How to be more spiritually healthy in the upcoming year

Titus 1:1-3 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, 3 but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior

Introduction:

     What is meant when we talk of healthy churches or healthy Christianity? A healthy church, or Christian, has the following traits: they prioritize God, pray, place others first, prize scripture and have a passion for evangelism. What can you and I do, in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, to become more spiritually healthy in the upcoming new year? Today we will offer the following answers to this question by noting that the primary trait of Christian spiritual health is when we focus on God. Below we will spell out what it takes to focus our attention on the Lord.

1. Live a life sensitive to God.          Titus 1:1,4

      If we make it our business to focus on God, it will cost us much. Our world and culture are certainly not interested in our spiritual health. We will battle distraction, disappointment and discouragements in our quest to focus on God - yet, the effort will be well worth it! When it comes to the individual Christian life or church life, God uses testings of all sorts to make us stronger in our faith. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 reminds us: 

"For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

      When Paul wrote his short letter to Titus, he was urging him to finish up the work that he (Paul) had begun on that island (see Titus 1:5). The island of Crete is a tenth of the size of the state of New York, yet, it was a considerably difficult work. As any survey of the Titus 1:10-16 will discover, Paul and Titus both had their work cut out for them. Nevertheless, Titus had a proven track record of focusing on God in tough situations.

     Titus' life evidenced a sensitivity to God.  We find 12 or so references to him in the New Testament. We know he was used greatly by God in sorting out the mess Paul dealt with at the church of Corinth. In surveying those letters of Paul, we find a couple examples of how Titus cultivated a sensitivity to God. 

a. He refreshed the souls of others. 

2 Corinthians 7:6 "But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus."

b. He resolved to influence others for God. 

2 Corinthians 8:16 "But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus."

      Clearly Titus was a spiritually healthy Christian, called by God to leverage such influence upon other believers. As I was reading the little letter written by Jude, Jesus' half-brother at the end of the New Testament, I found a recipe for cultivating sensitivity to God. Let me cite the text first, then give you the recipe. The text in question is found in
Jude 1:20-21 

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." 

     Whenever I read that text, I wrote down the following recipe for cultivating sensitivity to God: pursue His word + prayer + practice your faith + put your focus on Christ’s 2nd coming = greater spiritual sensitivity. If we will but consider Titus' example and Jude's words, we will become a more spiritually healthy people and thus, churches. In addition to having a greater sensitivity to God, spiritually healthy people and churches do something else when attempting to focus on God.

2. Lean on the Sovereignty of God.
    Titus 1:1-2
    
    When we speak of, "God's Sovereignty", we refer to the right He has to have authority over our lives, history and everything. A high view of God, in proportion to a lower view of ourselves, will yield a proper view of everything else. Leaning on God's Sovereignty means I'm trusting Him with the outcomes as I put forth the effort to obey. Psalm 103:19 gives a wonderful description of God's Sovereignty: "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all." Romans 11:36 is my favorite passage in the Bible, since it speaks of how far His Sovereignty extends: 

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."

      We can note God's Sovereignty operating in the first two verses of Paul's short letter to Titus.

a. Titus 1:1, “Paul  and apostle”. Sovereignty in sending the Gospel. 

       Paul identifies himself as an "apostle", a "sent one". God sends those that communicate the Gospel to those who need to hear it. Romans 10:14-15 states this truth of God's Sovereignty in the sending of the Gospel: 

"How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

b. Titus 1:1b Sovereignty in saving faith. 

      We see side-by-side, the necessity of faith to receive the Gospel and God’s Sovereign choosing. The Southern Baptist doctrinal statement, Baptist Faith and Message 2000, notes the following of what we see in Titus 1:1 whenever Paul speaks of doing what he does, "for the faith of those chosen of God" , 

"Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility."

       The Bible consistently places both God's Sovereignty in salvation beside mankind's need to respond in faith to that salvation. We find the doctrine of election in roughly 100 spots in the Bible. For example, Abraham was chosen by God and called to be a blessing (Genesis 12:1-7; 18:19). Yet, we also find in Abraham's journey with God that: "he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (see Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3). 

      Within Abraham's own family, we find God choosing Isaac, the younger, over Ishmael, the oldest son (Genesis 17:19). We find that when Isaac had his twin boys, Jacob and Esau, it was Jacob God chose, rather than Esau (Malachi 1:2). Yet, in both Isaac's life and Jacob's, there was a necessary moment where they each needed to respond to God's saving call by faith (Isaac in Genesis 22 and Jacob in Genesis 28). 

      God's Sovereignty in salvation is continued on in the New Testament, with the accompanying response of faith following. Jesus told his disciples in John 15:16 - "You did not choose me, but I chose you." We find of course in that same chapter of John 15 Jesus' repeated emphasis of "abiding in Him", which is another way of exercising trust or faith in Him. In 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 we read:

"But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

     Affirming reliance upon God's Sovereignty gives the Christian, and churches, more reason to actually do evangelism. The Apostle Paul was told in Acts 18:9-11 

"And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them."

      The underlined phrase in Acts 18:10 tells us that God already was at work in specific people in Corinth whom had not yet believed. God didn't tell Paul who they were. Thus, Paul knew that he and his fellow workers needed to share the Gospel with everyone, while trusting God for the results. Although we may not know how God's Sovereignty and human responsibility exactly fit together, all we know is "that they fit together". We are to exercise ourselves in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible reading, corporate worship and evangelism as prescribed to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Thankfully, such activities are never in vain, since the goals of such efforts are designed by God, and the results are completely in His hands. We can have a greater level of spiritual health in the upcoming year when we focus on God by developing a greater sensitivity to Him and leaning on His Sovereignty. There is one more thought to consider before we close out today, namely.....

3. Look to the scriptures revealed        by God.    Titus 1:3-4

As Paul states to Titus in Titus 1:3-4,

"but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior, 4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior."

       Paul reminds Titus, and us, that God's Word, the Bible, is the source of not only Christian salvation, but continued growth in sanctification. Put another way, the preaching of the Word of God, week after week, year after year, decade after decade, is aimed at saving the lost and feeding the saints. We read of the importance of looking to the scriptures for our spiritual health in other key passages. Romans 10:17 tells us: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Or again, Romans 15:4 

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

    We also find Paul reminding another young pastor, Timothy, of the central place the Word of God is to occupy in the spiritual well-being of his life and the people to whom he serves in 1 Timothy 4:16, 

"Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you." 

     The Apostle Peter underscores the necessity of scripture for spiritual health in 1 Peter 1:23-25, 

"for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you."

Closing thoughts:

    As we close out today's post, we have expressed how important it is for spiritually healthy Christians and churches to focus on God. We suggested three practices to accomplish greater spiritual health in the upcoming new year:

1. Live a life sensitive to God.
2. Lean on the Sovereignty of God.
3. Look to the scripture revealed by          God.

What It Means To Hunger For God

Psalm 34:10 "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing."

Introduction:

In today's post we want to look at the oft-used metaphor of "hunger" in the Bible. This word-picture describes what ought to be the spiritual impulse of God's people. When it is said to "hunger for God", what exactly is meant? The opening text of today's post portrays a pride of lions on a hunt. David would had been familiar with such imagery. David was a shepherd before he was King of Israel. Shepherds often kept their flocks in and around the Judean wilderness where predators would stalk their prey. We can picture these young lions coming up empty. Their inexperience and lack of skills may had been the culprit. Whatever the case may be, these lions have growling stomachs that drive them on to pursue their quarry. For the believer in Jesus Christ, nothing less than the presence of God will do. So what can we say about hungering for God?

1. Hungering for God means desperation for God. 

Whenever one is physically hunger - they crave and crave, desiring to fill their bellies with the object of their cravings. In the physical realm, hunger drives a person to accomplish their labor. Proverbs 16:26 states - "A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on." The principle laid out in Proverbs is transferable to the spiritual realm. Christians ought to be a people that are "driven" by an intense desperation for God. David writes in Psalm 27:4 "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple." It is this hunger for God that fuel's genuine worship. David again writes in Psalm 63:1-3 "O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.

Author Rhonda Hughey writes in her book: "Desperate For His Presence":

"People who are desperate for God's presence move beyond convenience and comfort. They have gotten hold of something in their spirit, and they cannot let go. For them, Jesus is not a religious concept-He is reality. The very fact that Jesus came to live among us is a clear example of His desire to be with us in a way that we can both understand and pursue."

Such a desperation for God characterizes the beginning of saving faith worked out in the human heart in salvation by the Holy Spirit. Jesus expresses this point in Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." So when we talk of hungering for God, we speak of a desperation for Him. Notice another description of this concept....

2. Hungering for God means desiring the things of God

Have you ever gotten in a conversation where the people are trying to decide where they'd like to eat? Someone might say a burger place, another "pizza" and a third "Chinese food". As the group attempts to zero down their options, some will appeal to whatever items accompany such choices. For example, a particular burger place has amazing sauce that can't be beat. The pizza people will evoke the heavenly crust or fresh toppings. For those craving Chinese food, there may be a desire for the tang of the freshly made "sweet-and-sour" sauce or the tenderness of the chicken-fried-rice. In other words, people will choose a food place by the things that accompany it.

I'm sure you have went to a particular restaurant known for its steak, or seafood or soups. In a seafood place, isn't it odd whenever someone decides to order a hamburger? Though they claim they wanted to go try out the seafood place, the "things" associated with such eateries are of no-interest. 

Whenever God's people gather together in a Sunday morning worship service or do a service project, there are certain "things" that ought to be craved. The so-called "things of God" are described as the objects of the spiritual appetite desiring to satiate spiritual hunger. Let me just mention three "things-of-God" that we ought to crave that demonstrates our genuine hunger for God.

A. Personal holiness. 

Jesus mentions how those who are converted in saving faith are blessed as a result of "hungering and thirsting for righteousness" (Matthew 5:16). Those who walk with God develop a hunger for holiness, since they are in fellowship with God who is holy (see Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16). Personal holiness is exercised by wanting to obey God and expressed in how much we love others with the love of God. James 1:26-27 reminds us: "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

B. Person of Christ.

Those who claim to hunger for God ought to have a desire to know Jesus as clearly, nearly and dearly as possible. John 6:35 records the following statement by Jesus - "Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."

C. Proclamation of the scriptures.

Whenever we hunger for God, one of the things that ought to be included in our cravings are the scriptures. Jeremiah writes for example in Jeremiah 15:16 "Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts." Or again, 1 Peter 2:2 "like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." Whenever God's people gather together in a worship service or in small group Bible study, what ought to characterize such gatherings is a desire to dig. Going deeper into the scriptures is not so much concerned only with factual knowledge, but faith building. We can only live out our faith by its length in-so-far as we have given ourselves to the scriptures in their depth. 

So we've identified hungering for God has having to do with a desperation for Him and a desire for the things He emphasizes as connected with His character. Let's consider one final point.

3. Hungering for God means depending on God. 

This final thought covers how we cultivate an ongoing status of hungering for God. A simple illustration of this is in driving an automobile. We drive our cars to get from one place to the next. People depend on cars to travel long distances. What happens whenever we are depending more on our vehicles? they get low on gas. Along the way there are gas stations. Although not every car stops in at any particular gas station - yet, at some point, such a stop will have to be made. The car is designed to run on gas. The car's dependence on fuel makes having fuel a matter of necessity for its operation. Our dependence upon a vehicle depending on fuel translates into us needing to go to a gas station. 

Whenever we think of the Christian life, one thing God is trying to cure us of is "self". Self has been identified as "me-in-me". Whenever Christ comes into my life at saving faith, therein begins this battle between the self or flesh or "me-in-me" versus the new found nature of "Christ-in-me". Rather than remaining "independent", I must become "dependent on God". Such a state-of-affairs ensures that I will hunger for God. By depending on God, I discover that I have the drive to want to live for God (see Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 40:31; Philippians 3:12-13). 

Closing thoughts

Today we noted some Biblical texts and other thoughts that lend aid in answering the question: "what does it mean to hunger for God". We discovered three answers. First, being desperate for God. Second, desiring the things of God (God's presence, the person of Christ and the preaching of the word). Thirdly, dependence on God. 

P1 What you need for healthy Christian discipleship - Pastoral Ministry

Ephesians 4:11-13 "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ."

1 Timothy 4:6 "In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following."

Introduction:

Christian leader Joseph Stowell made the following observation about the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo in his devotional book: "Day by Day with Jesus - Strength for the Journey": "Michelangelo is said to have often painted with a brush in one hand and a shielded candle in another to prevent his shadow from covering the masterpiece he was creating. As God works through us to craft His glory and gain, we must be careful that our shadows are not cast across the canvas of His work."

Today's post and the next couple of posts will deal with a very important subject: what you need for healthy Christian growth in discipleship. The clearest definition we find for "discipleship" is where Jesus expresses in Luke 9:23-24 "And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." To be a disciple means to follow Jesus in attitude, in mind and in heart for the goal of becoming like Him. As a pastor, I am convinced that the hindrances to our Christian growth stems from us doing what Michelangelo in the quote above tried to avoid: namely casting our own shadows on God's continuing work of making us more and more like Jesus. 

We often will cite Ephesians 2:8-9 as one of the clearest Biblical definitions of salvation - and rightly so. In that text we see defined salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. However very few people go onto Ephesians 2:10, which deals with why the Lord calls and saves sinners: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." 

Healthy Christian growth is not optional for the Christian

Oddly enough, many Christians today seem satisfied with little or no progress in their Christian walk. God chose, called and convicted sinners by His Spirit to believe on Christ apart from good works for the purpose of growing up in a salvation that is to abound in good works. The overall pattern and design of the Christian life is to grow onward and upward in the Lord. Such growth may experience seasonal declines, however the vast majority of the Christian life ought to witness advances and an overall pattern of change. Passages such as 2 Peter 3:18 explicitly command us to grow up in our walk with Christ: "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." Peter also writes in 1 Peter 2:2 "like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." Like the Apostle Peter, the Apostle Paul also explains the need of healthy Christian growth. Romans 12:2 is but one example - "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." All of these passages urges Christians to pursue healthy Christian discipleship.

The urgency for healthy Christian growth is not up for debate in the scriptures. The question is: what and how do Christians grow in their Christian lives? The premise of these next few posts will be that healthy Christians make for healthy churches. God has prescribed three main ministries in the local church to ensure the spiritual healthy of Christians. Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 4:12  "And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." We will be exploring two chapters (Ephesians 4 and 1 Timothy 4) to discover what I am calling "the 3-braided rope" of healthy Christian growth in Christians and the church, which includes the following:

1. Pastoral ministry (1 Timothy 4; Ephesians 4:11-12)

2. Church-body life (Ephesians 4:13-24)

3. Small-groups (Ephesians 4:25-29)

So let us look first of all at how God has prescribed pastoral ministry for the healthy Christian growth of the Christian and the local church.

God has ordained pastoral ministry to be one of the three resources for healthy Christian growth

It is appropriate to be drawing these posts from Ephesians 4 and 1 Timothy 4, since both letters were written to the same church. Paul's letter to the Ephesian church was written in 60 A.D to the Ephesian congregation, urging them to be enriched in every spiritual blessing in Christ. Paul's letter to Timothy was composed 2 years later, urging him as a pastor to grow spiritually (1 Timothy 4:16) and to lead the Ephesians in ongoing spiritual growth and conduct (1 Timothy 3:15). 

When we come first of all to 1 Timothy 4, we see in general outline form the importance of pastoral ministry in the life of the Christian and the local church. Paul's point of the importance of pastoral ministry in 1 Timothy 4 can be summarized under four headings that spell out why Christians and churches need pastoral ministry for their Christian growth. We will consider these in alphabetical form:

1. Anchoring of people in God's truth. 1 Timothy 4:1-6

Christians and churches need men who will courageously and compassionately preach the truth in love. Moreover, pastors need to love their people by being present and interactive in their lives. A good pastor can provide an anchoring point for a church or a Christian who is experiencing seismic shifts. The pastor's ability to do so stems not from himself, but rather Christ working in and through him (see Colossians 1:27). 

2. Building godliness into people's lives. 1 Timothy 4:7-8

Jesus desires not only a loving church, but a loving church that love's His holiness and expresses holy love. pastors need to regularly urge their congregations onto holy lives that bear witness of God's love and transforming power (1 Peter 2:9-12; Hebrews 3:12-13; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Peter 5)

3. Communicating the Gospel. 1 Timothy 4:9-10

Five times in Paul's pastoral letters (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus) we find reference to these "statements worthy of all acceptance". In 1 Timothy 4:9-10 we find one of the clearest statements summarizing the Person and work of Jesus Christ as communicated in the Gospel. A pastor not only needs to feed His flock but also evangelize sinners both inside and outside the church. His purpose is undoubtedly to equip the saints to be witnesses of Christ wherever they live and work. Yet too, the pastor himself ought to be about looking for opportunities to share Jesus in personal daily interactions with people. Such practices enable the pastor to urge his people to communicate the Gospel.

So thus far we have seen how God uses pastoral ministry to encourage healthy Christian growth: anchoring people in the truth, building godliness into people's lives and communicating the Gospel. Now lets consider one final element as to why pastoral ministry is necessary for healthy Christian growth, namely....

4. Demonstrating healthy Christianity. 1 Timothy 4:11-16

If a pastor is to be effective in urging his congregation to healthy Christian growth in discipleship, he himself must live it! Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:15-16 "Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you."

Closing thoughts

As we have seen today, pastoral ministry is necessary for Christian growth in discipleship. Pastors have been called by God to anchor people in His truth (1 Timothy 4:1-6); build godliness into people's lives (1 Timothy 4:7-8); communicate the gospel (1 Timothy 4:9-10) and demonstrate healthy Christianity (1 Timothy 4:11-16). In turning quickly to Ephesians 4:11-12, we find an inspired summary of why pastor ministry is among the three God-ordained methods for healthy Christian growth in Christians and the local church: "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of thesaints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ."

The Christian's declaration of dependence and true freedom

Romans 8:1-2 "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."

Introduction: Comparing National Freedom and Spiritual Freedom

When we talk about freedom, what comes to mind? Undoubtedly this 4th of July weekend celebrates the freedom we have as Americans. American freedom is marked by "independence". The opening paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, states: "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

The July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence represents the quintessential statement of freedom that birthed forth our nation. Inasmuch as "independence" often marks freedom in respect to men, the opposite is the case in matters relating to the Christian life. Sin at its very core attempts to envision life independent from God. Whenever a Christian tries to live apart from submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Christian life becomes locked down. Today's post is about explaining Romans 8:1-11 in what we could call: "the declaration of dependence". We will propose that true spiritual freedom is dependence by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The natural human realm generally shows that life independent from God leads to tyranny

The founding fathers of this nation understood as a general principle that living apart from God and His word will only lead to further human tyranny. Unless many of them had been Christians, such an insight might not have been gained. Tyranny is the inevitable outcome whenever a nation or a people attempt to cut its moorings from God. Charles Carroll, one of the signers of the "Declaration of Independence", notes: "Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure...are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." Carroll's statement shows that with respect to God in general, what marks true freedom (even more so than national freedom) is not independence, but dependence. The specific revelation of this point in scripture itself reinforces the argument in texts such as Proverbs 14:34 and Jeremiah 18:7-10. 

Spiritual freedom is dependence upon God

Only when one has become born-again by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the greatest and most purest freedom is experienced. Spiritual freedom is dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself states in John 8:34-36 "Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." 

Spiritual freedom's core trait of dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ is total opposite to how we may typically think of freedom in the natural realm. Galatians 5:1 states - "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." The yoke of slavery made us dead in sins and trespasses and separated from God, without hope in this world. (Ephesians 2:12) Jesus Himself states in Matthew 11:28  “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." True freedom is experienced as a result of submission under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (Luke 9:23-24) Freedom is dependence on God in Jesus Christ.

For people who find themselves enslaved to their past, the chief mark of life is (perceived) independence from God. Paul reminds the Thessalonians of the change that took place in them in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 - "For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come." Unlike our civil freedom in which we broke ties with a human Sovereign, the Gospel declares that true freedom is only found when we are reconciled to the Divine Sovereign. Spiritual freedom is dependence upon God.

Getting real specific about spiritual freedom in the Gospel - The believer's declaration of dependence - Romans 8:1-11

In general the scriptures assert this underlying premise that true spiritual freedom results from dependence, rather than independence from God. In Romans 8:1-11 Paul spells out what is entailed in the wonder of spiritual freedom that the Christian enjoys as a result of the Gospel. Spiritual freedom in Christ means we have been freed "from" things and are free "to" things. 

1. Freedom from condemnation. 8:1-2

2. Freedom to desire God.   8:5-8

3. Freedom to live for God.   8:3-4,9-11

When we are set free by Jesus Christ in saving faith, we find that we are free to do what we ought to do. You and I cannot get "out" of condemnation unless we are "in" Christ. Romans 8:2 describes how this occurs: namely by the Spirit of Life and His guiding influence or what Paul terms "law". On February 20, 1962, decorated WWII and Korean War veteran John Glenn circumnavigated our globe three times in a span of just under 5 hours. Reaching speeds of over 17,000 m.p.h, Glenn achieved a feat that no one had ever accomplished. How did he do it? He did this otherwise impossible feat by climbing into the Mercury program space capsule known as "Friendship 7". Moreover, the laws of lift and science of Rocketry were necessary to overcome the other leading influence - gravity. Glenn's inaugural journey was one of the quintessential moments that launched the modern space race. You and I dear friend need to be "in Christ" if we are to declare dependence on God and be set free from condemnation.

Closing thoughts & applications

By being set free from condemnation and set free to desire God, the sinner is transformed into a saint who now can live for God. True freedom depends on God through faith in Jesus Christ, both in the beginning and ongoing realities of Christian salvation. This is what makes Romans 8:1-11 so wonderful, in that it is the believer's “declaration of dependence”. The irony of the Gospel is that one is never more free than when their bound to Jesus Christ. True freedom as spelled out in Romans 8:1-11 means:

1). Freed from condemnation as a result of depending on His righteousness (Romans 8:1-2).

2). Free to desire God as a result of dying to my own selfish desires (Romans 8:5-8).

3). Free to live for God as a result of dying to self (Romans 8:3-4, 9-11) Jesus taught that such freedom is at the heart of what it means to be a follower of Him (Luke 9:23-24; 14:26-33; Romans 6:19-20).

So as we practically live out our freedom in Jesus Christ, how ought it to be? First, we of course must begin by getting into Christ by faith. (Romans 8:1-2) Secondly, following conversion, we re-order our minds around the scripture. (Romans 8:3-8) Then finally, we rely upon the indwelling Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:9-11)

Levels of Spiritual receptivity

Luke 7:28-31 I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John. 31 “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?"

Introduction:

How often have you been in an area where there is poor phone reception? Usually mountains or a low lying area can be the culprits. Othertimes it can be the result of the phone company not covering that particular area. An average cellphone will have an indicator that will tell you how many bars of signal you have. In the Bible we see different levels of spiritual receptivity. In some cases we see people whom we would think had "five bars" of service not respond to Jesus. In other cases we those who (on the surface) seem the least likely to respond exhibit faith in the Master. Luke 7:28-50 gives us a quick overview of the typical patterns we see in the realm of spiritual receptivity. 

Main point of application:

Today's point of application for this post will be: "Faith receives the things of God and love measures the level of reception." Let us look at the people Jesus addresses to not only determine their level of spiritual receptivity, but our own.

Self-sufficient people won't receive. Luke 7:28-36

Jesus makes reference to the ministry of John the Baptist, and how some had responded and others had rejected. He then tells a curious little parable in conjunction with His point. Like children playing in the streets of an average Jewish town, so can be either the generation of Jesus' day or our own. Children loved to mimic the two most public ceremonies that they witnessed adults performing: weddings and funerals. As the children would go through a given set of streets, they would play a little flute and invite other children to join in the game. The object was for one group to start the scene (wedding or funeral) and the second group to finish it. Jesus used this recognizable imagery to point out the fact that John the Baptist was like those who played "funeral" and Jesus was like those who played "wedding". Sadly, whether the tune and tone was serious or joyous, no one wanted to respond.

In our day and age we see our churches experiencing similar results. We will put on revivals and emphasize the need to repent and get right with God. If that don't work, we will then put on events and promote church as a fun place, or set our sermons and programs in such an alternating manner. The problem, as always, lies in the human heart. Self-sufficient people will say: "I'm too busy and I don't have time" or "I got better things to do". Jesus notes that wisdom is vindicated or justified by her children, meaning that those who are truly the redeemed will come to hear the Word and sing the songs of praise, no matter if there are bells and whistles or not. Point being, self-sufficient people have zero bars of spiritual receptivity due to the fact they "won't". But lets look at a second type of lack of spiritual receptivity...

Self-righteous people can't receive. Luke 7:36-46

We read these words in Luke 7:36-37 "Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume." Two contrasting figures are presented by Luke: a self-righteous man who thought he was right with God and a righteous former-sinner who felt like she did not deserve to be right with God. No doubt, these two are connected to the little parable Jesus tells about the two debtors in Luke 7:40-43. Though both debtors owed disproportionate amounts of money (one owed ten times more than the other), both had not ability to pay the debt back. Yet both were forgiven, with the greater debtor loving the Master the most.  This parable suggests to us that perhaps the sinful woman in the town had been a recent convert to Jesus' ministry. She may had been influenced by John the Baptist's ministry, as suggested by Jesus' references to him in Luke 7:25-29 and the fact that such people like the woman had been converted under John's ministry (see Matthew 21:32). 

Whichever the case regarding this woman's conversion, it must had been near the time of this episode of Jesus entering into Simon's home. The fact this woman was attempting to know his whereabouts suggests that she was looking for a way to thank Jesus. 

Meanwhile Simon evidenced less than love for Jesus. It is hard to tell whether he truly had faith or was being merely religious in out form. The parable that Jesus tells suggests that Simon might had been a convert, however from Simon's actions and attitude of heart, it would seem that his self-rightousness was perhaps the only thing he had going for him. It is afterall the attitude of Simon's heart that gives us the opportunity to see a glimpse of Jesus' deity in the veil of His humanity. He reads Simon's heart and delivers the stinging parable. (Luke 7:40-43) 

Self-righteousness can't receive spiritual truth and self-sufficiency won't receive spiritual truth. Why? Notice the common word in these two thoughts: "self". Self is that principle operating with us that wants what it wants and when it wants. But now lets turn our attention back to the woman once again and see why she could receive spiritual truth. 

A Forgiven and Loving heart is spiritually receptive Luke 7:44-50

As Jesus weaves his way back and forth between addressing Simon and pointing to the example of the woman, we see why this woman exhibited such love. We read in Luke 7:47-50 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 

Again this woman had experience a prior work of God as a result of Jesus' preaching or perhaps upon hearing something about John the Baptist's preaching about Jesus. Either way this woman felt it necessary to break convention and exhibit extragant love. We know from elsewhere in the Gospels (Mt 26:6-13) that her pouring out of perfume would had been the equivalency of a year's wages. This woman honored Jesus beyond what was required - a token of grace. The Pharisees in the house did not even bother to wash Jesus' feet, a failure in even the most basic exercise of hospitality - a sign of self-righteousness. 

The faith of this woman and the love that resulted evidence the prior working of God. She was so firmly persuaded about Jesus Christ. Her spiritual receptivity was off the charts. No matter how many mountains there would be for her to overcome (she still had her past and reputation to contend with), this woman had all five bars of reception when it came to Jesus!

Closing Thoughts:

Today we looked at the subject of levels of spiritual receptivity. Our main point of application was: "Faith receives the things of God and love measure the level of reception." We saw that self-sufficiency won't receive spiritual truth and self-righteousness cannot receive it. Only a heart that has faith issuing forth in love has the ability to retain spiritual receptivity to Jesus Christ and the scriptures. Nothing will be able to keep such people away, neither will any added enticements be necessary to make Jesus and His words more precious than they already are. 

P5 Growing up into spiritual maturity - Target areas for spiritual maturity

Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."

Review:The past several days have been dedicated to understanding the Biblical teaching on spiritual maturity. The main point of application for this whole series of posts has been: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. Today's post will take the principles we have been working through and spell out particular areas to target in our pursuit of spiritual growth in Jesus Christ. We will then close out this series with a final thought from Dr. Adrian Rogers on the importance of spiritual Christian growth. My hope and prayer is that these series of posts have proven beneficial to your walk with the Lord.

Particular areas to target in spiritual growth.
We have thus considered the patterns for spiritual maturity in understanding our main point of application in this message: your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. Paul’s excitement over hearing about the Colossians pursuit of spiritual maturity leads him to write these words in Colossians 1:9a “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that….”. What is the “that” that Paul is praying for? He is alerting both his readers and us to particular areas to target in spiritual growth. I will list them in short order:

a. Doctrinal = Colossians 1:9b …”you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

b. Testimony = Colossians 1:10a “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects….”

c. Morality = Colossians 1:10b “bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”

d. Godward focus = Colossians 1:11-12 “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

Those four target areas of spiritual maturity are not only areas we ought to strive for, but pray through and aim for in reliance upon the Lord. 

Closing thoughts:
Today we have considered the main point of application in today’s post: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. We have also looked at the patterns for spiritual growth and four specific target areas: doctrinal, testimony, morality and Godward focus. I close out this post with an observation from Dr. Adrian Rogers. Dr. Rogers in his book: "What every Christian ought to know", writes these words on pages 245-246 - "We need love that comes with Christian growth and maturity. There need be no division between truth and love. Some have made that division. Truth without love may be a form of brutality. Love without truth may be empty sentimentality. May God deliver us from the immature pronouncements of those who have loveless truth and the immature emotionalism of those who have truthless love. With truth and no love one may swell up. With love and no truth one may blow up. But truth and love cause the Christian to grow up."

P4 Growing up into spiritual maturity - Cultivating spiritual growth in Christ

Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."


Review & Illustration:
We looked yesterday at the three braided rope of spiritual maturity: inward maturity, upward maturity and outward-focused maturity.  We noted that the scriptures uniformly define spiritual maturity along the lines of how we are growing in Christ in our souls, in relationship to Him and in how we relate to others. When we started this series a few days ago, I shared an illustration about a little tree that my mother and me had to cultivate and bring back to health.  Today's post features that illustration once again to communicate the main point of today's post: cultivating spiritual growth in Christ.


I can recall growing up as a boy and receiving in my first grade year a little pine tree to plant in our yard. I asked my parents if we could plant the little tree near a big bush toward the back of the house. I felt in my little six year old mind that the bush would protect the little tree from getting dried out by the sun. Over the next ten years that little tree hardly grew. We knew something was wrong and that it was contrary to nature for a ten year old tree to be basically no different from a first year sapling. We discovered that the big bush was sapping up all of its nutrients and as the bush grew, the shade prevented the tree from getting the necessary sunlight. We decided to move the tree to another part of the yard that was adjacent to a creek that ran alongside our property. My mother had developed an interest in cultivating roses and aided me in staking the nearly dead little tree. We fed it all kinds of plant food and within 3 years the tree doubled in size and in 3 more years quickly grew to maturity. That little tree was designed by God to grow and mature, and it required nutrients, sunlight and our involvement in making sure it would maximize what it was created to do – grow!  Disciples of Jesus Christ are given in their new nature the inherent desire to want to mature in their faith.


How is spiritual maturity cultivated?
Think of the little tree illustration that we explained earlier – the requirement of multiple people was necessary to not only maintain but to ensure the tree’s natural maturity. Likewise, spiritual maturity operates on similar principles. Outside of sickness and emergency, Christians cannot expect to grow and flourish in their Christian walk without the ministry of the scriptures and the local church.

The presence of God’s word in Colossians 1:5-6 functions as the life sustaining food for spiritual maturity. 1 Peter 2:2 “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” 

Then, pastoral ministry and the local church is the support system for spiritual maturity in Colossians 1:6-8. Pastors like Epaphras in Colossians 1:7 have been called by God to do five things in the local church: love God, love their families, live out the scriptures, love the people & lead by example. All of those areas are not just for the pastor’s sake, but more so for the sake of His people. Furthermore, the pastor needs the local church body in order to fulfill the calling God has given to him. In other words, I need you and you need me and we need one another to pursue God’s calling to us to grow up into spiritual maturity.


Whatsoever is true in the pew applies equally well in the pulpit: none of us can expect to spiritually grow without one another. Ephesians 4:11-12 reminds us: “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”


More  tomorrow......

P3 Growing upinto spiritual maturity - the three-braided rope of spiritual maturity

Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."
Review from yesterday:
In yesterday's post we considered what the Bible in general and the Book of Colossians in particular has to say about the subject of spiritual maturity. We noted the following point of application: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. Today we continue this series by noting some patterns that are associated with spiritual maturity in the Christian life.

Growing up into spiritual maturity – Patterns and Particular areas Colossians 1:1-12
As we have noted already, the point of application for today’s post is: your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. What patterns and particular areas do we find in Colossians 1:1-12 when it comes to growing up into spiritual maturity?

Patterns for growing up into spiritual maturity: “inward”, “upward” & “outward”, cultivated by the scriptures and the local church – Colossians 1:1-8
Paul’s formal greeting to this church in Colossians 1:1-2 begins our exploration of the patterns for growing up into spiritual maturity. Particularly in Colossians 1:2, we see reference to the Colossians in terms of their spiritual identity as “saints” or “holy ones”, their relationship to one another in the term “faithful brethren” and then their relationship to their Lord by the little phrase “in Christ”. Paul then launches into his thankfulness for the Colossians as a result of seeing their spiritual maturity. He zeroes in on the three-fold pattern of spiritual maturity we just saw in Colossians 1:2: an “inward” element, an “outward” element and an “upward element”. In other words, all spiritual maturity can be measured by how well we are cultivating our hearts (inward), relating to other people (outward) and focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ (upward). Think of these 3 patterns as the three braided rope of spiritual maturity. 

First we see how and where spiritual maturity begins: on the inward level in Colossians 1:3-4a: "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith….” Next we find how the “inward” patterns of our spiritual maturity ought to lead to the “upward” focus of the Christian life – Jesus Christ – also in Colossians 1:4 “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus….”. Then thirdly, that “inward” and “upward” pattern of spiritual maturity should naturally lead to how we “outwardly” relate to other people. All three patterns are seen in their full bloom in Colossians 1:4 “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints.” 

With that “three-braided” rope of spiritual maturity explained, the question is: how is spiritual maturity cultivated? 


To find out the answer, come back tomorrow....

P2 Growing up into spiritual maturity - The Bible's teaching on spiritual maturity

Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."
Review from yesterday:
In yesterday's post we considered introductory thoughts to the subject of growing up into spiritual maturity. We noted the following point of application: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. Today we consider briefly what the Bible in general and the Book of Colossians in particular has to say about spiritual maturity.


How the Bible and Colossians define spiritual maturity
When you begin surveying Bible passages on spiritual maturity in both the Old and New Testaments, you discover certain principles that aid in understanding spiritual maturity. Key scriptures such as Deuteronomy 7:22; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, Ephesians 4:11-12, 2 Timothy 3:12 & Hebrews 5:13-14 reveal that spiritual maturity happens in progression, entails discipline, requires the ministry of the local church, thrives under difficulty and entails the Christian's cooperation with the Holy Spirit.


When we trace the theme of spiritual maturity in the Book of Colossians, we find it flows right along with the main theme of Colossians: “Jesus is Enough”.

1. Colossians 2:6-7 "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."


This text here continues on the theme of Colossians 1:1-12. The book of Colossians, along with the book of Hebrews, are two books in the New Testament that deal specifically with finding one's fulfillment and maturity in the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

2. Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."


This particular passage is significant in that the word "word" could be taken to either refer to the written word - the Bible, or the living word - Jesus Christ. One of the hallmarks of spiritual maturity is in making one's life a palatial dwelling place for the Lord and His word. The more central the Bible becomes to our everyday thoughts and lives, the more likely we are growing in spiritual maturity.

3. Colossians 4:5 “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.”


Spiritual maturity not only has to do with how we relate to the Lord and how we take care of ourselves but also in how we relate to other people. "Making the most of every opportunity” means that even in the most extreme circumstances, we take what we have and use it for the glory of God. Over time we discover that if anyone wants to be Godly in Christ Jesus, they should expect to suffer. (see 2 Timothy 3:12) 

Whenever you come to our target text of Colossians 1:1-12, we get the specifics on the Biblical emphasis of spiritual maturity. Again the point of application is: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity.


More tomorrow....

P1 Growing up into spiritual maturity

Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."


Introduction & Illustration:
I can recall growing up as a boy and receiving in my first grade year a little pine tree to plant in our yard. I asked my parents if we could plant the little tree near a big bush toward the back of the house. I felt in my little six year old mind that the bush would protect the little tree from getting dried out by the sun. Over the next ten years that little tree hardly grew. We knew something was wrong and that it was contrary to nature for a ten year old tree to be basically no different from a first year sapling. We discovered that the big bush was sapping up all of its nutrients and as the bush grew, the shade prevented the tree from getting the necessary sunlight. We decided to move the tree to another part of the yard that was adjacent to a creek that ran alongside our property. My mother had developed an interest in cultivating roses and aided me in staking the nearly dead little tree. We fed it all kinds of plant food and within 3 years the tree doubled in size and in 3 more years quickly grew to maturity. That little tree was designed by God to grow and mature, and it required nutrients, sunlight and our involvement in making sure it would maximize what it was created to do – grow!


Disciples of Jesus Christ are given in their new nature the inherent desire to want to mature in their faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 for example says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Most people will readily quote that text, however very few consider 2:10 which explains why God regenerates sinners to saving faith in the first place: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” To not engage in spiritual maturity is contrary to the Christian’s nature. In today’s post we want to begin considering the subject of “Growing up into spiritual maturity” out of Colossians 1:1-12.

 
Point of Application:
If you remember nothing else from this post today, the one thought that God would have us to understand from Colossians 1:1-12 would be this: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity.

More tomorrow....