Becoming a Mature Christian

 
What God Thinks “Growing Christian Maturity” Looks Like 2 Peter, pt. 1 2 Peter 1:1-2 By Pastor Dan Kennedy © July 7, 2013 www.pastorkennedy.com Status in Life “Status” is pretty important in life! It makes us feel good if we are able to put on a uniform we have always wanted to wear, earned a degree that gives us the sense of intellectual excellence, have disciplined our body to conform to an ideal, or have a financial account that gives us security and comfort. Even if no one else knows about our “status” we can privately relish the benefits of “who we believe ourselves to be”! What status should a person believe he or she has, if they are seeking to be a “Growing and Maturing Christian”? • Should a maturing Christian’s status make them better than anyone else who is not a Christian? • Aren’t Christians Children of God? That is pretty big isn’t it? • Aren’t Christians given the privilege to spend eternity in heaven with God? That is an amazing benefit of a Christian’s status, isn’t it? • Having a position in the Church should be pretty important “status” shouldn’t it? • Aren’t Christian’s called “saints”? Psalm 116:15 talks about the preciousness of “saints” before the Lord? Mature Christians must certainly be on the highest side of “sainthood” if that is the case, wouldn’t you think? • Maturing Christians must certainly have their prayers heard faster by God than immature Christians, wouldn’t human logic tell us? • What kind of grand “status” would those have who are maturing and growing Christians? The Apostle Peter wrote his second letter to those who had like precious Faith in Christ…those disbursed, alienated, and persecuted Christians…scattered abroad. He wrote this letter after he lost his trial and received a capital crime conviction from the government, for stirring up religious dissention and controversy against the Roman and Jewish gods. He wrote the letter, most likely, from a filthy Roman jail cell, just before his execution. Wouldn’t we consider Peter to be a mature Christian? He had spent three years with Jesus in his earlier formative years. He was the prominent member of Christ’s twelve disciples. He was a primary leader of the Early Church following Christ’s resurrection and Pentecost. Peter then spent some thirty to thirty-five years sharing the Gospel and advancing the cause of Christ throughout the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Peter gave up His life for Christ. What kind of status did Peter consider himself to have…as a Mature Christian? The first sentence in the first verse of 2 Peter 1 gives us the answer: “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ…” Paul, James, and other authors in the New Testament established the fact early in their writings, that they were “Servants of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 9:19; Gal. 1:10; Phil 1:1; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; Jude 1) Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Jesus Christ’s Example Coming from the glories of heaven, Jesus Christ established the “status” priority of “servant hood” when He took upon Himself the form of “a Servant” in becoming a human being. Philippians 2:6–7 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Matthew 20:25–28 25 Jesus called them (His disciples) together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Striking Visual Remember when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, taking the position of their servant? He was giving a striking visual example of a totally opposite principle to the world’s view of leadership and service (John 13:12–16). Servant hood In this statement at the beginning of Peter’s letter, including the responses of other New Testament Apostles and authors, initiated by Jesus Christ our Master and Lord, they all reveal to us that God thinks that a mature Christian should consider his or her most important status in life to be “Servant hood”. And should there be title and position, in addition to that Servant hood…there is also further Accountability”. Peter emphasized the fact that as a follower of Christ, He was a Servant to Jesus Christ – first. Servants are accountable to their Master. Servants are responsible to carry out their Master’s Word and Will Servants can also have positions for which they are accountable to God and to others: a. Peter considered himself primarily to be a “Servant of Jesus Christ”, who also had the responsible and accountable position of being an Apostle of Jesus Christ. (An Apostle is one who had been with Christ as His disciple and then served Christ, following His resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost, as one who had authority in the early Church.) b. Daniel was Governor over all of Babylon, but all his life he was “a servant” and still considered only to be “one of the exiles of Judah” (Dan. 2:25, 48; 5:13). c. Moses, who led the masses of Israel out of Egypt’s slavery to the Promised Land, was a faithful “servant” in all God’s house. Hebrews 3:5 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. d. We may have positions in Church: Pastor, Teacher, Elder, Deacon, Trustee, Board Member, etc., etc. – but a mature Christian’s greatest status is that he or she, primarily, is a “Servant of Jesus Christ”. e. We may have other accountable positions and titles in our home and in society: Father, Mother, Caretaker, Doctor, Owner, Benefactor, Neighbor, Friend, etc. – but a mature Christian’s greatest status is that he or she, primarily, is a “Servant of Jesus Christ”. A “Position” of greatness without the status of being “a Servant”, disqualifies the holder of that “Position”, no matter how great, from being a person of true Christian maturity. The most coveted status, then, in the life of a maturing Christian is that of Serving Jesus Christ faithfully and Serving others honorably. Recipients of Peter’s Letter Peter introduces to whom he is writing the book: 2 Peter 1:1 (NIV) Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours…. The English Standard Version identifies the profoundness of this statement even more specifically: 2 Peter 1:1 (ESV) Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 1. The Equality of our Savior’s Redemption All Spiritual Maturity has the same place for a beginning! Belief in the redemptive Blood of Jesus to cleanse our sins, through His death on the Cross and resurrection from the dead. Transformation by the Spirit of the Living God through New Birth. Peter was writing to those who had received the Righteousness – just as he had received righteousness before God. The ground at the foot of the cross is equal. You do not receive any more opportunity for righteousness because you were a disciple, or Apostle, than anyone else in the whole world who receives and accepts the Righteousness of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s righteousness alone redeems. Nothing else. All must come by way of the Cross. Salvation before God is “faith of equal standing” and with the same “preciousness” for each who receive it. This is why everyone who truly preaches and teaches “the Gospel” teach one doctrine: 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures… John 3:5–7 5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ If you wish to have eternal life, you must believe this Gospel for the forgiveness of sins and be born again into God’s Family by the Spirit of the Living God. Jesus is God – Peter’s Confession Notice too, that Peter is not shy about identifying Jesus Christ as his God! “who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (NIV) “by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (ESV) “through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (KJV) “by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (NASB) 2. Spiritual Maturity is blessed by Grace and Peace 2 Peter 1:2 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. As we Grow Spiritually in the Grace of God we reject godless life styles and wait for our Redeemer. Titus 2:11–14 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Conclusion All Spiritual Maturity has the same place for a beginning – at the foot of the Cross! The greatest status a Mature Believer in Jesus Christ could evidence is as a Servant of Christ and a Servant of others. Spiritual Maturity is blessed by increasing Grace and Peace, by the Power of God’s Spirit. http://www.pastorkennedy.comshapeimage_1_link_0