Grow up! In His Word 7-16-18


Grow up! In His Word 7-16-2018

We are each special in God’s eyes; He loves us enough that He gave up His Son to be raised by humans, live as a human, and die as a human, for each of us individually to have that open relationship with Christ Jesus that God the Father wanted from the beginning.
Knowing this, we know that if we believe in God we get the gift of eternal life, heaven, and hope for the future, but, that is not all. We have a responsibility after we have accepted that Christ is; we have a calling to accept as well!

It is sometimes quite sobering to think about the fact that God, the creator of all existence that we know, and some that we do not even fathom yet; He called us. He did not accidentally make us who we re today. He had a reason for each thing we managed to get out of that we put ourselves into; He has a plan and a purpose. Jeremiah 29:11 say’s He knows the plan and the purpose.

Christ gave each one of us the special gift of grace, showing how generous he is.That is why it says in the Scriptures, “When he went up to the heights, he led a parade of captives, and he gave gifts to people.” Psalm 68:18  Ephesians 4:7-8
He gave us grace for a purpose; that we may have grace with those around us is only one of them. We do not deserve the grace He gave us; forgiving us our sins; some may have seemed bigger in our own eyes but in His eyes all sin is just wrong.
Okay, so if our sins are all as one in God’s eyes then why did He chose us to be His people?  The Bible says it’s because He loves us. He gives us gifts with a purpose. Some to teach us what to do and some to do what they are taught.

 And Christ gave gifts to people—he made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to have the work of caring for and teaching God’s people. Christ gave those gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger. This work must continue until we are all joined together in the same faith and in the same knowledge of the Son of God. We must become like a mature person, growing until we become like Christ and have his perfection. Ephesians 4:11-13

We must grow up! We adults these days enjoy having more fun and freedom that adults have inso many years before us. Decades and centuries of adults have had to grow up at as early as 12 years becoming responsible for families, raising food, funds and being financially responsible for their livelihood. Today we fuss over having to get a job and pay our own bills. So many adults today would rather have everything paid for them; they even expect the world to give them what they want with little or no effort. They follow every fad of the world and try to fit it into their lives; even as far as fitting it into some churches. Then when they are called on their behaviors as being wrong; they act like babies.

But we are not of this world; we are no longer babies. In Christ we need to grow up! Stop following the world’s idea of what we should do or be. Seek God and ask His direction for our lives, our families, our future.

Then we will no longer be babies. We will not be tossed about like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from people who are trying to fool us. They make plans and try any kind of trick to fool people into following the wrong path. 

 No! Speaking the truth with love, we will grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body depends on Christ, and all the parts of the body are joined and held together. Each part does its own work to make the whole body grow and be strong with love. Ephesians 4: 14-16

So many people follow every idea a person shares; on social media that can be pretty confusing! I have read a few of the things people post that are so close to Scripture but really twisted just enough to lure away even a believer. Many may not know they are saying “amen” to something that is not scriptural but just pleasing to the eyes and mind. If we believe everything some one may claim without checking it with the Scriptures then we are going to follow the wrong people. That is how people who do not know God, who do not believe He is for real do; how can we separate ourselves as Christ followers if we are acting like everyone else? Is this what we learned from Jesus’ examples? From 12 years old he was following the guiding hand of the Father, doing His business!

 In the Lord’s name, I tell you this. Do not continue living like those who do not believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing.  They do not understand, and they know nothing, because they refuse to listen. So they cannot have the life that God gives. They have lost all feeling of shame, and they use their lives for doing evil. They continually want to do all kinds of evil. But what you learned in Christ was not like this.  Ephesians 4:17-20

Follow His steps...
If we are true believers, then we are in Christ; if we are in Christ it means we are walking a life that shows Christ in us. We are not just people who go to Church. We are doing what God wants us to do; it’s not a game of life; its living for Christ.

 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Now comes the real thing; if we are Christians, living with Christ, via the Holy Spirit in our lives constantly; how are we going to behave like the world? If Christ is in us, then we are full of the Holy Spirit, If we are then doing what the world does for the reasons that the world gives; if we are being tossed ‘to and fro’ with every new wind or wave of doctrine or idea that runs through the world’s view of the church then how can claim to we be followers of Christ? Are we following Christ or man? Selah!

If we are following Christ then when the world comes at us with chaos and confusion we go to the Rock; we get on our knees and pray for clarity of mind first, and then go into battle. If we are not followers we throw up our fits and fight without reason. Sometimes this comes out in our moods, or in our behaviors. We need to ask ourselves; am I believing for a certain prayer to be answered because I believe God really cares or am I believing for it to happen because the guy or gal on TV. told me to?
It’s time to get real and grow up my friends
We are Christians, we are of Christ. We no longer can live as the world does; we must live as Christ followers and not fad followers to do the will and become the person God wants us to be. His way is perfect; the world is full of flaws. I don’t know about you but I would rather follow God!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the seriousness of Your Word; We ask for your guidance in becoming the full grown mature Christian adults who can still have fun but not at the expense of other believers or our own demise or foolish living. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Suggested Reading: Galations2:1-21, Ephesians 4: 1-32, 1 John 2:1-29, and 1 John 3:1-24.