6/23/2019
Spiritual Maturity Pt 4
We pray that you will become mature. 2 Corinthians 13:9
The Stages Of Maturity: Fathers, Young Men & Children
1 John 2:13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
Children/Paidia–Someone Under Parental Instruction
1 John 2:13b …I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
Spiritual Babes Relate To God As Papa
Romans 8:15 You haven’t received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
Galatians 4:6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Spiritual Infants Are Drawn By Affection Not Doctrine
1 Corinthians 3:1-4 Brethren, I could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly.
You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy & quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? When one says, “I follow Paul,” & another says, “I follow Apollos,” are you not (acting like) mere men?
We Are Supposed To Move Beyond Infancy
Ephesians 4:14 …be ye no more children, tossed to & fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men & cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Review The Basic Teachings Of The Word
Hebrews 5:12-13 …by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; you have come to need milk & not solid food. Everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe…
Build On Biblical Foundations & Move Towards Maturity
Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works & of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, & of eternal judgment.
Elementary Biblical Foundations
- Repentance
- Faith towards God
- Baptisms
- Laying on of Hands
- Resurrection
- Eternal Judgment
Repentance is God’s Work In Our Soul So That We Forsake Sin
Luke 24:46-47
- Repentance–Thus it is written, that Christ was to suffer, & to rise from the dead on the third day & that repentance & remission of sins should be preached in His Name among all people…
Faith Allows Us To Receive Christ’s Forgiveness
Hebrews 11:6
- Faith towards God— …without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, & that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Baptisms Are God’s Teachings Which Guide Us To Christ
1 Corinthians 10:1-4
- Baptisms—I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
Laying On Of Hands Brings The Sinner To Personal Responsibility For Sin
Leviticus 1:2-4
- Laying on of Hands—When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the livestock– let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD. Then he shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering & it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.
Resurrection is The Final Proof of Eternal Judgement
Acts 17:31-32
5. Resurrection—He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead.” When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”