Growing Up In Christ. Part 6

Stages of Spiritual Development. Part 3

Deacon Adekunle Adenuga

Adulthood.

The understanding of the stage of your spiritual growth will greatly help you to know what you need to do to go up to the next level of growth. Spiritual growth is dependent on the Word of God. Physical development is dependent on physical food and exercise. Similarly, spiritual development is conditional on how much of the spiritual food you are able to take in and digest, and the degree of spiritual training and exercise you engage yourself in. 

1 Peter 2: 2, 

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."

Every believer is to desire earnestly and fully the sincere, uncontaminated milk of the Word in order to grow up into fullness of God. Your growing up is necessary in order to be equipped for the work of the ministry for the edifying, or building up of the body of Christ. All believers and every believer have a share to contribute to the building up of the body of Christ. 

Ephesians 4:11-16 KJV 

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  

(12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  

(13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  

(14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;  

(15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:  

(16) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

The believer in Christ is a born again child of God. Every child of God has been predestined to conform to the image of the Son of God. Romans 8: 29. Our predestination is to be precisely like Jesus Christ. Our Father God recreated us in Christ so that we can be like His Son. As sons of God, we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. Now, we are sons of God. We have the very image of God inside us. We are being changed into the same image [the image of our Lord] from glory to glory even as we are beholding and looking intently as in a glass the glory of the Lord. The growing up is to enable us come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. 2 Corinthians 3: 18; Ephesians 4: 13. 

God's will for you is to grow up to the full image of Christ. Gods will for you is to grow up in love. The spiritual growth of the individual believer is what builds up the entire body of Christ. Jesus Christ gave to the Church gifts for growing up the believers for the maturity of all saints leading to the edifying of the Church. The ministry gifts  apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers  were given for the perfecting of the saints. 

The word perfecting means to prepare and train thereby equipping the saints. It means that the ministry gifts were made available for the thorough furnishing and equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry. Saints are to do the work of the ministry-the work of service-serving the body of Christ. This ministry / service is aimed at the edifying and building up of the body of Christ. Every gifts and manifestations of the Spirit is given for the profit and benefit of all. Therefore, it becomes our responsibility to use the gifts given to us for the profiting of the body of Christ. 

We are required to be good and faithful servants. Matthew 25. The work of the ministry is for the perfect man. The word perfect [Greek: teleios] means whole, complete, having reached the end, to make fully skilful. Hence, the work of the ministry is for the matured, skilful and complete man. The work of the ministry is not for novice. It is not for unskilful. It is not for babes and children. It is for the grown ups. 

1 Timothy 3:1,6 KJV 

"This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 

(6) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil."

The work of the ministry is not for newborn babes and children. It is not for new convert. It is for the matured man. It is for people who have learned to be skilful in the word of righteousness. This kind of people has been well and fully trained through the ministry gifts and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 

Characteristics of Adulthood. 

(1) Spiritual Mindedness. 

Hebrews 11:24-26 WNT 

"Through faith Moses, when he grew to manhood, refused to be known as Pharaoh's daughter's son,  

(25) having determined to endure ill-treatment along with the people of God rather than enjoy the short-lived pleasures of sin;  

(26) because he deemed the reproaches which he might meet with in the service of the Christ to be greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt; for he fixed his gaze on the coming reward."

The matured man in Christ is a spiritually minded man. He esteems spiritual things above the earthly things. He has set his heart and mind on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Majesty. Esteeming earthly things lightly is one feature of spiritual maturity. It is wrong for believers in Christ to put earthly things above spiritual things, for in doing so they wont be able to grow spiritually.

Moses, when he was come to years, - that means when he grew up. When Moses grew up to maturity, then he became a man. Moses, when he grew up refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter. Think about what he refused. He saw a difference in the people of God and the people of the world. He had the things the earth and the world had to offer  honor, wealth and prestige. Yet he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in the world.

A matured Christian knows that he cannot afford to be carnally minded. A carnal mind is enmity against God. Therefore, for the matured, spiritual Christian spiritual mindedness becomes the only choice. Spiritual mindedness is being word-minded. Because the Word of God is spirit. John 6: 63. The matured Christian has come to the place of highly esteeming the word of God in his every day life. The matured Christian knows that the Word of God is the final and ultimate authority in the affairs of life. He is a man of faith.

Ephesians 4:13 ALT until we all arrive [fig., attain] to the unity of the faith and of the full [or, true] knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect [or, mature] man, to [the] measure [fig., extent] of [the] maturity of the fullness of Christ,

Faith is required to come to maturity. Faith in the Word of God that works by the love of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The Word of God is the word of faith. Therefore, consistent hearing of and acting on the Word brings forth faith. As you keep on with the Word, your faith increased because your knowledge of the Word in you increased. Spiritual maturity requires that you attain to the unity of faith and of the true and full knowledge of the Son of God. Spiritual maturity is attained both individually and collectively. 

We all are to arrive. Collective attainment to the unity of faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God is what brings us to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. That is reason Jesus Christ gave gifts to men. He gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. Ephesians 4: 11. In other instances, He gave some the ability to lead, some to exhort and encourage, some to give liberally, some to show mercy cheerfully and some to be ministers. Romans 12: 6-8. Also, God has appointed these in the Church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations and varieties of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12: 28. All these are given to the Church, so that all the saints will attain to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God. 

Ephesians 3:16-18 ALT 

"so that He shall grant to you, according to the riches [fig., abundance] of His glory, to be strengthened with power by means of His Spirit in the inner being, 

(17) [in order for] Christ to dwell in your hearts [fig., inner selves, and elsewhere in book] by means of faith, having been firmly established and founded in love,  

(18) so that you shall be fully able to comprehend with all the holy ones what [is] the width and length and depth and height"

(2) Walking in Love. 

Romans 5: 5 KJV  

"because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

Love is the hallmark of a child of God. Every born again child of God has the nature of love. The new creature is born of God, since God is love, he is born of love. You are a love creature. Therefore, our Father wants us to grow up in love and walk in love. A matured, spiritual man has learned to walk in love because he knows he is a love creature. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. Our spirit is filled with the love of God. 

1 John 3:14 KJV "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."

The realm of love is the realm of the eternal life. The realm of love is the realm of the life of God. When you walk in love, you are walking in the realm of the life of God. Love is the source of eternal life. Every child of God has the nature of love in his spirit. 

To fellowship with God, we must walk in love. To walk with God, we must walk in love. To walk in Gods realm, we must walk in love. This love is the Jesus kind of love, the agape  the God kind of love. God is a love God. John 3: 16; 1 John 4: 8. When you were born again, He became your Father. Therefore, you are a love child of a Love God. You are born of God, and God is love, so you are born of Love. The nature of God is in you. The nature of God is love. 

1 John 4:7 KJV Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Every one born of God is born of Love. Therefore, every child of God is born of Love, and must love God and His children. We are to walk in love. This is our commandment  the commandment of love. The walk of love is the highest blessing of the family of God. The family of God is a Love family. We are born into the Love family. God is our Love Father and we are His Love children. We cannot say we do not have this God kind of love-the Agape. Every one in the family has it, or else they are not in the family. They may not be exercising it, nonetheless they have it. Its just like many child of God do not know or are aware of the fact that they have eternal life. Nonetheless, they have eternal life. They may not know or be aware that they have rights and privileges in Christ. Nonetheless, they have it. Now, God wants us to know and be aware of who we are and what we have, and walk and live in the reality of our redemptive inheritance. 

Ephesians 5:1-2 KJV 

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;  

(2) And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."

The Love law of the family of God is that ye love one another; as I have loved you. John 13: 34. The demonstration of our Love walk is the revelation of our divine sonship. The world will know that we are Jesus disciples when we love one another in the family. You see, the world can only know that we are of God, when we begin to show forth the love of God that is poured out in our spirits. 

What is Love? 1 John 4:8 KJV He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

God is Love. He is Love. He does have love. He is love. He is our Love Father and Love God. We are His love sons, born into His love family, and accepted in the Beloved, our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Love is God sending His own Son to be the propitiation [atonement, atoning sacrifice] for our sins. This is love. 

Love is God loved us and sent His Son to take our place as our Substitute in death, burial and resurrection. He sent His Son to taste death for us so that we may live unto Him forever. Love is when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

Love is God offered His Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatsoever to Him. What an amazing, glorious Love of God. According to 1 John 4: 11, Beloved if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

An Exposé on Love. 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13.

(3) Walking in Fellowship. 1 John 1:3 KJV "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."

The word fellowship is from the Greek word koinonia and it means partnership, participation, or (social) intercourse, or benefaction: communication, communion, contribution, distribution, fellowship.

As children of God, we have been called into fellowship with the Father and the Son. The great heart of the Father yearns for our fellowship and communion with Him. He wants us to know Him intimately. He wants us to know and become aware of our inheritance in Christ. He desires we know that He cares for us. That He loves us so much. He wants us to know that He has freely given us all things. Romans 8: 32.

Therefore, the matured, spiritual man has come to know the Father. He knows the Father loves and cares for him. He has come to acquaint himself with the Father through the living Word. There is no truth in the entire Bible as far reaching as the blessed fact that if we have been born again and come into the family of God, God the Father is our Father and He cares for us.