I find that many people entertain mistaken ideas about what spiritual maturity involves. They are not growing as rapidly as they could, or they are caught on a level far below where they should be, because they misunderstand what spiritual maturity is and how one grows in grace. The first thing we need to understand is that spiritual growth has nothing to do with our position in Christ. God sees us in His Son as already perfect (Colossians 2:10), and we have everything we need pertaining to life and godliness according to 2 Peter 1:3. Growth is a process by which that which is true of us positionally becomes more and more a reality in practice as well. Every child is born with all the physical traits that they will get. But in order to achieve their potential, they must develop the physical abilities that they have. It is the choices that these new lives make that help determine their growth and development. Growth is what we aspire to not what we have achieved. Just because a baby has all the systems and physical traits they will have as an adult, they must develop those abilities. As you live your … READ MORE

A Christian is not something you are, it is something you become. You don’t automatically become an adult at a certain age. In order to be an adult, you have to act like an adult. So, too, you do not automatically become a Christian because of going to church, or the family you are born in. In order to be a Christian, you must act like a Christian. This sense of redemptive process is missing in the world around us. The gospel of Christ not only declares that God is active, it describes what He is doing and how He is doing it. The gospel reminds us that God’s primary goal is not our personal happiness, it is nothing short of our becoming a participant in His Divine nature, according to 2 Peter 1:4. It is through the Word of God that we can demonstrate that the very relationships which I struggle and the difficult situations which I would like to escape are the instruments God is using to produce the heart change that will result in a life that is fruitful to His glory. Unless we have an understanding of the problem of indwelling sin and the struggle within, … READ MORE

Many people have little sense of the ever-present, always active, all-powerful, promise-keeping redeemer who is the God of the Gospel. The gospel presents God as my ever-present help in trouble in Psalm 46. God is working in every situation to deliver me from the bondage to sin in my heart, and to help me experience the riches of the grace He has lavished on me in Christ. His desire is always to use the circumstances that He allows in my life to conform me to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28). Because of God’s incessant redemptive activity, each situation in life, even those that are dark, confusing and scary to me, is sanctified, full of meaning and purpose, and infused with hope. Most people have little sense of the God of the gospel who rules their world in such a way that He is not far from each one of them. God has done this so that, at any moment, we can seek Him and reach out to find Him. People tend to have little hope when they reach the end of their own wisdom and strength. Their functional God is small, weak, uncaring, and distant – not one … READ MORE