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Maturity in Christ


Pekoudah

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The Holy Spirit is IN a person who is born again. It is Christ IN us. But it takes going to the throne of grace to get the FULL measure of grace. We need to further enter into someone who isn't us....Jesus Christ Himself. It's like the 10 lepers who were healed but only one came back to Jesus. ALL were indeed healed. But there was a selfishness in the other 9 as in...I got what I came for. (Come and get YOUR miracle today).


The Christian walk is about pressing on to maturity. But even maturity is at different levels.


Imagine going for a long walk...say 30 miles. Some people could do that in a day. But then another person takes 2 days....because he is also carrying 80 pounds on his back. So who must be in the better shape?


That's the way it is with the narrow path. Some people seem to have a harder time of it...but their calling is higher. We can be as mature as can be...but maturity in the spiritual walk of purity (holiness) is something vastly different. The walk of the righteous person is one thing...but to walk as Jesus walked for any length of time is miraculous. Can a man walk on water as if he was walking on land?


So then I divide maturity in righteousness...becoming more loving, more forgiving...getting to know God better. That's good...very good. (And it is very necessary) And that's one thing....but then there's maturity IN the Spirit which is like getting used to living on another planet. What makes a person at home on earth does not automatically make a person able to survive in another world. Of course righteousness and holiness are related. Learning righteousness helps with a longevity in holiness...even though it doesn't lead to it.


But the scandal of Jesus Christ is that He didn't just perfect a walk in the power of the flesh for us to grow into or to imitate. He perfected humanity by a higher walk...a spiritual walk, and then brings us into it through translation into Zion in the Spirit. The scandal is that we can never improve ourselves into holiness. Holiness is a gift. Spiritual maturity is how long we can walk in the Spirit. Like how long we can walk on water for.


If I only spoke about what men can do...I would not be hated for speaking of the the cross of Christ in this way...the break with human kind which separates us from what we can do in our own capabilities...even mature capabilities. But I speak of the unspeakable gift...so I'm hated by many. The gift of God is the perfection of Christ's humanity given to us already perfected...as a gift. His perfect walk...as a gift. No improvements are required. It's the whole enchilada right away. That is what grace is. A gift of an eternal walk in an eternal life....not our life...but as partakers of HIS life. So the spiritual maturity is learning to walk IN someone else...not yourself.


Hard to believe? Absolutely. Not of this world. :) But there it is!


Having said all that...God loves us who walk after Him in the fear of Him and the hope of a future life with Him. We are saved not just by an active faith in the moment but also a living hope in the long race. God works with us...and guides us by His Spirit. We are His people who obey His commands and seek after Him.

And then there's the saints...
 

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1 hour ago, Pekoudah said:

                                 
The Holy Spirit is IN a person who is born again. It is Christ IN us. But it takes going to the throne of grace to get the FULL measure of grace. We need to further enter into someone who isn't us....Jesus Christ Himself. It's like the 10 lepers who were healed but only one came back to Jesus. ALL were indeed healed. But there was a selfishness in the other 9 as in...I got what I came for. (Come and get YOUR miracle today).


The Christian walk is about pressing on to maturity. But even maturity is at different levels.


Imagine going for a long walk...say 30 miles. Some people could do that in a day. But then another person takes 2 days....because he is also carrying 80 pounds on his back. So who must be in the better shape?


That's the way it is with the narrow path. Some people seem to have a harder time of it...but their calling is higher. We can be as mature as can be...but maturity in the spiritual walk of purity (holiness) is something vastly different. The walk of the righteous person is one thing...but to walk as Jesus walked for any length of time is miraculous. Can a man walk on water as if he was walking on land?


So then I divide maturity in righteousness...becoming more loving, more forgiving...getting to know God better. That's good...very good. (And it is very necessary) And that's one thing....but then there's maturity IN the Spirit which is like getting used to living on another planet. What makes a person at home on earth does not automatically make a person able to survive in another world. Of course righteousness and holiness are related. Learning righteousness helps with a longevity in holiness...even though it doesn't lead to it.


But the scandal of Jesus Christ is that He didn't just perfect a walk in the power of the flesh for us to grow into. He perfected humanity by a higher walk...a spiritual walk, and then brings us into it through translation into Zion in the Spirit. The scandal is that we can never improve ourselves into holiness. Holiness is a gift. Spiritual maturity is how long we can walk in the Spirit. Like how long we can walk on water for.


If I only spoke about what men can do...I would not be hated for speaking of the the cross of Christ in this way...the break with human kind which separates us from what we can do in our own capabilities...even mature capabilities. But I speak of the unspeakable gift...so I'm hated by many. The gift of God is the perfection of Christ's humanity given to us already perfected...as a gift. His perfect walk...as a gift. No improvements are required. It's the whole enchilada right away. That is what grace is. A gift of an eternal walk in an eternal life....not our life...but as partakers of HIS life. So the spiritual maturity is learning to walk IN someone else...not yourself.


Hard to believe? Absolutely. Not of this world. :) But there it is!


Having said all that...God loves us who walk after Him in the fear of Him and the hope of a future life with Him. We are saved not just by an active faith in the moment but also a living hope in the long race. God works with us...and guides us by His Spirit. We are His people who obey His commands and seek after Him.

And then there's the saints...
 

It is such a blessing to know, that as long as our heart stays willing, God is set on growing us to maturity. 

Blessings, 

Much love in Christ, Not me

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1 hour ago, Pekoudah said:

it takes going to the throne of grace to get the FULL measure of grace

 

\0/ TY!

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Amen I agree with everything said here :)

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Theosis (onenes with God) is no longer taught in the Western churches....hence the falling away from the true faith. But it is biblical and although rejected in the Western churches...it is still a basic tenet in the Eastern orthodox churches. The Salvation Army is an exception ...well at least they used to be as well as a few other denominations (at least they also used to be). These taught holiness and entire sanctification. But nothing like the Eastern churches.

Paul was an advocate of the high calling in Christ...Oneness with God.....which is practically unknown in the West in modern times.
To understand what Paul was after...winning Christ...one must realize that Theosis IS spiritual maturity in Christ. But this race will be unknown until one learns what the spiritual walk really is. One needs to pray through to God so as to move Him for a blessing...like Jacob did when he wrestled with the angel. He left that place in the intimacy of God (shalem).

They say that prayer is the key to heaven...but it is faith that is the hand that turns the key.

Paul is so often speaking..."among them that are perfect." Who are the perfect but they who receive the gospel in all humility as little children. A humble faith then is a realization of the scale of God and His calling. God does give grace to the humble. And that is what we are talking about here.

We need to get in line with God's will....to get in tune with His voice. Then the Spirit comes to get us. Otherwise God remains at a distance and progress is slow.

Many people don't understand salvation at all. They confuse a present faith...meant to attract God into translating us into His presence and power...with a living hope...that helps to keep us faithful till the end of our days here.

We need both....plus love of course.

But people too often lack faith...instead calling their hope of a future salvation...faith.

So then no one is saved for all eternity before the end of the race. BUT we can enter into eternal life by faith right now.

So whether the mustard seed faith is all we can produce....or less than that...God watches for the right amount before acting.

How did Abel know that his sacrifice was received by God?...the fire came down!
How did Cain know his sacrifice was NOT received by God?...the fire didn't come down!

So when someone testifies that God has taken him to walk in Zion because of a humble faith that was received by God....all the "Cains" in the church hate him for it.

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7 hours ago, Pekoudah said:

But the scandal of Jesus Christ is that He didn't just perfect a walk in the power of the flesh for us to grow into. He perfected humanity by a higher walk...a spiritual walk, and then brings us into it through translation into Zion in the Spirit. The scandal is that we can never improve ourselves into holiness. Holiness is a gift. Spiritual maturity is how long we can walk in the Spirit. Like how long we can walk on water for.

 

I didn't present scripture verses in the OP so as to keep it short and concise. But I'd like to zero in on some points that bring the bible into  a better focus on this subject. :)

Col. 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

This is a reference to the higher walk in the Spirit which we all are called to. Once we are IN that walk...we are not finished. We have simply begun a race on that level....and THAT is the high calling in Christ. The high calling can only be embarked upon in the Spirit...among they who are kept in the Spirit by the keeping power of God.

Phil. 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Here Paul is avowing his purpose towards the high calling in Christ AMONG THOSE who have been given the perfect walk of Christ which is by grace through faith.

Jesus Christ is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle...without sin. A very few of us will have attained to the full stature of Christ. To the praise and glory of God. A few of us will be in the process of that high calling.

But most believers, they who know nothing of this higher race...will be found in whatever state of maturity in righteousness they advanced into...or not.

So then there are different glories for the participants of the race of faith...

1 Cor. 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differs from another star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
 

 

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Being born again is of the spirit. Look no further than the conversion of Paul. That was the spirit of Christ, not him in the flesh.

we must not treat this "telepathic" ability we are gifted with to communicate spiritually as it is nothing, But cultivate it. thats maturity in Christ in my perspective. Knock and it shall be opened.  

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We can't speak about any kind of spiritual maturity without speaking of the narrow gateway of being crucified with Christ. The narrow path that follows in this now resurrected life of abiding in Jesus is as we remain a living sacrifice allowing our flesh to remain crucified so that Jesus can live His life through us. It's a tall order and very difficult. It goes against the grain of our need for freedom and autonomy. Few will want to do this and even when they who think they would want to prove unable to remain in that crucified state.

But we can encourage one another to press forward in this high calling in the Lord. If there were more of us that were willing and able to walk that narrow path...more of us would succeed...and the face of the world would change.

Everybody wants to see change but nobody wants the change to depend on their faithfulness to the high calling in Christ.

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Here is a hymn that speaks of a time where more people believed in sanctification as a way of life...even an entire sanctification! :)

1
All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
I surrender all,
I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
2
All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
3
All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.
4
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
5
All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

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39 minutes ago, Pekoudah said:

It's a tall order

That's what He said!

Yeshua answered, "You people don't know what you're asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We can." He said to them, "Yes, you will drink My cup." CJB

Was this to the 11 or to whosoever will?

Edited by In Him
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