifted us about something and a church can’t allow itself to be defrauded night and day. I agree. I still wonder though if sometimes there will be spiritual formation that we never realize happened. God used that tiny spark and maybe only years later people testify how God worked on them.
Goodness. Make people’s lives better. Love them. Enrich their days. Let them know you care.
Faithfulness. Do what you promise to do. Let your word mean something. When called upon to serve do it with vigor.
Gentleness. Love sometimes requires we be tough. Love is not always being a cheerleader. Those deep in sin need to be pulled out. When pulling them out of the pits of sin though don’t pull their arm off. Gently pull them out. Do it with kindness.
Self-control. God honors self control. It’s when the choice between doing something wrong in anger comes up and the Holy Spirit prompts us to let it go. Let it go. I’ve had to let things go a lot. I am learning. I need to let things go quicker though because I often fume inside for a bit before letting it go. I’m working on it.
Spiritual Maturity
So what is Spiritual Maturity? In math there is the concept of a vector. It’s magnitude and direction. So if I say I’m going north on route seventy-five at seventy miles an hour, that is sort of like a vector. I’m going north and at a current speed.
Christian maturity to me is given where you are at, your life vector is pointed in the direction the Holy Spirit would want it to go. The magnitude will vary based on where you are starting. If you are a newborn babe in Christ the magnitude might not be as big. You need to learn and grow as a baby does. The church needs to take a lot of responsibility to take care of you and raise you up right. If you are a long term Christian then more is expected of you.
A Christian needs then to know where the Holy Spirit is leading. That comes from prayer and bible study. Figure out where the Holy Spirit is leading and follow His direction.
As Christian needs to weather the fiery darts of the enemy and let me tell you they will come. If you are going as the Holy Spirit wants, you will be shot at by Satan a lot. A Spirit filled Christian is one of Satan’s greatest enemies. He will do anything to derail that Christian.
It kind of goes along with one of my previous posts. You need to yield. It’s hard to follow directions sometimes but if you let the person giving directions drive life is easy. Right? Well let the Holy Spirit drive. Stop trying to do everything your way.
Also put your trust in God’s plan. He has a great plan for your life. You can do anything God calls you to do and if you will yield faithfully then God will use you greatly.
Thank you for reading. There will be more God willing. I love you all. I pray God blesses your mission.