I used to be surprised when God would do something miraculous, but the longer I go with God the more I expect God to be God. Now I am still impressed and at times overwhelmed, but when we expect God to be God our emotions are not so engaged. Truth and understanding then can come to us and we can receive it in our spirit moving correctly with what God’s wants. True obedience to the word of God will always reveal what God wants in a given situation. In God doing nothing may be the right thing to do at that time. We do not always have to be doing something, stillness in spirit is always received by God with thankfulness. But, do you know what really surprises me now? How many Christians and churches twists the scriptures to support their doctrinal and denominational beliefs. It never ceases to amaze me how truth can be so corrupted and perverted. And at the heart of all of this perversion and corruption is greed and ambition. The Bible is true when it says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred (not error, but intentionally causing someone to stumble and fall away from God) to from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
Running concurrently there seems to be opposite threads of truth in the Bible that run parallel. For example we have: the rich and the poor, saved and unsaved, the mature and the immature, and so on. If there are rich people there surely must be poor people. It is true there are mature Christians and it is also true there are immature Christians. It is true some people will be saved and sadly it is also true some people will not be saved. Now what makes these statements beneficial in our lives and our walk with God is our belief and having the correct perspective in our heart. If you consider yourself to be poor you may be rich no matter how much money you have. In the Bible Jesus said to the poor, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) God is not to interested in money, but is very interested in us being “poor in spirit” so that we can enter into the kingdom of heaven. So too is this thought with immature and mature Christians.
Now let me start off by confessing I have not made it yet, but am still climbing the Holy Hill of the Lord, which is down not up. If you want to go up someday, you better go down where the Lord is. But as I travel the world in ministry I do not see many mature Christians and here is the problem I do not see many Christians trying to grow spiritually in the Lord. Spiritual growth and maturity for the church collectively was the heart’s cry of Paul and Peter for the Body of Christ. Some of Peter’s parting words to the church was, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18) There seemed to be a depth of understanding in Peter’s words at the end of his life. This depth was discovered as he walked with the Lord and then really seen in his life after Jesus’ death. So too in Paul’s life there was a deep understanding of the grace and knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ that Peter said, “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:15-16) In Ephesians Paul writes read, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16) Do you know you cannot speak truth unless it is done in love? Oh our words may be factual, but unless they are spoken in love they will never represent God. Never forget the main object of God’s truth is not to set us free, but to bring us into His restrictions and limitations. This is why truth slays us, but gives life at the same time, “the Lord killeth yet He maketh alive.”
I have often thought why we do not see a great desire for spiritual growth and maturity within the Body of Christ and have come up with a few conclusions. There are three major reasons why Christians today do not “grow in the grace and the knowledge.” The first is many Christians do not know there is to be spiritual growth in their lives, simply they have never been told. Today in most churches denominational messages of God’s love and grace is the only message heard. God loves you, just love Him back have positive thoughts and everything will be okay, well my friend this is a half truth and a lie. Now please understand I am not discounting God’s love and His grace, oh how I need them both in my life, but this message will not produce mature men and women of God who are able to withstand life’s many troubles and the wiles of the devil. This message will not produce willing workers to do those things needed to spread the Gospel to the four corners of the world. This message of love and grace will not produce a giving heart in people. There is a truth I have observed; an immature Christian is a getter they want to get, but a mature Christian is a giver they do not care about getting their desire is to give so that others may receive. Giving is at the heart of the Gospel, if God cannot work giving into our heart (our choice not God’s) He can not use us, we are immature and God will not trust us with His goods. Jesus shares this truth with us, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” (Matthew 25:14) The servant received the man’s good, they were not the servant’s goods. The man gave the servant his goods because he could trust him. The servant proved himself responsible and reliable. If we want God’s goods we too must prove our selves trustworthy and reliable.
The next reason why we do not see spiritual growth in the church today is Christians do not know God. Oh we may know the Bible stories and we may know about God, but many have never had a personal encounter with Him. Did you know there is unfruitful and fruitful knowledge of God? The church is full of unfruitful knowledge, knowledge that does not lead to a change in our lives to where we become like God’s Son Jesus Christ. Just go to your local Christian book store; the shelves are full of self-help book after self-help book, magazines, and trinkets that teach you about God, but do not teach you how to know Him. Many in the church run from conference to conference looking for God, but only find more information about God. Information is not knowledge. The knowledge of God is experienced in our lives as He brings His dealings and judgments in our lives. A fruitful knowledge of God always changes us into the character and nature (His icon) of His precious Son Jesus. I do not see this fruitful knowledge in many churches. I see many programs keeping the people engaged, many teachings keeping the people confused, and much music keeping the people emotionally charged, but not broken before God.
The last and probably the biggest reason why there is little to no spiritual growth in many Christians is they just do not want to grow up, they like being a babe in the Lord. Human nature says, take the path of least resistance, shamefully so too this thought is a part of our Christian life. “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) After all, why should they grow up? Babes are not responsible for anything. Babes do not have to feed themselves, someone else will. Babes are not responsible for making messes, someone else will clean up after them. They even can soil themselves and someone will change their spiritual diaper. Babes can do and say what ever they want to say and do and no one will say a word they are a baby. Why should they “grow up into him in all things” when they can be a babe and do nothing for God or God’s children? Most Christians have no desire to be accountable and responsible before God. I have asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and now I am going to heaven who cares what happens in between? God does! God cares what happens after we give our hearts to Him. God is looking for and is counting on us to grow up and handle our piece of the work on earth as it is in heaven. God needs us to come to maturity in Him not for our benefit, but so that others may be saved. As a matter of fact, God expects spiritual maturity from His children it is not a wish or a hope, but a command. Written by David Stahl
Running concurrently there seems to be opposite threads of truth in the Bible that run parallel. For example we have: the rich and the poor, saved and unsaved, the mature and the immature, and so on. If there are rich people there surely must be poor people. It is true there are mature Christians and it is also true there are immature Christians. It is true some people will be saved and sadly it is also true some people will not be saved. Now what makes these statements beneficial in our lives and our walk with God is our belief and having the correct perspective in our heart. If you consider yourself to be poor you may be rich no matter how much money you have. In the Bible Jesus said to the poor, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) God is not to interested in money, but is very interested in us being “poor in spirit” so that we can enter into the kingdom of heaven. So too is this thought with immature and mature Christians.
Now let me start off by confessing I have not made it yet, but am still climbing the Holy Hill of the Lord, which is down not up. If you want to go up someday, you better go down where the Lord is. But as I travel the world in ministry I do not see many mature Christians and here is the problem I do not see many Christians trying to grow spiritually in the Lord. Spiritual growth and maturity for the church collectively was the heart’s cry of Paul and Peter for the Body of Christ. Some of Peter’s parting words to the church was, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18) There seemed to be a depth of understanding in Peter’s words at the end of his life. This depth was discovered as he walked with the Lord and then really seen in his life after Jesus’ death. So too in Paul’s life there was a deep understanding of the grace and knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ that Peter said, “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:15-16) In Ephesians Paul writes read, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16) Do you know you cannot speak truth unless it is done in love? Oh our words may be factual, but unless they are spoken in love they will never represent God. Never forget the main object of God’s truth is not to set us free, but to bring us into His restrictions and limitations. This is why truth slays us, but gives life at the same time, “the Lord killeth yet He maketh alive.”
I have often thought why we do not see a great desire for spiritual growth and maturity within the Body of Christ and have come up with a few conclusions. There are three major reasons why Christians today do not “grow in the grace and the knowledge.” The first is many Christians do not know there is to be spiritual growth in their lives, simply they have never been told. Today in most churches denominational messages of God’s love and grace is the only message heard. God loves you, just love Him back have positive thoughts and everything will be okay, well my friend this is a half truth and a lie. Now please understand I am not discounting God’s love and His grace, oh how I need them both in my life, but this message will not produce mature men and women of God who are able to withstand life’s many troubles and the wiles of the devil. This message will not produce willing workers to do those things needed to spread the Gospel to the four corners of the world. This message of love and grace will not produce a giving heart in people. There is a truth I have observed; an immature Christian is a getter they want to get, but a mature Christian is a giver they do not care about getting their desire is to give so that others may receive. Giving is at the heart of the Gospel, if God cannot work giving into our heart (our choice not God’s) He can not use us, we are immature and God will not trust us with His goods. Jesus shares this truth with us, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” (Matthew 25:14) The servant received the man’s good, they were not the servant’s goods. The man gave the servant his goods because he could trust him. The servant proved himself responsible and reliable. If we want God’s goods we too must prove our selves trustworthy and reliable.
The next reason why we do not see spiritual growth in the church today is Christians do not know God. Oh we may know the Bible stories and we may know about God, but many have never had a personal encounter with Him. Did you know there is unfruitful and fruitful knowledge of God? The church is full of unfruitful knowledge, knowledge that does not lead to a change in our lives to where we become like God’s Son Jesus Christ. Just go to your local Christian book store; the shelves are full of self-help book after self-help book, magazines, and trinkets that teach you about God, but do not teach you how to know Him. Many in the church run from conference to conference looking for God, but only find more information about God. Information is not knowledge. The knowledge of God is experienced in our lives as He brings His dealings and judgments in our lives. A fruitful knowledge of God always changes us into the character and nature (His icon) of His precious Son Jesus. I do not see this fruitful knowledge in many churches. I see many programs keeping the people engaged, many teachings keeping the people confused, and much music keeping the people emotionally charged, but not broken before God.
The last and probably the biggest reason why there is little to no spiritual growth in many Christians is they just do not want to grow up, they like being a babe in the Lord. Human nature says, take the path of least resistance, shamefully so too this thought is a part of our Christian life. “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) After all, why should they grow up? Babes are not responsible for anything. Babes do not have to feed themselves, someone else will. Babes are not responsible for making messes, someone else will clean up after them. They even can soil themselves and someone will change their spiritual diaper. Babes can do and say what ever they want to say and do and no one will say a word they are a baby. Why should they “grow up into him in all things” when they can be a babe and do nothing for God or God’s children? Most Christians have no desire to be accountable and responsible before God. I have asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and now I am going to heaven who cares what happens in between? God does! God cares what happens after we give our hearts to Him. God is looking for and is counting on us to grow up and handle our piece of the work on earth as it is in heaven. God needs us to come to maturity in Him not for our benefit, but so that others may be saved. As a matter of fact, God expects spiritual maturity from His children it is not a wish or a hope, but a command. Written by David Stahl
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