As previously indicated, a born-again child of God becomes part of the body of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:13 implies that, as His children, if we do not walk by faith (as He has designed us to do), Jesus is still faithful; since He cannot reject part of His body! Yet, Galatians 6:7-8 indicates that God is no fool. We reap what we sow.
Two men in the Old Testament are a stark contrast in regard to what their lives produced. Abraham (the man of faith, friend of God) was by no means perfect in his behavior, but he followed God by faith—trusting God to deliver what He promised. From his descendants came Jesus Christ! Righteous Lot (2 Peter 2:4-9) compromised with the society around him and walked by sight versus by faith. The end result of his life was a lack of impact on his family, friends and the society. In fact, his descendants became enemies of God’s people.
The choice is set before us: as Christians, do we want to live by our flesh or walk by faith and allow the very presence of Jesus to permeate our lives? The Christian life is a fight of faith! Hebrews 5:5-6 implies that maturity is a process that occurs by learning principles of God’s word and practicing walking by faith—appropriating Christ’s life in every area of our life.
God wants us to walk with Him with a pure heart. Some may feel that this life of faith can lead to an unhealthy perfectionism. We are not suggesting that Christians reach a state of spiritual perfection, but the goal is to walk with a blameless heart—confessing any known sin as we go. Rather than seeking our own perfection by striving with self-effort, we are seeking to rest, trust, and lay hold of Christ’s perfection by faith—knowing that He will never fail us or forsake us. Spiritual maturity is a process of learning to trust Jesus more and more by the power of His Holy Spirit and relying less and less on our sinful self.
Hannah Whitall Smith, in her book, “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life”, gave the analogy of how an apple develops from a bud to a ripe, juicy apple—perfect in each stage of development; and, yet, the bud is far different from the mature apple. The same is true in our spiritual maturity as a Christian. Even though we may be spiritual kids, we can practice acting maturely by following the leading of the Holy Spirit. In this way, we can maintain a pure heart in each stage of our development. A new Christian and a mature Christian may differ tremendously in external behavior. Yet, whether we are just starting out in the Christian life or are a more mature believer, Jesus has fully lived in us from the moment we invited Him into our lives; and we are complete in Him.
Bible verses to think about:
A. Colossians 2:9-10 tells us that we are totally complete, since Jesus lives in us. Yet, there is a process of developing into what God already sees us as: His mature sons and daughters. See also: Romans 8:14-16, Galatians 4:19, and Colossians 1:27-29.
B. Read Romans 12:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 9-10, and 2 Peter 1: 3-8. God is asking us to submit our bodies to Him to be used as a living expression of Jesus. Time spent alone with the Lord, in reading or listening to His Word and prayer, are very important in renewing our minds on a daily basis. As we realize our need to draw from God’s life, our time in God’s Word becomes a necessity just as eating is necessary to sustain our physical strength. The Christian life is a learning process in which God teaches us to love. We are in a spiritual battle—protected by God as we trust Him with childlike faith. As with any learning process, failure does occur.
C. Read 2 Timothy 2:19-27, Titus 2:11-14, 2 Peter 3:7-14, and 1 Timothy 1:8-11. For a Christian to be prepared for every good work, these verses indicate that they need to keep their heart pure. 1 Timothy 1:10-11, Titus 2:1-10, and Titus 1:1 remind us that sound doctrine encourages us to live godly lives. 2 Timothy 2:22 instructs us to keep our hearts pure. In John 13:10, Jesus told Peter that he was clean; but that he still needed his feet washed. The application for us is that, as God’s children, we have been forgiven; yet, as the Holy Spirit reveals sin to us, we need to confess, repent, and appropriate the forgiveness that is ours in Christ.
D. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 and James 1:12-15. There is a difference between temptation and sin. When tempted, we can feel sinful—even though our mind and will are set against it. It is important to be able to distinguish between sin and temptation. Another concept, which can be perplexing, is the relationship between faith and feelings. Read Matthew 26:36-46. Jesus overcame the temptation from his human feelings of not wanting to go to the Cross by submitting His will to the Father. We can submit our wills to the Father (even though our feelings may make us like a hypocrite), as we look to God to strengthen us! We can’t always control our emotions, but we can submit our will to God. 2 Timothy 2:22 instructs to flee youthful lusts. Our role when tempted is to flee by God’s grace!
E. Blending common sense and trusting God by faith can be challenging. Read Proverbs 3:5-6, John 14:26, Psalm 25:12, Psalm 32:7-9, Colossians 2:1-3, and James 1:5-8. God can give us wisdom in any area of our life. He is available 24 hours a day/7 days a week to help us! He wants us to include Him in every area of our lives. His line is never busy—if we keep our hearts clean by keeping short accounts with God regarding sin. (See 1 John 1:9). Sin can hinder God’s response to our prayers.