Maturity in the Spirit
Day 39
by Gini Crawford, MSW
Power in the Spirit
One of the last things Jesus told His disciples as He ascended into heaven was to wait for the promised Holy Spirit, because He would give them the power they needed to live for Him. (Acts 1:1-11).
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV®
Our power comes from God's Spirit within us. So it makes sense, to be a strong or mature Christian you need to be filled with His Spirit. A mature Christian is one who acts very much like Jesus. When we are filled with the Spirit, life isn't always happy as you know, but you have the promise that God's power and love will allow you to be conquerors, even in a horrible death. There were 21 Christians men lined up on a beach to be beheaded by ISIS militants. Many said prayers such as "Jesus give me strength", as the knife took them from the presence of evil to the presence of eternal love. I guarantee being filled with the Holy Spirit allows you to grow as a Christian, conquer your worse fears, stand mighty for God and accomplish things that will astound you because what you are doing is beyond human fortitude, ability and strength. (Zechariah 4:6-7).
...that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith— ...being rooted and grounded in love... Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us...Ephesians 3:16, 20 ESV®
I can certainly feel inadequate in what God has called me to do. Do I write well enough to publish books? Do I teach God's Word rightly? Am I the wife, mother, grandmother and friend I should be? We can all feel insecure or inadequate, think we are broken or failures, have fears and worries that can cripple us psychologically, and even wonder if we would deny Jesus if faced with persecution. Yet, as self-doubting and struggles hit us we need to remember there is the overcoming power of the Holy Spirit within us. Walk with God's Spirit, and you will live a life that overcomes even the hardest of trials. (Romans 8:2-4, 35-37).
The Spirit praying for us
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son... Romans 8:26-29 ESV®
God knows our natural state is one of weakness, so Romans chapter eight again gives us great encouragement about the Holy Spirit helping us. The Greek word here for help (sunantilambano) is a rich word that pictures the Spirit helping us to carry a heavy load. The Spirit's help comes with us cooperating with Him. The Greek word for weakness (astheneia) may include physical, emotional, and spiritual struggles and are not just from suffering, but from all sorts of life's circumstances. In our weaknesses we are at a loss with what we ought to pray, so the Spirit keeps on interceding for us with groanings too deep with words. I know this sounds odd, but in reality it is the loving work of the Trinity for us: What the Spirit is praying has no need of words because the prayer is to God the Father and He knows. And the Spirit's interceding is always according to God's will and for our good to conform us to the image of His Son.
At times I feel like I am dealing with life alone, but in reality I never am. The Spirit is always with us. Seek the Spirit's help and you will pray and do God's will. Walk with Him and you will resemble Jesus. What does it mean to you that Jesus' Spirit is with you, helping and even praying for you?
Life Application
A mature Christian
The Spirit will slowly but surely mature us, because He doesn't want us to stay as immature babies in Jesus Christ, controlled by our sinful desire.
...But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. / But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?... Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? / Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 1 Corinthians 6:11, 3:1-3, 16; Galatians 3:3 ESV®
I have watched some of my grandkids since they were babies. They could only drink milk as babies do. As they matured, the babies become toddlers who demand solid food to eat. As toddlers, if you gave them only milk, they would demand food with a determined cry that got louder until the animal crackers and so on arrived. As Christians, we need to grow in Jesus Christ. We need to demand it from ourselves. If you are serious about being a mature Christian, here are four fundamentals that will help mature you:
- God’s Word and Prayer. Growth in our lives always starts in our mind and then comes out in our behavior. Thinking of this psychological principle, how do you transform your mind, so you can grow and mature in Jesus? Read Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 6:17-18; Philippians 4:4-9; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Hebrews 5:11-14. Psalm 119 talks about how important God's Word is for transforming our lives for God. It's the longest Psalm so read it when you have time.
- Have faith in God. In the book of Galatians, Christians weren't living by faith in God (even though they had been saved by faith) but were having faith in their own works, leaving the Spirit out. Needless to say, they were struggling like fish out of water by not embracing the Spirit by faith. Read Galatians 2:16, 3:1-5, 22-26; James 1:2-8. When you live by faith the Spirit will manifest maturity in you.
- God uses trials to mature us. I have found when I embrace God through a trial and not try to go it alone, my trust and love for Him grows and I have a divine strength, peace and even joy. When trials come your way, receive them as gifts from God. The Spirit within you, knows you the best and loves you the most so He will use the struggles of life for your benefit, not your harm. Read Romans 5:1-5, 15:30.
- Submit to the Spirit not to your flesh. (Galatians 5:16-26; 1 John 2:15-17). Humble yourself under God. God's goal in our lives is maturity in Jesus and not familiarity in the things of the flesh. Read Ezekiel 36:27; Romans 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 6:17-20; James 4:1-10; 1 Peter 5:6-11. Does your lifestyle open the door for you to be a mature Christian? Explain.
To ponder: A caterpillar's metamorphosis into a butterfly is an excellent illustration of how the Spirit changes us from people bound to this earth to people connected to Heaven. Without the Spirit we are very much like the caterpillar struggling to survive but sensing there is something better. When the Spirit seals and regenerates us there is a heavenly life and beauty that permeates our spirit and soul - telling us we are a new creation enabled to fly to new heights in Jesus on this earth and into eternity, doing beautiful things for God. Read Isaiah 40:31; 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, 5:14-17; Titus 3:3-7.
Reflect on Acts 1:8