(Note: if you haven’t read Part 1 & 2, please do so first! SPIRITUAL ASCENDANCY: PART 1 [MONDAY MANNA 11] and SPIRITUAL ASCENDANCY – PART 2 [MONDAY MANNA 12] and SPIRITUAL ASCENDANCY – PART 3 [MONDAY MANNA ISSUE 13])
To finish this brief series of exhortation that spiritual maturity can normally be ours at any time in our walk with Christ, we leave you all with this.
We wrote earlier:
The Hebrew concept of maturity is expressed best in the NT by the Greek word “teleios,” meaning having reached its end, i.e. complete, perfect, and rendered complete (2X), mature (4X), more perfect (1X), perfect (12X). The word picture is sort of like an apple in May that looks ready to eat (mature for its age), but it’s 100% ready for consumption (‘sinlessly’ perfect) in October.
One year a daughter-in-law asked me to write a little summary teaching on spiritual maturity for our young grandsons. The principle is quite simple and yet profound for our culture, actually, but rarely preached. To those who are in Christ, closely following Him by grace, and overcoming, we at any time can have a pure heart (Matt 5.8, 1 Tim. 1.5, 2 Tim 2.2, etc). The desperately wicked heart that Jeremiah spoke of in chapter 17, verse 9, is pre-salvation, or depicts those who are walking away. Later on he describes the new heart God will give to those who turn wholeheartedly to Him.
We can go and sin no more. Jesus expects this as part of our new DIVINE nature, the new man dead to sin, that which is now wholly natural in the Spirit.
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”
He always gives us an escape, a way out of temptation (before it becomes a sin), so we’re without excuse. We can endure it. Just don’t put yourself in harm’s way, i.e. making every effort to stay away from and steer clear of temptation, obviously.
1 Cor. 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
To illustrate, I first drew my grandsons a clear (pure) heart. My next picture showed them that same clear heart but now adding around it a slightly larger, heart shaped, thin dark band, illustrating a temptation and potential sin. I explained that when they acted on God’s grace, and resisted the temptation (1 Cor. 10.13), they found His way of escape, endured it, and remained pure.
The recently added dark band of temptation in the illustration now became clear too and joined the other clear portion of their heart. So, the original pure heart now grew larger, and yet was still pure! Isn’t Jesus magnificent in giving us the grace and assurance of growing up into all aspects of Him?!
So, say you’re a day old in the Lord like the cured ex-blind man in John 9 taking Jesus’ courage in rebuking the Pharisees on his own as his parents and culture disowned him. Or the thief on the cross evangelizing his peer while they’re both dying – can’t wait to meet those two! Or if you’ve walked with Him for over 50 years, your heart is expected to be pure before Jesus. That’s what He desires, and it pleases Him to no end. Blessed are we who are pure in heart.
It’s part of being spiritually ascendant. And that is God’s expectation for 100% of all who believe in Him, who trust in Him in love for salvation from sin and the wrath to come.
The hurricanes here in Florida helped me personally to see this principle in practice in my own life. We once were basically on the run from the two major storms for over 30 days. This happened with over 16 days without power, big trees down with one directly hitting our house, living out of suitcases in others houses, losing thousands of dollars of business not covered by insurance, a real genuine crisis and huge inconvenience.
Up to just a few short years ago, I’d be fussing and complaining and running around like a chicken with its head cut off in any similar situation. Only recently have I rested my soul in Jesus, while laboring earnestly (Col. 1.28-29, 4.12) in His vineyard waiting to see what He’ll bring my way in terms of fruit during this unexpected schedule disruption.
I did what I could in the circumstances (which wasn’t much, it appeared), praised Him even more, and waited for Him to move the mountain into the sea. I wasn’t disappointed.
Our Father is faithful. Some of the fruit as a direct result of this disruptive, physical crisis:
- many saints and church groups exhorted to greater holiness in corporate praise and prayer;
- enriching prayer times with young and old believers taking His Word even more seriously;
- evangelizing the owner of the tree service and his entire crew who helped clean up our house along with several unsaved neighbors;
- many shop owners and their help greatly surprised as we proclaimed the excellencies of Jesus in joy.
Another lesson learned by my wife and I that grew our faith stronger. A few times we experienced sinful failures of impatience and irritability, but overall, major victory.
Being mature now is the normal Christian life, good and acceptable and perfect, not being conformed to loving any of the world’s desires. Let the certain tests of our faith in this life make you more and more mature, growing your heart. God’s word speaks to us today:
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Col. 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in ALL the will of God.
James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Please remember that our Lord does play favorites. In this series we wrote earlier: “The persistent reference in the Gospels to Peter, James, and John in that order is very eastern, very Hebrew, in describing an inner circle, or close favorites.”
To the men reading this: Act like men (1 Cor. 16.13), be alert, and stand firm Paul writes. Why? Acting like ‘mere’ men (1 Cor 3) is a deadly, carnal trait, an affront to a holy God, proving by our actions we do not love Him as we are commanded. Women, pray for your men that we remain alert, standing firm, acting like the manly, spiritually mature, overcoming soldiers He expects us to be.
So, then, we can walk worthy of the Lord. In our culture, some do, but many don’t. But rejoice, for we can:
1) be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so we can be…
2) walking worthy, then…
3) pleasing Him in all respects,
4) bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,
5) strengthened with all power (not just a “little” bit) according to His glorious might, for the…
6) attaining of all steadfastness and patience,
7) joyously giving thanks to the Father,
8) who has qualified us to share in the inheritance (what a day that will be!) of the saints in Light. Amen! (This is so exciting I can hardly stand it, saints!)
Here’s how it reads in the holy Scriptures:
Col. 1:9-12 (also see Eph 4.1, I Thes 2.12) For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
Become or continue becoming spiritually ascendant (the upward call of God), beloved, by walking worthy.
Philip. 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
This is God’s will for you and His church in Christ Jesus. Don’t believe the lie that you’re just a low down sinner with an evil heart. Unless you’re in persistent, habitual overcoming sin now, and in need of deliverance, repentance and restoration – remember who you are in Jesus. Washed in His blood. A saint with a pure heart. Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war.
Saints, beg and beseech Him for more and more grace. Be shameless in your approach to Him (Luke 18.5). Ask, seek, knock. Don’t give up. Ask, seek, knock some more. And more. And more. He loves our struggle in suffering to maintain and even grow our faithfulness. It reminds Jesus of His time on earth when He overcame the world.
We must do the same. It gives Him great honor and glory in the Spirit world, praise from the great cloud of witnesses and at the same time shaming the evil one. We can, by His grace, experience the God of peace crushing Satan under OUR feet (Rom 16.20). Strive to be a favorite with Jesus, rest your soul yet strive (agonize) to enter into the narrow door (Luke 13.24).
Don’t you just love God and what He does for us? And who He is in His magnificent mercy, grace, judgment, and wrath? Oh, what a Savior!
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
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You may view our Archives here: MONDAY MANNA – ARCHIVES; Complete Archives. May our Father richly bless you with His grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to walk worthy of His name.
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org
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