March 22, 2015 – Pastor Tim Oates – “Growing Up”
2 Timothy 3:16-17, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.(NKJV)
Do you realize that the “new man” starts out as a child? A child that has to grow into the mature character and nature of the Lord. In life, wars often come before success, and everyone experiences struggles before they obtain victories. If it is easy everyone does it or has it. I know, some people can make life seem so easy or say it is… but it’s not! Life can easily get out of control. If it is not maintained, given direction, and disciplined.
We often ask, Lord, what must I do to be perfected? I think it can be different for everyone. However, prayer, the Word, and study are all a part of it. Our experiences are different, but God and His Word remain the same for all of us. Our experiences and journeys make us uniquely us. But God,
“…is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
- Things get better with age, even though our culture wants to stay young, we do however, often pay more for things that are old. They become more valuable as they age.
- God began something in you and it gets better and better.
Philippians 1:6, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
It can be a tormenting experience for us to try to accomplish through ourselves what only God and maturity can accomplish in time.
When my boys were younger, no matter how much one of my sons wanted to wear my clothes, they couldn’t because they weren’t old enough or developed enough to wear them, and they still can’t wear them. Yet, there is nothing wrong with them. They are as big as they should be at their age. (Now, if I had clothes from my early 20’s—they could wear those just fine!) Sometimes we are expected to be further along than we should be for the age we are in God!
It is important for us to let God mature us—without our self-help efforts to impress others with a false sense of piety. That kind of do-it-yourself righteousness and religion keeps us from being naked before God and from being comfortable with our own level of growth. Yes, I want to be all that God wants me to be. But while I am developing at the rate HE has chosen, I will certainly thank Him for His rich grace and bountiful mercy along the way.
- Everything we will need was furnished at the cross.
- Our battles are not for a victory, but from the point of victory (the cross).
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