15/11/2019
Growing to Spiritual Maturity
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God’s Word helps us identify our wrong practices and thoughts. We need to stir up the gift of God’s Spirit each day within us to successfully fight against sin.
herefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection” ( Hebrews 6:1 ).
Correctly understanding the scriptural truth that the Holy Spirit is God’s power that can transform our lives helps us better understand His purpose and will for us.
Paul wrote that “we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” ( Ephesians 4:15 , NRSV). He also said, “Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature” ( 1 Corinthians 14:20 ).
This growth process involves overpowering the pulls of the flesh, replacing them with the character of Jesus Christ. Where do we begin?
John tells us: “Those who are God’s children do not continue sinning, because the new life from God remains in them. They are not able to go on sinning, because they have become children of God” ( 1 John 3:9 , New Century Version). The converted Christian does not habitually practice sin. He has, after all, determined to turn away from sin.
The sense here is not that, as a Christian, we will never sin ( 1 John 1:8 ), because we remain human and imperfect and can still be influenced by our nature and the degenerate world around us. Instead, the sense is that a Christian will not make it his practice to sin.
Note this paraphrase translation of 1 John 3:9 : “People conceived and brought into life by God don’t make a practice of sin. How could they? God’s seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It’s not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin” (The Message).
A truly converted Christian will stumble and sin at times, but his or her life will be one of striving mightily to avoid sin. This will involve learning not only to resist temptation, but to flee circumstance
