Status Updates From Maturity: Growing Up and Go...

Too often our minds are the slaves of our feelings. If so our wills will soon be captured by them too.
When we live on the basis of feelings that have never been trained and disciplined by God's word, we grow spiritually weak. True, we may feel strong; but if our lifestyle choices depend on what we feel' we are in fact weak.

God knows what he is doing in every situation in our lives, not least in our darker moments. Pain, times of disappointment or sorrow, all serve as his pruning knife. His providences at times seem to cut deeply; but his purpose is to enable us to grow strong enough to bear new fruit. He prunes with perfect skill. We are tested, but not beyond what we can bear (I Cor. 10:13).

If the graft shows no sign of bearing fruit, then there is no evidence that it is vitally united to the vine—whatever the outward appearance may be. It will be cut away and burned. It has no life-receiving and fruit-bearing union with the vine.

One can be enlightened, taste the heavenly gift, share in the Holy Spirit, taste the goodness of the word of God, and the powers of the age to come—and yet be an apostate (Heb. 6:4-6).

Abiding in Christ is letting the mind of Christ dwell richly in you.

It is very important to let the Word of God be absorbed in one’s mind for maturity.

As the Bible is daily medicine for our sick soul, we are to take it daily and not only when we feel like it. We are to feed our minds with the word of Christ.

Jesus Christ is both the author of our faith and the one who matures and perfects it (Heb. 12:2). He died to bring us to maturity. He lives to accomplish that goal. It is the reason why he gave us the ministry of his word, which, when exercised faithfully, nourishes all the other spiritual gifts in the church.

Mature Christians are stable, capable Christians whose gifts and graces have been developed; those who by God's grace have become masters of themselves, and are able to use all the gifts that God has given them in his service.

God knows what he is doing in every situation of our lives. He prunes those who are his so THAT they bear more fruit (John 15:2).