Maturing in Christ

Welcome brothers and sisters!

Today is a great day to give thanks to the Lord, for He is worthy!

We had a great night of worship on Saturday night, lots of testimonies to the saving power of Jesus Christ! Pastor Scott also continued in the sermon series in Hebrews, faithfully teaching us what it looks like to mature in Christ. As he took us through Hebrews 5:11-14; and the first few verses of chapter 6, we didn't get quite finished as there is so much to unpack in that rich section of scripture. However, we did get a wonderful sermon that honored our Lord truely, and glorified Him and the holy work He does in the lives of His people. Below is just a small idea of what it looks like to mature in Christ and Pastor Scott certainly brought out far more for us to understand, so we encourage you to watch Saturday's sermon.

What Does It Mean to Mature in Christ?

As followers of Jesus, we are called to grow in our faith and become more like Him. But what does it mean to mature in Christ? How do we know if we are making progress in our spiritual journey?

The Bible gives us all we need, so we can see what maturity in Christ looks like. Here are some key signs that you are growing mature in Christ:

Mature Christians receive the very truth of the Gospel, inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by those carried on by Him. A faithful follower of Christ does not add to or take away from the Word of God. We accept the message of salvation by grace through faith, and the teachings of Jesus and His apostles, as the final authority for life and doctrine...also known as "In Christ alone". Paul warns us not to listen to anyone who preaches a different gospel than the one he preached (Galatians 1:8-9), for even if an angel came to give something they would be "anathema" (the strongest greek word for accursed). He also urges us to move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity (Hebrews 6:1-3).

Mature Christians stop pointing out everyone else’s sins, and start confessing their own. A mature Christian is humble and honest about his or her own weaknesses and failures. We must always examine ourselves before God. Jesus taught us to take the plank out of our own eye before trying to remove the speck from our brother’s eye, teaching us to not live in a hypocritical manner. (Matthew 7:3-5). We will then find we are able to gently help our brothers and sisters who have fallen into sin. John reminds us that if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).

Mature Christians watch their words, and know when NOT to speak. A mature Christian is careful with their words, we should speak life rather than death (Proverbs 18:21). We are not to gossip, slander, lie, or curse, but speaks words that edify, encourage, and bless others. James tells us that anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check (James 3:2). He also warns us that with the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s image (James 3:9).

Mature Christians grow less dependent on themselves, and increasingly dependent on Christ, counting all things as loss when compared to knowing Christ. Mature Christians recognize our need for God’s grace and power every day. We do not rely on our own wisdom, strength, or abilities, but trust in the Lord with all our heart (Proverbs 3:5-6). Paul tells us that he has learned to be content in any situation, because he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:11-13). He also says that he boasts only in his weaknesses, because when he is weak, then he is strong, Christ's grace is enough (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Mature Christians love God and love others. The most important sign of maturity in Christ is love. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). He also said that by this everyone will know that you are His disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35). Paul tells us that love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10), and that without love we are nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

These are some of the marks of maturity in Christ that we should strive for as His followers. Of course, none of us can achieve this on our own. We need the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and works in us to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). We also need the support of other believers, who can encourage us, correct us, and spur us on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25). We can't live as Christians (sheep) who avoid the flock, for the devil prowls about looking for one he can devour. Just look at the way wolves hunt, they single out the weak and separate them from the rest for easy pickings.

Let us pray that God would help us grow in maturity in Christ, so that we can glorify Him and bless others with our lives. We should seek to honor Him in all we do, doing everything as unto Him (Colossians 3:23-24). All in all brothers and sisters, the Christian life is not easy, it's hard...full of persecutions and struggles. The good news is that we don't go through any of this alone, for not only do we have one another in Christ...we have the Lord Himself who never leaves us nor forsakes us.

We encourage you to watch and share our sermons and video series, mp3's, and to contact us for anything we can help with in your Christian walk. We simply must preach the Gospel, preaching Christ and Him crucified and watch the amazing power of God work in the lives of those He has saved, is saving, and will save. We hope to see you next Saturday at 7pm for worship, fellowship and a meal afterward! Sources used for the above are The Bible first and foremost, www.biblegateway.com, Microsoft Bing and and Brave. Don't forget to check all things according to the scriptures, being like the noble Bereans!

Until we meet again, let's go serve our King!

FRF Team