Spiritual Maturity

Being mature in Christ is progressing in Christ not perfection in Christ. No one can be perfect in Christ because we all fail. We are all sinners bound to this world in imperfection. We can only work at being sanctified by Christ and growing maturely with Christ as your inner man takes on a change, transforming you into a man rooted in LOVE.

Eph 3:14 – 21
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
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,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Paul speaks of the inner man. Why do you think he would do that? He wants us to be rooted in LOVE and progress in spiritual maturity. He wants us to be aware of the power within us to become spiritually mature.

As an adult, we set out to sea on a sailboat, in a rowboat you’d surely die, we have no plan but to sail across the ocean and let God guide us to wherever he wants us to go. The thing is, we have sails for a reason, to catch the wind so we can be directed into the setting sun. The Holy Spirit is the breath of the wind that carries us to our destination.

As a child we’re set here in life out to sea on a rowboat. Our parents are our guides for a time until we mature and get a sailboat (progression of our inner man toward Christ). Some of us sail blindly. Some intensely. Some just lay on the beach not wanting to sail or progress any further, content with who they are and are happy going nowhere.

Sometimes in life I feel as if I’m drifting, no guidance, no direction, sails put away and I just bask in the sun, until I’m fried. We are called to be the salt of the earth and I wonder if that is why the sea was made full of salt. Is the sea an analogy of what we are to become? We’re drifters in that turbulent realm, we need the sails, we need the wind, and only with those two can we find direction to become the salt and light of the world.

As we mature in Christ, sail across the sea, fill our inner man with the fullness of God, only then can we be a light or salt to the world. We add the flavor that God has filled us with and carry the load to the shore and share with the lonely soul lying on the beach content in going nowhere. We offer him the hope in Christ so that he too wants to sail across the ocean to see what we’re talking about.

Phil. 3:20 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”

As we converse on the shores of beached humans we have to be ready to provide a strong worthy sailing ship that will guide the people out to sea, given the instruments to sail, and being filled with Christ, the wind will blow carrying them where they need to go. 

As you have been transformed into the maturity of Christ, rooted in LOVE you can relay a message of your growth of your inner man. If you are still full of hate, you have not been transformed into the maturity it takes to bring forth a powerful message. 

Pastor Mike says it like this: “You’ve been given a car to drive with a really powerful engine, but you sit behind the wheel with the key in the ignition. You don’t want to rev the engine. When you do, that is your INNER Man growing.”

We have been given a powerful message; we sit behind the Word throwing out bits and pieces (we read and believe) but have not been filled (spiritually matured) enough to rev our engines. And once we start the engine, we don’t know where to go. Our GPS has failed. Let me assure you, God does not fail; God is faithful.

Once you set sail, open up and let the wind carry you across the sea, you’ll feel the wind like fingers running through your hair, brushing all doubt and fear into the water. Yes, there will be storms but you will be so full of Christ that any storm you sail into, you too will be able to (metaphorically) walk on water.

Steven and I are heading into some turbulent water. He lost his job on Friday and my testimony is that we are blowing through the wind of change. I may be spiritually mature in Christ but it is a continual learning process guided by God of inner growth. Into His arms, I sail. 

May the Lord carry you through turbulent times and place you safely on land to be the salt and light in the world. To Him be the Glory!

Lyrics from Cornerstone by Hillsong:

When Darkness seems to hide His face

I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil

My anchor holds within the veil

Christ alone; cornerstone

Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love

Through the storm, He is Lord

Lord of all

He is Lord

Lord of all