Lesson 13. Living to Maturity

Transcription

1 Lesson 13 Living to Maturity

2 Lesson 13 Notes: Living to Maturity Born Again At the beginning of this book, we learned that God created man like Himself: a tri-unity with a body, a soul, and a spirit. However, when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they died in their spirits, and this death ended their ability to fellowship with God. Consequently, all men and women are born spiritually dead and start their lives spiritually separated from God. However, people can experience a second birth when the Spirit of God indwells them and gives supernatural rebirth to their spirits. With born-again spirits, Christians have a relationship with God: Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband s will, but born of God. (Jn.1:12-13 NIV) We did not earn our right to become the children of God. Rather, we received this right when we believed in Christ and invited Him into our lives. God did not require us to attain a certain level of goodness before His Holy Spirit could live in us, but freely gave Him to all who believed: I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort? (Ga.3:3-4 TNIV) According to the Scriptures, a person must receive the Holy Spirit like one would receive a gift. At times in my life, people offered me something; but I never accepted it because I did not believe their sincerity. Likewise, before a person can receive God s gift, he must truly believe that Jesus will give him the Holy Spirit: Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. (Ac.10:45 NRSV; Ac.2:38) 220 Life By Death Life By Death 245

3 For Further Thought: 1. How do people become born again? 2. What is the main focus of a spiritual child of God? 3. Why can t a Christian remain a spiritual infant? 4. How does the focus of a spiritual child differ from the focus of a spiritual young man? 5. How does a spiritual young man war against Satan? 6. What attributes separate spiritual fathers from spiritual children and spiritual young men? 7. Will a spiritual father become perfect on earth? Why? 8. Whom does a Christian depend on in his life? When God gave us His Holy Spirit, He gave life to our deadened spirits. Hence, we were spiritually born by the will and power of God. He adopted us to be His children when we were born again by His Holy Spirit: For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Ro.8:15-16 NRSV) God adopted each of us when we received new spirits. A person does not become a child of God through his natural birth but through the process of spiritual adoption. Physical birth cannot pass on spiritual life. Only God s Spirit can give birth to a human s spirit: Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. (Jn.3:5-7 NKJV) When a baby is physically born, his earthly father gives him only physical and sinful traits. Because of this inherited sinfulness, all mankind was born with dead spirits. Since only the Spirit of God can give life to a person s spirit, everyone must be born again by the Holy Spirit to become a child of God s kingdom. People cannot inherit the position of a child of God from their Christian parents, for God does not have spiritual grandchildren. The new covenant expressly states that only those who personally repent and are baptized receive the promise of the covenant (salvation): Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." (Ac.2:38-39 NASB) God offers this covenant to everyone in the world, but He establishes the covenant with only those whom He calls to Himself. Hence, mankind has been divided into two groups: those who entered the new covenant with God and those who did not. Jesus explicitly stated that He would divide humanity: 244 Life By Death Life By Death 221

4 Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter -in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." (Lk.12:51-53 NASB) Christ created a spiritual division in the world. Every baby who is born into the world is naturally a child of the devil, but every person who is born again by the Holy Spirit is supernaturally a child of God. Every child reflects his parent s values and attitudes: Those who are born of God will not continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Those who do not do what is right are not God's children; nor are those who do not love their brothers and sisters. (Jn.3:9-10 NIV) Everyone who willfully continues to sin is a child of the devil. Like infants who naturally sin (tantrums, disobedience), all mankind were born children of the devil. However, some people are born again by the Holy Spirit to be children of God: Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Ro.8:5 NIV) At Pentecost, humanity split into two types of people. According to Romans 8:5, the two types of people are those who are the children of Satan and live according to their sinful nature and those who are the children of God and live according to the Holy Spirit. Christians were previously children of Satan, but God adopted them through Christ: He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace. (Eph.1:5-6 NRSV) When Jesus Christ indwelled us by His Spirit, we became God s children; and the Holy Spirit s presence within us overcame Satan s authority over us. Remember that God is greater than Satan: You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1Jn.4:4 NASB) The difference between the children of God and the children of Satan is like the difference between light and darkness: 222 Life By Death for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Ro.8:31-32 NKJV) God fulfills every promise that He has given to us. While Abraham believed that God had the power, Sarah believed that God would be faithful to her: By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. (He.11:11 NASB) God acted faithfully in Abraham s time. How will He act now? God is immutable; He does not change: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. (He.13:8 NKJV) God can never take away from what He has said. Hence, all of God s promises are for all Christians. We must become promise seekers in God s Word. God is faithful. If we die to the seven areas of sinful control and totally depend on Christ, He promises to give us everything that we need for life and godliness. In the Christian life, there is no victory without surrender. We must die to live. Life By Death 243

5 Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. (Jer.32:17 NKJV) Because of your past experience and present situation, you might think that practical holiness is impossible. The Scriptures teach us otherwise: Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Mt.19:26 NKJV) Everything, even practical holiness, is possible with God. Nothing is too difficult for Him. Because God lives in us, nothing is impossible for Him to accomplish through us: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. (Mt.17:20 NASB) But do we believe God? We must believe before we can experience all that Christ has promised. Consequently, we must not doubt God s Word. Rather, we must be like Abraham who knew God and therefore concluded that God could do what He had promised: Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (Ro.4:20-21 TNIV) God promises to give us the grace for all situations and the strength to stand under all temptations: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Php.4:13 NKJV) Once we believe that God is able to do what He promised, we must determine whether He is willing to keep His promises. To answer this question, we must consider God s character: And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." (Mt.8:2 NASB) The leper knew that Christ was able to cleanse him. However, the leper did not know if God was willing. Was the leper important enough in God s sight for Him to intervene on his behalf? Are we important enough to God that He will be faithful to keep His promises to us? What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up You were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. (Eph.5:8-10 NASB) God is holy (light). His children prove that He is their parent by reflecting His holiness. Hence, Christians share God s character, morals, and purpose. Over time, the Holy Spirit transforms God s children so that they grow in holiness. The children of God are not perfect. Rather, they refuse to willfully disobey the Holy Spirit s leading and, therefore, maintain a state of blamelessness: Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life. (Php.2:14-16 NASB) Since we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, His control in our lives will be evident to others; for He continually transforms us toward holiness: Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Ga.5:25 NIV) The Bible lists three levels of spiritual maturity in 1 John 2: I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. (1Jn.2:13-14 NKJV) The levels of spiritual maturity are children, young men, and fathers. Which level are you? In this lesson, we will consider the three levels of spiritual maturity. Christ reconciled us to God so that we would spiritually mature. Christians should not be anxious about their present level of maturity. Rather, they must examine themselves for evidence of their growth into Christ s likeness. In conclusion, all Christians are born again to be the children of God; but they must mature to become more and more like Christ: See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. (1Jn.3:1 NRSV) 242 Life By Death Life By Death 223

6 Spiritual Childhood Some Christians have attended church for decades, but they are still no more mature than a spiritual child. These Christians never attain maturity but are spiritual eight-year-olds for the rest of their lives. They should be the exception and not the norm in the church. Nonetheless, the majority of people in the North American church suffers this anomaly. Christians must grow. With each level of maturity, a Christian gains new freedoms and responsibilities. All Christians began their Christian lives as spiritual children when they accepted Jesus death for the forgiveness of their sins: I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name s sake.... I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. (1Jn.2:1213 NKJV) The spiritual children in the previous passage had a very shallow understanding of the Bible because they only knew that their sins were forgiven. When a person becomes a Christian, he understands that Christ died for his sins; but he does not comprehend the fullness of what he has received in Christ. Some new Christians learn for the first time that there is only one God and that He loves them. Hence, new Christians are at the maturity level of a spiritual child. Once a person is born again, he begins to live for God rather than oppose Him like he did in his former life: Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. (2Co.6:14-17 NKJV) Did you notice the contrasts in the previous passage? When a person is born again, the Holy Spirit does not instantly change him to reflect these contrasts. Rather, the Holy Spirit continually transforms the spiritual child toward holiness. Spiritual growth shares similarities with physical growth. Once we were physically born, we experienced many phases (rolling over, sitting, crawling) before we could walk. Each of us Spiritual fathers are sure of God s faithfulness because He has never failed to help them throughout their Christian lives. Hence, the mature have learned to live in the confidence that God is faithful: And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. (2Th.3:2-4 TNIV; 1Co.1:3-9) Paul was not confident in a Christian s ability to remain strong but in God s power to provide all his needs. The previous verses do not teach that Christians will not experience temptations or trials. Rather, through the verses, God promises that He will be with us and will give us the strength to endure trials and temptations. When Christians experience persecution, they wait patiently for God s purpose to be fulfilled. They do not focus on their situation but on God s reason for placing them in that situation. God is faithful: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son. (Ro.8:28-29 NASB) In conclusion, spiritual fathers are men of faith who put their confidence in the faithfulness of God and who completely depend on God to do in their lives what He promised: For in Him we live and move and exist. Growth Is Dependant on Who God Is (Ac.17:28 NASB) In conclusion, we Christians depend on God and the power of the Holy Spirit, Who lives in us. God promises to transform our lives into His holiness: Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Ti.2:14 NIV) The entire Christian life is dependent on God s ability to fulfill His promises. It is one thing to make promises; it is another thing to keep the promises that you have made. God is able to keep all His promises: 224 Life By Death Life By Death 241

7 We walk by faith, not by sight. (2Co.5:7 NKJV) There is so much depth to the promises of God, and spiritual fathers have learned to apply Biblical principles to new situations. Unlike spiritual fathers, many Christians doubt God s Word; therefore, they do not experience the full extent of God s promises. We must believe that God s promises are for us before we will experience them: And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.... You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2Co.9:8&11 NIV) In the previous verses, God uses the all-inclusive word all to emphasize that He will enable us to complete every task that He gives us. Hence, God promises to give us the temporary ability to meet the momentary needs of others. These temporary abilities are not spiritual gifts because a spiritual gift is a permanent ability given to specific Christians. The mature realize the magnitude of God s promises and expect them to be fulfilled in their lives through the Holy Spirit: His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2Pe.1:3-4 TNIV) God promises Christians everything that they will need to live in godliness. Rather than perfect themselves by their own resolve, the mature embrace God s promises, expecting God to make them holy: Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2Co.7:1 NIV) Because spiritual fathers know the truth, they know that God controls their lives. Hence, they rely on Him to transform them completely: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1Th.5:23-24 NASB) learned to walk at a different rate, but we all eventually learned how to walk. In the same way, each spiritual child experiences various phases of spiritual development that enable him to live victoriously. Spiritual children not only mature at different rates but also master the phases in different orders. Every spiritual child eventually learns to live victoriously over sin. According to the Scriptures, a person begins his Christian life when he is born again: In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. (Ja.1:18 NRSV) There is a difference between a born-again Christian and a repentant churchgoer. Some Christians experienced a lapse of time between when they repented (turned from their sin to God) and when they were born again. The Scripture alludes to this period of time: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2Co.7:10 TNIV) We were not saved when we prayed a prayer of repentance (the sinner s prayer). Rather, we were one step closer toward our salvation. The previous Scripture states that when a person repents, he is not born again; he only proceeds toward spiritual rebirth. In Morocco, an organization surveyed Christians who had converted from Islam. According to the survey, a Muslim experiences an average of 26 positive exposures to Christianity before he decides to become a Christian. Hence, most people take many steps toward Christianity before they actually become Christians. Only when Christ indwells a person can we say that he possesses eternal life: And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1Jn.5:12 NKJV) We were born again when Christ indwelled us. From that point on, Christ has been altering our attitudes, behavior, and character so that we are more like Him every day. However, what happens when people make a decision for Christ but are not changed to be like Christ? My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, I wish I were present with you now and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. (Ga.4:19-20 NRSV) Life By Death 225

8 Paul was perplexed and troubled because the Galatians had been baptized but showed no evidence that they were born again. In other words, the Galatians were spiritually stillborn. To be born again, a person must not only be indwelled by Christ but must also be continually transformed into Christ s likeness. You cannot claim to be a Christian if Christ is not transforming your life into His likeness. The Corinthians were similar to the Galatians: Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. (1Co.3:1-3 NIV) When we were physically born, we had to leave the womb. When we were spiritually born, we had to leave the ways of the world. When we physically matured, we learned to roll over, sit, crawl, stand, toddle, walk, and run. When we spiritually matured, we learned to live in the Holy Spirit, and we became more like Christ. In physical life, either we continue to mature; or we die. For example, I have never met a seven pound, forty-year-old man in a crib. In our spiritual lives, either we grow; or we die. Spiritual children will grow spiritually by studying the Word: Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1Pe.2:1-3 TNIV) Salvation is not a purchased ticket that allows a Christian into heaven. Rather, salvation is the start of a Christian s spiritual journey toward holiness. Hence, spiritual children need to grow; their growth gives evidence of their salvation. Unfortunately, some churchgoers never do grow. Like the Corinthian church, the Hebrew church had many problems that caused its congregation to remain spiritual infants: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (He.5:12-14 NASB) 226 Life By Death they have grown in knowledge. Christians free from sin: Only the knowledge of God sets I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph.3:18-19 NRSV) God is love. Since spiritual fathers have the fullness of God, they will love as Jesus did on earth: God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. (1Jn.4:16-17 NIV) Spiritual children start to live as Jesus did, but spiritual fathers emanate Christ s fullness in their day-to-day lives: This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1Jn.2:5-6 TNIV) Many preachers and teachers question whether abundant life is possible on this earth. Nonetheless, Jesus said: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (Jn.10:10 NASB) The mature know that all God s promises to the church apply to those who are in Christ: For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2Co.1:20-22 NIV) Because of past experience and God s Word, a spiritual father is confident that God is faithful to His promises. Hence, spiritual fathers are men of faith and not of doubt: The righteous man shall live by faith. (Ro.1:17 NASB; Ga.3:11; He.10:38) A father of the faith believes that Christians are everything that the New Testament says that they are. For example, a spiritual father believes that Christians are not sinners but saints; for the Bible consistently calls Christians saints. Consequently, a spiritual father claims that Christians are saints because he expects Christ to transform them: Life By Death 239

9 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. (1Jn.2:27 NASB) Because the mature have learned to discern God s voice, the Holy Spirit opens their minds to understand the things of God: I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. (Ro.15:14 NIV) Spiritual fathers are not omniscient. Rather, Christ, Who lives in them, gives them complete understanding for the situations that they experience: My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Co.2:2-3 TNIV) Since spiritual fathers know God s truth, they are no longer confused by new teachings. Instead, they discern truth from false teaching. Also, spiritual fathers teach others the truths that can transform their lives into holiness: Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. (Ti.1:1-2 NIV) Spiritual fathers know that God cannot lie. Hence, they also know that God will faithfully keep His Word. By God s Word and past experience, spiritual fathers know that Christ will continually transform them into His likeness. Christ perfects Christians because He lives in them: We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. (Eph.4:14-15 NRSV) Spiritual fathers will reflect Jesus in their knowledge, holiness, power, and love. In every aspect of their lives, the mature reflect God because God chastised the Hebrew church because rather than growing into the likeness of Christ, the people remained spiritual infants. A spiritual infant is a new Christian that has not learned the teachings of righteousness that enable him to overcome sins in his life. Infants in Christ do not know the elementary teachings of Christ: Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God, instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And we will do this, if God permits. (He.6:1-3 NRSV) Do not misunderstand the Scriptures. A Christian is not perfect, but all Christians daily grow to be more like Jesus. Hence, all Christians are growing towards perfection. There will be a maturity difference between a spiritual child and a spiritual father because they are at different places in their spiritual journeys toward holiness. However, both children and fathers must continue to change: Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Php.3:13-16 NRSV) When I was a spiritual child, some people condemned me because I confidently believed that I would overcome my sin. Even though I did not know how to accomplish victory, I knew that victory was possible; for the Bible commands that Christians must overcome their sins. If you are born again, then be confident that Jesus will save you from your sinful ways: And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Mt.1:21 NKJV) Sin is disobedience to God. According to the Scriptures, we will obey God s Word because we are children of God: As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. (1Pe.1:14-15 NIV) 238 Life By Death Life By Death 227

10 When we became God s spiritual children, Christ began to transform us toward holiness. If a person continually sins, he proves that he is a child of the devil. Unlike the devil s children, God s spiritual children learn to live righteously like Christ did, because Christ lives in them: Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. (1Jn.3:7-8 NRSV) Spiritual children learn to place their confidence in God to change them. Hence, they develop childlike faith in God s promises. When a child is promised something by a person whom he trusts, the child believes the person regardless of how incredible the promise is. Similarly, spiritual children trust God to keep His promises regardless of their present circumstances. One day, I was playing with my two-year-old son. He repeatedly climbed into the tree house and jumped into my arms. While we played this game, a friend stopped to talk to me. I told my son to wait until I finished talking to my friend. Suddenly, my little boy jumped, still expecting his daddy to catch him. I quickly caught him before he hit the ground. With childlike faith, my son trusted me to always catch him even though I am finite. In the same way, spiritual children trust in God to save them from their sin, because He promised and because He alone is infinite: Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (He.7:25 NIV) As a spiritual child, I learned to completely trust in God s strength and His faithfulness to answer my calls. I knew that I would become victorious over all temptations because God promised to help me: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1Co.10:13 NIV) God controls the tempter, limiting when and where he may tempt us. God promises to give us the strength to overcome all temptations until the end of our lives: He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Co.1:8 NRSV) 228 Life By Death Spiritual fathers are spiritually mature. They do not merely have quiet times with God as the spiritual children do. Rather, spiritual fathers constantly study the Bible: But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (He.5:14 NASB) Because of constant Bible study, the spiritually mature can distinguish good from evil. Satan still tempts the mature, but they spiritually grow through the temptations: Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (Ja.1:2-4 NASB) God gradually perfected the lives of the spiritually mature through enabling them to overcome temptation. The spiritually mature are not perfect, but they realize that their strength and perseverance come from the Holy Spirit. Consequently, spiritual fathers more fully reflect the holiness of Christ:... until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Eph.4:13 NIV) Because spiritual fathers have learned to resist temptation by faith in God, they constantly watch over spiritually young Christians: Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. (Ga.6:1 NIV) Spiritual fathers know that they themselves are not the source of their holiness. Hence, they continually pray that God will mature them and other Christians: Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. (Co.4:12 NKJV) The Scriptures state that a Christian can become perfect (blameless) and complete in God. Hence, spiritual fathers strive to have an even closer relationship with God. Because the mature have communed with God for many years, they understand God s will from the beginning of time. Consequently, they can discern God s will for today. Spiritual fathers intuitively know the truth: Life By Death 237

11 Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2Co.10:3-5 NRSV) Spiritual young men do not expand God s kingdom by their abilities but by God s power. Hence, they will boast about God s divine power that works through them: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1Co.15:10 NIV) All Christians are weak in themselves, but their weaknesses force them to seek God s strength: And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. (2Co.12:9 NASB) Therefore, spiritual young men not only live holy lives because Christ lives through them, but they also confront Satan s kingdom through the Holy Spirit s power. Spiritual young men live in the faith that they have full access to God s power. They trust that God s power will compensate for their weaknesses: But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. (2Co.4:7 NRSV) The Spiritually Mature The spiritual fathers of 1 John 2 were once the spiritual young men who overcame the evil one and the spiritual children who overcame sin in their lives. Unlike the spiritual children who knew the Father as Abba, the spiritual fathers knew God, Who was from the beginning. Spiritual fathers have a deep relationship with God that could only result from the years that they have served Him: I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. (1Jn.2:13 NKJV; 1Jn.2:14) Spiritual children believe that God will give them the grace to withstand whatever He allows them to experience: Who are you to judge another s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. (Ro.14:4 NIV) God assures us that His children will overcome every temptation: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Ro.8:37 NKJV) Christians began their journey to spiritual maturity when they were born again. Spiritual children are not perfect, but they will continue to grow as they apply the elementary truths of God s Word to their lives. Because spiritual children daily rely on God s promises, they will be victorious over sin because God is faithful to keep His promises. Spiritual Warriors Spiritual children learn to overcome their sin, but spiritual young men learn to battle Satan s realm and overcome it. Satan begins a spiritual battle for a person s soul the moment that the person is born again. When we reach the maturity of a spiritual young man, we have learned to overcome not only sins but also our enemy, who wars against us: I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.... I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1Jn.2:12-14 NASB) Spiritual young men have learned to walk in meekness in order to overcome Satan and his kingdom (the world). Jesus said: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Mt.5:5 NKJV) The meek are not weak, for meekness is power under control. Jesus was never weak when he dealt with people, but He exercised His power through love. When Jesus indwelled us, we received not only His holiness but also His power. We must learn to live in holiness before God can entrust us with His power. The Jews in the Old Testament did not experience the power of God, for it came through Christ s resurrection: 236 Life By Death Life By Death 229

12 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Php.3:10-11 NRSV) We can understand God s power better if we consider Jesus ministry: You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Ac.10:38 NASB) Christians do not realize the significance of Jesus baptism by John the Baptist. Jesus had to be baptized in order to receive the Holy Spirit, Who contains God s power. Hence, when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him with the power of God. Some people ask, If Jesus is God, why did He have to receive power from the Holy Spirit? Allow me to explain. Both God and man are a tri-unity. If we think about man s tri-unity (body, soul, and spirit), we realize that each part has a different function with different abilities. Man s spirit relates to God through the functions of intuition, conscience, and communion. Man s soul expresses who he is by the functions of intellect, emotion, and will. Man s body relates to the physical world through the functions of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. Each part of the triunity of man has a different function. Similarly, each part of the triunity of God has a different function. Hence, Jesus needed to be baptized with the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit contains the power of God: Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. (Ro.1:3-4 NKJV) Jesus is God, but Jesus function is different than the functions of the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures teach that each part of God has a different function: God s elect... who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ. (1Pe.1:1-2 NIV) Each member of the tri-unity of God has a different attribute: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2Co.13:14 NKJV) 230 Life By Death You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1Jn.4:4 NASB) Christ gave Christians the authority to overcome Satan s spiritual realm: Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. (Mt.18:18-19 NASB) Hence, Christians can bind Satan so that he cannot deceive people; and Christians can also command Satan to relinquish his control and power over people. Christians have these abilities because they were crucified to the world, and the world was crucified to them. Consequently, Satan lost his authority over Christians. Christ defeated Satan and his kingdom through the cross: And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Co.2:15 TNIV) Since Christians have the power of Christ through His Spirit, they can claim Satan s possessions (the souls of men) for Christ s kingdom: When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. (Lk.11:21-22 NRSV) Spiritual young men not only know that they have God s authority, but they also use it to overcome all aspects of Satan s kingdom. Jesus said: Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Lk.10:19 NKJV) Satan is the enemy who opposes Christians. Hence, Christians are in a spiritual war. In all wars, there are only two strategies: offensive and defensive. Spiritual young men use both of these strategies. Fighting offensively, spiritual young men use God s power to overcome Satan s control over people. Fighting defensively, spiritual young men use God s power to command a hedge of protection around themselves to form a boundary that Satan cannot penetrate. According to Scripture, all Christians are in a spiritual war that requires divine power: Life By Death 235

13 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. (Co.1:28-29 NASB) When Paul described his successful ministry, he did not talk about his logical arguments that outwitted his opponents. Rather, Paul boasted about how the Holy Spirit empowered his words and deeds: For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God. (Ro.15:18-19 NKJV) Like Paul, spiritual young men effectively use God s power to free people from Satan s control. Every person not born again is under Satan s power and at his mercy: I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. (Ac.26:17-18 NKJV) Satan controls the people of the world because he has power over the world: We know that we are God s children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one. (1Jn.5:19 NRSV) Many people claim that disease, famine, and war prove that God does not exist. I disagree. All the suffering in the world proves that Satan has control over the world and that Satan exists to steal, destroy, and kill: I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. (Jn.10:9-10 NIV) If someone wants to see proof of God, he should receive Christ into his life. Then he will know that God exists, because God will transform him and protect him from Satan s kingdom: We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. (1Jn.5:18 NIV) Because the Holy Spirit lives in every Christian, even God s spiritual children are greater than Satan: 234 Life By Death The Scriptures teach that Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit s power during His ministry on earth: One day He was teaching... and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. (Lk.5:17 NASB) Hence, Jesus waited until He was united with His Holy Spirit before He started His ministry. It is futile for anyone to try to minister without the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, Jesus commanded the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received what God promised: Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised. (Ac.1:4 NASB) Jesus explained that the promised gift was God s power. The disciples received God s power when the Holy Spirit indwelled them: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. (Ac.1:8 NASB; Lk.24:49) If the disciples tried to share the Gospel without the power of God, they would have been dependant on logic to win arguments rather than on God s power. Persuasive logic alone does not save people; for people do not deny the existence of God because they lack knowledge or intelligence but because Satan has the power to blind them: The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2Co.4:4 NIV) Satan blinds people so that they cannot perceive the Gospel. The kingdom of God will not advance until we remove the satanic power that holds people captive. Hence, spiritual young men need God s power in order to win the souls of men: For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power. (1Co.4:20 NRSV) When Paul preached the Gospel, he preached not only with logical arguments but also with the Holy Spirit s power, which could free people s minds from Satan s power of deception: For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance. (1Th.1:5 NKJV) Life By Death 231

14 The church is not thriving today because preachers talk about God rather than teach the congregation how God s power can change lives into Christ s likeness. The church is void of God s power, for the church has made Christianity into a religion of rituals, traditions, and theology. God warns us: But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves,... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2Ti.3:1-2&5 NKJV) Christ gave Christians God s power when they were born again by the Holy Spirit: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. (Eph.3:16-17 NIV) Christians know two facts. First, God s Spirit lives in them. Second, God s power remains in Christians because they have the Holy Spirit. A spiritual child acknowledges these facts, but he has not learned their significance. Contrary to spiritual children, spiritual young men know the significance of God s power, which they possess through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Hence, spiritual young men do not go timidly through life, afraid that Satan might overcome them. Rather, they confront the devil, knowing that they have the Holy Spirit s power to overcome the enemy. Spiritual young men are confident that Christ s holiness will protect them from Satan s sinful traps: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2Ti.1:7 TNIV) Through the Holy Spirit, Christians have power, love, and holiness to minister to people effectively. Therefore, spiritual young men can expand God s kingdom. Jesus did not merely state that God s kingdom would come to earth. Instead, Jesus said that God s kingdom would come with power during the lives of those who were listening to Him: And he said to them, I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power. (Mk.9:1 NIV) A spiritual child possesses the same power that a spiritual young man possesses; but a spiritual young man has the confidence to confront Satan s kingdom. Christ came to earth to destroy the devil s work: 232 Life By Death The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. (1Jn. 3:8 NASB) Even the demons acknowledged that Jesus came to destroy them. They said: "Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are the Holy One of God!" (Lk.4:34 NASB) Christians have the Holy Spirit, Who also indwelled Christ. Hence, they have the potential to do the work that Christ did on earth. The Scriptures state that Christians will do what Christ did because of their faith in Jesus: Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. (Jn.12:14 NRSV) Through faith, Christians are indwelled by Christ s Spirit, Who contains God s power. Hence, Christians are empowered to give wholeness to people, freeing them from the power of Satan. However, before Christians can use the Holy Spirit s power, they must believe that they possess the power to do God s work. Having faith, spiritual young men harness the full potential of God s power: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! (Eph.3:20-21 NIV) Spiritual children do not fully use God s power because they still struggle to live a life of personal victory. But spiritual young men consistently walk in victory. Consequently, they can do the works that they considered impossible when they were spiritual children. Unlike spiritual children, spiritual young men use God s power to its full potential to bring freedom to the lives of other people: My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit s power, so that your faith might not rest on men s wisdom, but on God s power. (1Co.2:4-5 NIV) If we preach the message of the cross without God s power, people will disregard God s power and rely on man s wisdom for their salvation. Since God s power transforms lives, only God s power can bring wholeness to people: Life By Death 233