I had intended that Part 2 would come the following week from Part 1, but as usual life happened and pre-planed time schedules must comply. But now let’s continue our look into Christian Maturity. Maybe there was a lesson here that I needed to learn.
I ended the least observation saying “It is the willingness to give of one’s self because of Christ’s love that changes and matures our own life as well as being a meaningful witness in the midst of a world of noisy meaninglessness.” But giving of one’s self because of Christ’s love is not easy and only becomes our response as we progressively grow into the nature of Christ himself.
We are coming to the end of the Easter liturgical season and entering the long summer season of Pentecost, highlighting the giving of God, the Holy Spirit, to the Church. Jesus had said to the disciples, “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” (John16:7 NASB) It is God, the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, that is ever present to work among us, helping us to mature more fully in the nature of Jesus Christ.
Living the Christian life is difficult. We hear Jesus’ teaching to “love your enemy… do good to those who hate you, …. turn the other cheek, …. go a second mile if your are forced to go one mile.” These instructions make no sense to our natural human nature. (We are getting a large dose of this human nature if we listen to all of the political advertising and commentary in this election season.) Even so, Jesus meant what He said. It is these actions, the living out of Jesus’ nature in the context of our daily activities that witness to Jesus’ love and can change the heart of another person.
We are really talking about death and resurrection happening within our own lives. Something of our own old fallen nature has to die within us to allow God’s Spirit to bring forth a new part of Christ’s nature in our hearts.
The death of the sinless man, Jesus, on Calvary was the atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. His resurrection to life three days later made possible the path of a new life for all who would receive Him. It also made possible the progressive death of our old nature and the resurrection of more of Christ’s new living nature within our hearts.
Coming to faith in Jesus Christ gives us the new birth as a child of God, assuring us of our eternal life in God’s Kingdom. But as with any child maturity doesn’t happen instantly. We have our salvation in Christ, but we continue to mature, led by the hand of God’s Spirit, into Christ’s nature throughout our time on earth. This puts the oft quoted verse from Romans 8:28 in it’s proper context. “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.” Things happen that we don’t understand, or that cause difficulty and pain. Too often I’ve heard them passed off with the quick quote of “well God uses all thing for good.” But is this a maturing lesson of God’s Spirit? Do we have to let go of something, some attitude, some fear, some resentment, something that says I can do this better? You see, that is dying to one’s self, and it may be a repeated lesson until Christ’s life-giving nature is formed in that part of our old life. Like me fretting over not getting this Part 2 out when I wanted it. (Maybe?)
All of this is the work of God’s Spirit both in ourselves and in the one receiving our action. That is just the point. Growing in the Christian life means progressively dying to one’s old nature and being raised to a new nature in Jesus Christ. In this way we reflect a little more of God’s image in which we were originally created. We can grow and mature. Instead of responding to life’s challenges out of our human nature we can seek God’s help to respond with Jesus’ nature. We will not do it perfectly. We will not do it consistently. We will, as with all growth, have growing pains, but we will grow. The only failure is being complacent, being satisfied where we are, and not realizing the greatness to which God calls us.