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

Lent: Day forty-four ~ Salt & Light

Matt. 5: 13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Have you ever eaten a softened boiled potato, plain? How does that taste? I prefer a little salt on my food; seasoned up nicely otherwise it is very bland. Your life as a Christian should be making an impact on those around you just as the salt does to the potato, by adding seasoning to their life. Not a bold chili-pepper type of seasoning, just a tad bit of salt.

God is calling us to be the salt and Light of the earth.

Salt as a preservative ~ In ancient time salt was used to keep meat from spoiling. Salt in those days was as important as a refrigerator is to us today. If we faithfully represent Jesus, we can leave a positive effect on those around us.

Salt adds flavor ~ Just as salt can add a welcome flavor to your potato. Even if we’re not the brightest bulb in the world, we can allow the Holy-Spirit to shine through us thus adding a nice touch of flavor to those around you.

Salt penetrates ~ It doesn’t take too much salt on that potato to make the entire meal have extra flavor. A godly person has that penetrating capability to those around them.

Salt makes you thirsty ~ When you walk in a godly fashion through pain and strife and overcome obstacles that others struggle with, people want to know where you get that peace and strength from; they thirst for the same tranquility in their lives. We are called to be salt of the earth to show them that through God, they too can find the inner peace.

Salt spreads nicely ~ It doesn’t take an enormous amount of shaking of the salt-shaker to season the whole plate of food. Think of it this way, thousands of years ago, Jesus seasoned just a small batch of potatoes. Me sharing what Jesus has done in my life is the most effective form of spreading the Gospel.

Salt can lose its flavor ~ Matt. 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

This is what happens to believers who allow sin to rule their lives, they lose the impact they could have had on people when delivering the message of Christ.

Salt in excess can backfire ~ I remember my mother used to make chicken-noodle soup and share it with me, it always had way too much salt so I got the recipe and made my own, sharing it with her. She told me that mine tasted better than hers! Why? Because I used less salt.Too much salt is not a good thing.

One can spread too much gospel and actually deter people from Christ. Spreading the Gospel should be lightly seasoning lives not overpowering them to where they flee from Christ.

We are called to be the Light of the world. The Light within you comes from Christ. It can be a beacon for all to see. Just as a lighthouse is a guide, you can be a guide for others who are struggling in their belief. You don’t even need to be a lighthouse; just a simple candle in a darkened room can give just the right amount of Light.

But remember even a candle can lose its brightness. When we allow sin to permeate the environment the candle becomes dim. You need to keep the fire stoked by trimming off the excess wick so the flame burns brighter and brighter.  This is how obedience to Christ keeps us shining for all to see.

If you are being salt and light, you are impacting the world! Through your actions, behavior and treatment of others all lends to your Christian character. You can either guide the ships into a safe harbor, or drive them further out to sea. The Lord calls us to purify our souls and allow people to SEE the PURITY in you; you then become salt and Light to the world.

I hope by the end of reading this post I made you hungry, and not for potatoes and chicken noodle soup either, hungry for CHRIST! Now go on out into the world and add a little salt and Light.

Praise be to God!