Spiritual Maturity

[MCoving]

Ya know I was looking thru the website of my old church, and came across a teaching that has been so engrained in my thinking. I was just curious as to what others thought about this, what a church does if its healthy or not? In my old church they'd emphasize spiritual maturity.. they'd say what someone would look like who is mature in faith. Someone who is invovled in the church, in a ministry, devoted to the study of Gods Word, prayer, etc. Many church leaders would be seen as mature and others not. It was like rule to live up by.. but in reality I always fell short of. Either because I just did or I held myself to a high standard. Course this would 'cause other issues in my life, of feeling unworthy and such.

However, I think what I see now in the Faith is believers who are humble. Who don't consider themselves more mature than another. But that we are all learning, that God has us each at different areas in our life, and one isn't better than another. Is that right? Obviously we are to grow, and there are some that feed on milk rather than meat. But should this be the focus of a church??

This is what they said on their site:
Profile of a Villager

We are all in process. All of us are on a journey toward spiritual maturity. The "Profile of a Villager" is a summary of characteristics that mark a spiritually mature believer. Our mandate from Scripture is to press on towards these characteristics until we reach maturity in our faith and come to the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:12-13).

You may want to look through the list and evaluate your own spiritual maturity and then set some goals for how you'd like to grow in the coming year. Maturity is a community endeavor. We are here to serve you and encourage you in your growth. Let us know how we can help.

And a link to the document that they believe determines a mature believer. http://i.b5z.net/i/u/720587/f/ProfileOfAVillager.pdf
Is there such a list that one needs to measure up to?

Thanks,
Mary

[Eileen]

Mary,

I’m not sure I can answer your questions but I can say that in my ‘many’ years I have come to the realization that we cannot put any measure of trust in ‘lists of men’ to point us in the right direction. Often times they do the exact opposite, they point us to our own doings and not what Christ has accomplished.

If we look to the scriptures and to the Apostle Paul, who actually tells us that we are to be a follower of him, denoting for one thing, his spiritual maturity, we find what he always points us to and of course that is Christ.

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death

“If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead,

“NOT as though I had already attained, either were already perfect (mature): but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

“Let us therefore, as many as be perfect (mature) be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Philippians 3: 9-15

We press on Mary and we trust that it is God who works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure and that includes our growth and maturity.

Eileen~

[Robert R. Higby]

I have heard a lot of preaching lately on this 'social justice' and 'doing everything possible to relieve material suffering' stuff. I consider it sheer stupidity and flight from real gospel ministry. Where in the Bible has the Lord given the elect of Christ any mandate to feed the world to relieve its God-appointed famine in judgment upon its wicked unbelief (where others will not) or save the world from its God-appointed suffering in judgment upon its wicked unbelief (where others will not)? It is not there. The EKKLESIA is primarily to take care of the suffering EKKLESIA and then do what lesser good it reasonably can toward the rest! The resources of all persons are limited.

[MCoving]

I have heard a lot of preaching lately on this 'social justice' and 'doing everything possible to relieve material suffering' stuff. I consider it sheer stupidity and flight from real gospel ministry. Where in the Bible has the Lord given the elect of Christ any mandate to feed the world to relieve its God-appointed famine in judgment upon its wicked unbelief (where others will not) or save the world from its God-appointed suffering in judgment upon its wicked unbelief (where others will not)? It is not there. The EKKLESIA is primarily to take care of the suffering EKKLESIA and then do what lesser good it reasonably can toward the rest! The resources of all persons are limited.

Yeah it would be nice if the Ekklesia were to take care of the suffering Ekklesia first. You make a good point about their not being a command in Scripture to feed the world. Even if one were to do what they can... it doesn't even make a dent. Plus there's so many people in our Church that are suffering now.. or homeless, or just in need of a friend to take them out to dinner. We tend to focus on the world, or oversees when even though Americans have it so much better there are still people here.. still people here in need of others.

Mary