|
Home
Archive
October
September
August
Comments
and/or Questions
|
Thursday, October
16, 2008
A Mature Realm
1 Corinthians 13:9-11 For we know in
part, and we prophesy in part. (10) But when that which is perfect is come,
then that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I
spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I
became a man, I put away childish things. (KJV)
It is expected of our Lord that once you
have accepted His plan of salvation that you grow and mature in the things
of the Spirit, which is what that word perfect is referring to. Once you
come into agreement with God’s plan of salvation and have a spiritual
understanding of His word then that which was in part, or partial, our
understanding is done away. However, for many they don’t grow and mature in
the things of God, but rather they try to mix and match, holding to their
limited understanding which limits God from working in and through them as
well. Again, you can tell a child a lot of stories that get them excited
because they are gullible; you know, like many do in December when mankind
claims it is Christmas time, but the fact is that those that come to a
mature understanding of who they are in Christ will put away these childish
things and not try to drag around all this dead weight. I use Christmas as
an example because as a child I was told what a special time it was and how
many neat things were taking place. However people, just like with Santa Clause,
once I saw through that one everything else fell in place concerning the
rest of the lie as well. Why so called Christians continue to give credence
to this abomination still is beyond me, but hey it just shows you how
immature they still are.
Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 Rejoice, O young
man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth,
and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but
know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (10)
Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh:
for childhood and youth are vanity. (KJV)
Rather than walking according to your
carnal senses and what pleases the flesh, as a Christian you need to grow
and learn how to walk according to your spiritual senses. In essence this
is what the writer of Ecclesiastes is saying, that because you continue in
your childish ways, doing what pleases self, God will surly bring you into
judgment for this. Verse 10 is similar to what the author of Corinthians is
saying; that it is time to remove and put away childish things so that you
can come to a more perfect understanding of what the will of the Lord is
for your walk. For many though, instead of removing these childish things
they try to hang onto them and justify their lower fallen natures, thus the
reason why there are so many denominations out there, something to pacify
every desire of man and not the Lord.
1 Corinthians 3:1-4 And I, brethren,
could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as
unto babes in Christ. (2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for
hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. (3) For
ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and
divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (4) For while one saith, I
am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (KJV)
Another telling fact that one will notice
with immature Christians is when they hold more to a denomination and a
person rather than knowing who they are in Christ. For many of these
childish people, they have more knowledge of what the organization believes
than what the Word of God says, thus defending a lie and not standing in
truth. Another reason many fall for these lies is because they were brought
up that way and never spent time in the Word themselves rightly dividing
the Word of truth to see if what was taught lined up with God’s Word and
not man’s. Many just blindly follow along because the organization they
associate with has a big following, thereby it can’t be wrong can it? Well,
again I use the example of Christmas, which if one looks at the origins of
this abomination let alone how commercialized it has become, doesn’t this
manmade holiday have a big following as well despite how totally
contradictory it is to the Word of God? A true mature Christian will know
that they belong to the body of Christ, while many immature ones will have
more of a connection with man and their man made ministries.
Philippians 1:15-17 Some indeed preach
Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: (16) The one
preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to
my bonds: (17) But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence
of the gospel. (KJV)
Some of these contentions we see in and
around ministries are people spending more time and effort trying to build
up their own following and organizations and not the people. Then they fuss
and fight over their own doctrines like a bunch of children. It is up to
you as a believer in Christ to take the time to hear the Lord personally
for yourself, so that you can grow and mature in Him and not be tossed
around with man’s doctrines. Question everything you do, ask yourself
honestly, does this really line up with the Word of truth, or am I just
doing something because it is a popular ritual? The deeper you get into the
Word of truth, the more of these childish things you will put aside,
allowing you to have a more intimate relationship with the Lord. Think of
it this way, when you were a baby you were not able to communicate very
well except by crying when you needed something. But as you grew up and
matured you were able to communicate with your parents, to the point that you
matured enough to speak with them on their level. Spiritually the Lord
would like to establish that same relationship with His people also, being
able to speak unto them as spiritual and not carnal any more.
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (13) Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14)
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned. (KJV)
You can’t explain many things to a child
because they just don’t understand, let alone have the ability to
comprehend what is being said. Spiritually the same holds true; unless you
are hearing the Holy Spirit personally for yourself and allowing that Spirit
to compare or interpret the true meaning, you will never grow and mature
from the natural realm, but rather be stuck in a fallen childish one. The
Lord is looking for those that desire to worship Him in Spirit and in
truth, so that He can take His spiritual blessings and share them with
spiritual people. So which realm are you operating in today; are all things
becoming new because you are in a new realm, or has your walk become stale
and old, childish if you would? The more you take the time and make hearing
the Spirit of truth a priority in your walk the more you will be able to
discard childish things and walk in a perfect mature realm the Lord
intended for you to walk in.
|
