Growing in Grace to Maturity – November 18, 2018 – Steve Miller
We watched a video clip of a football defensive lineman who fell down and stayed lying on the turf while the play kept going around him. His team gave up a touchdown because he wasn't chasing the quarterback.
Would you lie down on the road? No, that's dangerous. You keep upright and alert in case a car comes through.
In the same way, God wants us to walk uprightly before Him. Living by His Word will keep us upright. Some Christians today might say, “Oh, that's the Law. We're saved by grace, so we don't need to teach that.” Well, no, actually, it is grace. Grace goes much deeper than just being our ticket to heaven.
Titus 2:11-15 – 11For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who 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.
15These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
How does grace teach us self-controlled, upright, godly behavior? Stephen built a great scriptural foundation for us last week about the work of the Holy Spirit through His love that manifests in our lives.
Matthew Henry explains it this way in his commentary on Titus 2:12: “He loved us, and gave himself for us; and what can we do less than love and give up ourselves to him! Redemption from sin and sanctification of the nature go together, and make a peculiar people unto God, free from guilt and condemnation, and purified by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is profitable. Here is what will furnish for all parts of duty, and the right discharge of them. Let us inquire whether our whole dependence is placed upon that grace which saves the lost, pardons the guilty, and sanctifies the unclean. And the further we are removed from boasting of fancied good works, or trusting in them, so that we glory in Christ alone, the more zealous shall we be to abound in real good works.”
Unfortunately, in many Christian circles today, it has become unpopular to teach about saying “No” to ungodliness. Some churches avoid Bible doctrine (which means Scriptural teaching) because they view it as divisive. Many churches don't teach the function of grace as our inward teacher that empowers us to grow into maturity – living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.
Hebrews 5:11-6:3
Christian author John R.W. Stott, who spent much time traveling has been quoted as saying the greatest need of the Church around the world is maturity. He said we are 16 million miles wide and about a sixteenth of an inch thick.
God is our Father, so those of us who have children, either physically or spiritually, can identify with His feelings and desires for us, His children. He wants us to be victorious in this life, not defeated.
Chip Ingram, from his teaching series Living on the Edge: “God has a dream for your life that is right and good and wonderful, and it grows out of His kindness, His love and His goodness and His concern for you. And He wants to develop everything about you, but at the heart of what He wants to develop is your character. He wants to make you like His Son. That's the big agenda. More than where you were, more than specifics about how this turns out or that turns out, that's the heart of God.”
Christian psychologists Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend, in their book Raising Great Kids, echo God's dream in their teaching about human parenting: “Good kids are a product of the real goal of parenting: mature character. When children grow up with mature character, they are able to take their place as adults in the world and function properly in all areas of life. Character growth is the main goal of child rearing.”
So what is their definition of character?
“We view character as the structures and abilities within ourselves that make up how we operate in life. In other words, character is the sum of our abilities to deal with life as God designed us to.”
They outline five aspects of character:
· Attachment – the ability to form relationships
· Responsibility – taking ownership
· Reality – dealing with sin, loss, failure, and evil
· Competence – developing God-given gifts and talents
· Conscience – an internal sense of right and wrong
· Worship – spiritual growth, right relating to God
This definition of character is not Scripture, but God's Word has much to say about these aspects of mature character, and urges us to work on developing them in our lives. The good news is that it is the Holy Spirit's work in us that does it, and in fact, He even causes us to want to grow to be like Jesus.
Philippians 2:12-16 - 12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
14Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
God wants us to immerse ourselves in His Word, and we will gain wisdom, which will guard us, lead us, and keep us on the right path. His love for us keeps us off of paths that lead to death.
Proverbs 2
Cloud and Townsend say that the ingredients that God has provided that produce growth in children are grace, truth, and time. We, His children, have His grace at work teaching, motivating, and empowering us to walk uprightly. His Word leads us in truth, which keeps us on right paths. And His Spirit is walking with us daily – it's a process – as we go through our lives, using our experiences to help us grow to maturity as beloved daughters and sons formed in the likeness of Jesus.
