Some boys of different ages played in the playground of one of the super blocks on the southern wing of Brasilia and began to disagree about something. I was not there, so the details may be out by one word or another. Anyway, the disagreement quickly turned into a discussion, and then into a mouthy cussing worthy of 7 to 10 years old boys. One of the boys, (now one of the most mature men I know), still under five, shouted a final argument that would (in his line of thought) put an end to all that mess. His bravado would surely give his group the laurels of victory: "I dare you to say Gertrude!" He said with great difficulty in uttering such a curse.
His line of thought - There was a TV ad for a furniture store at the time, when a crazy eddy type salesman advertised prices and the savings and discounts, in the end, he would say, "I dare you to say Gertrude!" which was the name of the store. It didn’t make the slightest sense, but it was funny. At my cousin's house, while Téquinho was not yet Tecone and was still learning to say big words, "Gertrude" was especially difficult for him, and the challenge he overcame by being able to pronounce correctly fit as well as any insult. Then he went on and challenged his enemies with a harsh sentence.
Lately, I've been writing a lot about spiritual growth and maturity. As we grow, we must biblically learn how to mature in our faith and holiness. However, as we learn from sources other than Scriptures, we end up learning whatever and from whoever it is, like the little boy who learned and formulated his insults and arguments from a TV commercial.
Our path to maturity is not a linear or chronological path. Often we are just adults who have forgotten to grow up. Often we are powerless and cannot find a role to play in the kingdom of God. Our missile-like insults and dares become as ineffective as the little boy on the playground. God tells us that we can take steps forward to become more mature and ready in His ways to experience the greatness of His power.
The Bible clearly distinguishes between those who are spiritually mature and immature. The Bible is full of examples of the immaturity of believers who have come to Christ. Paul and the other Apostles wrote letters that together with the Old Testament and the Gospels make up the whole of our doctrine and addressed some great failures, difficulties, and struggles. Their examples will guide true believers in growth. Starting from being little boys who fight their battles in the playground to make men and women who fight in spirit and truth.
1. OBEDIENCE - The only way we can win arguments and find the marks of Christian maturity and also become examples to be followed begins with obedience to the word of God.
As when Paul wrote to the Corinthians saying, "Do we begin again to praise ourselves? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation for you, or of recommendation from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men. For it is already manifest that you are the letter of Christ, ministered by us, and written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tables of stone, but on the tables of the flesh of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3: 1-3)
Paul goes so far as to say, "But if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel besides the one we preach to you, be under the curse of God!" (Galatians 1: 8)
Paul is literally saying that even if he strays from the pure message about Christ and His teaching, stop listening to Him! Clearly, he wanted to convey the Message of Christ in all its purity, because that is where the power is.
We see this with denominations that are moving away from the central aspects of the gospel - for example, those who say that it is okay to live in sin and not repent. Your followers implode within just a few years, because when you take the core of the message away, you take away the power of the Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, and there's nothing left to stay around.
Paul tells us to establish those fundamental teachings about Christ, and to continue there to grow to maturity and the author of Hebrews, the author says: "Therefore, let us move beyond the elemental teachings about Christ and be brought to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance of acts that lead to death and faith in God, instruction in rites of purification, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. "(Hebrews 6: 3)
2. SELFCRITICISM - Stop pointing at other people and take a look at yourself! Little boys will always point to the failures of all others, and they will never see their own mistakes. Sometimes we blame others for our lack of arguments. "I bet you can not do this or that!" Or "I did it because you (or he/she, or they) acted like that!" The path to maturity begins when you realize your own shortcomings compared to the perfection of Jesus.
Do not judge so you are to not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with what measure you measure you will be measured to you. And why sees thou the mote that is in your brother's eye, and sees not the beam that is in your eye? Or as you shalt say unto your brother, let me take the mote out of your eye, when there is a beam in your own? You hypocrite, first take the beam out of your eye, and then take care to take the mote out of thy brother's eye. (Matthew 7: 1-5)
A mature Christian comes to a point where he finally sees his own sins and continually focuses on repenting in his own life, and stops trying to be the watchdogs of the world. They understand the weakness of their own flesh.
There are times to challenge others, to speak truth to others and to the world, but those moments must be much fewer and more distant from each other as we focus on our own hearts above all else.
Mature Christians are much more gracious judges of others because these words of Jesus have reached their hearts and will never be the same.
3. SELFCONTROL - You are not the watchdog of the world! Immature Christians cannot fail to speak their opinions on everything and everyone around them that follows the wrong paths. They think they are the spiritual police of the world.
James, teaching the church how to be mature, said, "For we all stumble in many things: if any man stumble in word, he is perfect, and mighty also to restrain the whole body" (James 3: 2)
This verse is so refreshing - first, because James calls it as it is - we all make more mistakes than we want to admit. Second, spiritual maturity comes from being more careful with the words we say.
Ephesians 4:29 4: 2-3 takes us a step further: "Let not a word of stubbornness come out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, that it may give grace to them that hear it." humility and meekness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, seeking to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. "
Stubbornness means dishonest, shameful. It is related as motive for various things, like crimes, homicides, suicides, and so on. Awkward is something disgusting, indecent, infamous and impudent. A stubborn crime is one that contains cruelty, usually very violent homicides and / or aggression. There are also crimes for futile reasons, which is that motivated by nonsense and vain motives. Awkward is also related to the speech of some people, with the words one uses. Awkward words are those whose meaning is dirty, obscene, and not used by people of the educated, decent, or moral character.
If you want to mature in your faith in Christ, dwell in these verses. Run everything else you do in your Christian life through them. Walking with humility, kindness and patience for others. Keep careful guard over your mouth and your sayings.
4. DEPENDENCE - One of the most important steps of the Christian walk is the total dependence of Christ. Dependence on Christ not only acknowledge that he has paid the price of his salvation but understand the reason why he chose you, which is for the fellowship in the communion of believers. There is no way to say that you love the Lord if you cannot love his bride, the church.
Mature Christians do not do much of themselves and their good works and progress. They make a lot out of being like Jesus. They believe in Jesus when he says:
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15: 1-15)
Even as mature Christians are growing in faith and holiness, they do not become more independent of Christ or of their brethren in Christ, nor of themselves, because they know that their growth comes through standing in Christ - depending in Christ alone - and obedience to His command to love God and love others. Mature Christians do not take credit for themselves; they humbly follow Jesus into the fellowship of Christ's flock.
5. FAITHFULNESS - As I said at the beginning of this article, I wasn’t there on the playground. I don’t know if my cousin's playmates laughed at him or not. But if they laughed, they were reprehensible in my notebook. One of the marks of maturity, and one of the steps to achieving this maturity is the faithfulness that we demonstrate to God and our neighbors. The “gospel kids” like to expose their brothers, and point out the mistakes of whom we should show even more love. Faithfulness to Christ will automatically produce fidelity to one's neighbor, which is called long-suffering. (See also Genesis 9.18-10.32)
The good news is, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Put away your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts with double mind. "The next step to God is what James says:" I have felt your miseries, and I mourn and weep; let your laughter be converted into mourning, and your joy into sorrow. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. "And the secret of success is," Brethren, speak ye not one of the brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law; and if you judge the law, you are no longer an observer of the law but a judge. (James 4: 8-11)
As we approach God, we experience His goodness, grace, and glory in our lives in new ways.
The apostle Peter tells us:
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1: 5-11
The marks of a mature believer, is not the challenge of who is greater, if one can say "Gertrude", or "Hypostatic Union", or "Predestination", or "sola this and sola that" - The study of theology is very important and vital for knowledge. They are terms and definitions that must be known, but they do not define us if we do not generate the marks of Christ in our hearts. I’m SOLA SORRY - Such things that are common in the "kinder gardens of life" or in the playgrounds of big boys who never grew up. They are just marks imprinted by Satan in our midst to confuse us and impede our growth.
The real marks of a mature Christian are: faith, goodness, God's knowledge of His Word, self-control, perseverance through difficulties, piety (imitation of Christ), mutual affection for other believers and for the Church (mature or immature Christians and non-Christians also). Doing our best to love people according to 1 Corinthians 13.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God, to destroy strongholds. "(2 Corinthians 10: 3-4) The mature believer does not aim to detonate people, it is not a street fight; planned according to the way the world fights, earthly strategies are not our concern, our weapons are not physical, because our war is spiritual in nature, instead of weapons and tanks, our weapons are those of "armor of God, "which consist of" the truth and clothed you with the breastplate of righteousness. Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; always embracing the shield of faith, with which you can erase all the fiery darts of the Evil One. Take also the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God "(Ephesians 6: 14-17).
Mature Christians do not remain idle in their faith, pointing out the shortcomings of others. Mature Christians will trust and obey the Lord, making every effort to enjoy the fellowship of believers, knowing that there are Christian babies and Christian boys, and we all seek the maturity of our Lord as we walk in him. And to finish: I dare you to say GERTRUDE!
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