1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I used to
speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child;
when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
Don't confuse maturing with rotting. When you stop maturing, your start rotting! Sin interrupted the eternal maturation which God had intended for Adam and so death was the result. But now Christ has given us eternal life, and death is just yet another step in the sequence of maturing, developing, growing in the kingdom of God.
- We are unwitting instruments in the hands of the Spirit, as children.
- Things which were appealing to me as a child no longer have any significance.
- Being a child is automatic, being an adult is willful. Believers must consciously put off the childish thing and take on Christ.
- To justify my behavior today because God approved it yesterday has absolutely no ground in Scripture.
- Some characteristics of childhood never change: e.g. trust - necessary to maintain solid strong relationship
"faith of a child" - as you have received him, so walk in him
You can never have any greater faith
than when you received Christ as Savior.
The child seeks self-edification.
The mature person seeks edification of [others] the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:14-15
...we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.
Speaking the truth in love,
we will grow up into Him who is the Head.
1Co 14:20
... do not be children in your thinking;
... but in your thinking be mature.
In understanding be an adult.
Philippians 4:8
... whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Controlled thinking is a mark of maturity.
No comments:
Post a Comment