eternity

Another blogger at Free the Church just published a piece on spiritual maturity that seemed to tie in with my previous post on “The Lord’s Body“. Now that we’ve established what the Lord’s Body actually is, what does it look like when we say that someone is “spiritually mature”? My good friend Alexander Douglas raised that question in this post.

SPIRITUAL MATURITY by Alexander Douglas

(Copyright 2009 by Alexander Douglas, reprinted by permission)

Leadership Requires Knowing Where You are Taking Others

I am a gymnastics coach. If I do not know what the “big tricks” are and how to train athletes to do them, my coaching will only go so far. Knowing where you are going with the training has to be known before one even begins to coach. For the very first steps have to be done with these goals in mind.

So when I read the Barna Group survey recently published entitled, “Many Church Goers and Faith Leaders Struggle to Define Spiritual Maturity“. They came up with a variety of problems.

…an underlying reason why there is little progress in helping people develop spiritually: many churchgoers and clergy struggle to articulate a basic understanding of spiritual maturity. People aspire to be spiritually mature, but they do not know what it means.

Not only the congregation, but the pastoral leadership has little understanding of what spiritual maturity means.

Pastors want to guide others on the path to spiritual wholeness, but they are often not clearly defining the goals or the outcomes of that process.

For the majority of believers they think that spiritual maturity means following rules and having consistent devotional practices. This is encouraged by the pastoral leadership who view maturity by the activitivities of their congregants. And yet to their dismay,

…a minority of pastors believe that spiritual immaturity is a problem in their church.

Well, of course… if these pastors think spiritual maturity is outward actions, then no wonder their congregation is spiritually immature.

Spiritual Maturity

So, let me state simply what spiritual maturity is: it is knowing how to abide in the Lord’s rest. This takes time and experience to know. And it is all centered upon knowing how to trust God. Consider what the writer of Hebrews said.

Heb 4:1-4

1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. (KJV)

These three points can be gleaned from this passage.

1.Faith
Verse 2 says, “the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it“
2.Eternity
Verse 3 says, “the works were finished from the foundation of the world“
3.Sabbath
Verse 4 says, “God did rest the seventh day from all his works“

Faith and trust have split hair definitions. Faith is what you believe in your heart, trust is the application of that belief in real life circumstances. Faith is our means of cognition. Hebrews says, “through faith we understand” (Heb. 11:3) . It is by faith that we know God. Knowing who God really is, and what His character is truly like takes time in developing an honest relationship with Him. When we know Him in truth, then our character will reflect His character. Many of the problems encountered in the Christian walk are due to our not responding in the character of Christ towards our situations. That error is sometimes simply because we are mistaken about His character. Other times it is because the work of the cross has not carved deep enough in our lives to reveal Christ’s character. When we trust God in all our circumstances we enter His rest. It is there that we find “the peace of God that passes all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). It is in trusting God we develop the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). It is by faith we know His voice and understand His will.

Eternity is the abode of God. He does not dwell in time and space, except through the body of Christ. His Spirit hovers over creation (Gen. 1:2) but is not part of the creation. So entering the rest of the Lord is to touch eternity. For “the work of God was finished before the foundation of the world” (Heb. 4:3) means that when we rest in Him we are trusting in those finished works of His which are being expressed by His present involvement in our lives.

The Sabbath rest is not a single day observation of once a week, but the every day abiding in His rest. Paul told the Colossians:

Col 2:16-17
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (KJV)

The shadow he refers to is the eternal rest that is to be experienced every day. Let us consider how the sabbath fits in the 10 Commandments listing.

Knowing that Yahweh is God we have no other gods before Him nor do we make idols in our hearts. Thus we abide in His sabbath rest daily trusting God. Because we trust Him daily we naturally honor our parents because we know they were established by God for our lives. Because we trust God we love our enemies and do not murder others in our heart nor in reality. Because we trust God we will not commit adultery nor any other sexual immorality because God’s plan for all families springs from eternity. My wife is my soul mate, and there is no other woman for me. Likewise, because we trust God to take care of us we do not steal nor we do not lie nor we do not covet any thing. For we know that God knows all our needs as well as our desires.

So knowing God brings us into His rest, and when we abide in His rest, we cause no harm to others.

Teaching Others

It is very disheartening to read from the Barna survey that many pastors do not understand what spiritual maturity means. They are the blind leading the blind, or the incompetent raising others to their level of incompetence.

Knowing how to abide in the Lord’s rest comes by experience. The writer of Hebrews said:

Heb 5:12-14
12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (KJV)

Spiritual maturity comes from the diligent effort to follow God in truth. This trial and error effort is guided by both the study of His will and personal response to our actions which is what develops discernment. It comes from being a doer of the word, and not a hearer only (James 1:22) which is why James further said that faith without works is dead (2:17). Paul goes further to say that spiritual maturity which comes from acting upon what you know regarding God, which brings hope from experience.

Rom 5:1-5
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (KJV)

We are encouraged to find spiritually mature people to follow as role models.

Heb 13:7
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. (NIV)

What is that outcome of their way of life that you to imitate? Their abiding in the Lord’s rest.

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Imagine that a first-century Jew lived in Spain and was righteous before God. During this person’s life Christ was crucified, buried, and rose again but the person died before any missionaries could tell him what happened. He was consigned to hell in spite of being a true worshiper of God. Do you see the implications here? It makes no sense.

A lady forwarded me a copy of John Fenn’s “Weekly Thoughts” for Feb. 14, 2009. If you don’t know who John Fenn is, technically, neither do I. I think he must be from some Charismatic offshoot, but I have been out of that loop for a long time. He writes things that consistently ring true with me, though.

He covered illogical assumptions about our on-again/off-again salvation as described above and balanced those against the opposite extreme of universalism, so popular today. He reveals that God is marvelously consistent, not given to some trickery that leaves us dangling in mid-air. Fenn does a better job than I could probably do, so I take a lot of license in quoting so liberally from his e-newsletter. [See his entire thought here .] It is fantastic.

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FENN’S E-NEWSLETTER (excerpt):

… The subject of Universalism is important to have settled in your heart because our society is becoming more and more “if you’re a spiritual person you’re OK”, and if you don’t know what the Bible says you could end up talking in circles with someone, or worse yet, giving them incorrect advice on eternity. …

Unfinished business
…
Paul makes an interesting statement in Romans 5:12-14 where he says death came into the world by sin, and sin has been passed to all men for all have sinned, then he says in verse 13: “For until the law (Moses’ law) sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed (no account is kept) when there is no law.”

Previously in Romans 4:15b he said “”where no law is, there is no transgression.” …

I’ve long been fascinated by Romans 1: 14-16: “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law (non Jewish people groups who are ignorant of God’s requirements), do “by nature” the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which “show the work of the law written in their hearts”, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another: (Gk interlinear) This will take place in the day God will judge the secrets of men’s hearts.

They are a law to themselves not as an island doing whatever they want, but demonstrating “the work of” God’s law in their hearts, their actions and lifestyle bound by that internal law, and that’s how (Paul says) they will be judged.

What’s interesting is that Hebrews 10:15-17 says God has written his law in our hearts and minds – the born again experience – and here Paul is saying there are people ignorant of God in the detail we know him, yet worship him and follow his law which God wrote in their hearts.

An example
I’ve mentioned in this space before about the Choco Indians of Panama, who I’ve had the pleasure of spending some time among. When missionary friends told them of Jesus many of the Choco’s willingly received Jesus immediately. This is because in their folklore when they became a distinct people, a being in white appeared to their forefathers and told them to worship the God who created the forest and gave them good things to eat, and to love and do good to one another. So the message of the gospel neatly fit, and they recognized that being to have been an angel.

What’s really neat is that for those who followed those instructions through the centuries, even into the 1990’s when I met them, their tribal culture was led by unseen hand in many scriptural areas. This included the family unit and order, husbands laying down their lives for their wives and honoring each other, monogamous marriage, and many other things – all without having a chapter and verse to read nor ever having heard of Jesus. Many expressed love for the Creator, but they didn’t know His name.

They had God’s law written on their hearts, which accused or excused them until they heard of Jesus, and this is how they will be judged when the secrets of hearts are revealed. …

Many Native American tribes have in their history the pure worship of the Great Spirit, before darker spiritual things set in, similar in some ways to the Choco’s of Panama.

If you study world cultures you’ll find that all ancient cultures had the basic elements in place, including judgement, eternity, heaven and hell, a basic moral law to follow, and so forth. The cultures who had all these elements range from ancient China to Babylonia to Egypt and Africa, to the Incas, and Mayans. All were aware of the basic core eternal realities as set forth in the Bible long before it was written.

But notice that within Egypt’s understanding of the above, God sent first Abraham and later Joseph to bring revelation of the True God. To Babylon He sent Daniel, Esther, and others. But it is clear God reveals Himself more fully to those who are truly searching. Paul said in Acts 17:27 that God spread mankind across the world “that they should seek the Lord; if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us…”

He meets the desire with opportunity. When there is opportunity to reveal Himself to ignorant people groups, God has a record of moving His people to them to bring that revelation. Thus the continued need for people to ‘go into all the world’ to bring life to whole nations. …

In Paul’s day
Do you realize where Paul traveled? We know Jerusalem and Damascus, and we know of his journeys throughout what is now Turkey, but did you know he said he had “fully preached the Gospel of Christ” in Illyricum, which is modern Albania stretching to Croatia, and had plans to go to Spain. (Romans 15:19, 24)

In all the countries he preached Christ that we have recorded in Acts, in all the religions he encountered, at no point did he tell them they were just fine as they were, that they would all be reconciled one day to God.

His message was consistent, that the times of ignorance God overlooked, but he now commands repentance. We could do mental gymnastics at this point. There is provision for those who don’t know of the historical Jesus, but know God only through nature and do the things God requires, God bearing them witness by putting his law in their hearts, and due to that ignorance that is how they will be judged. But at the same time when Paul brought the message of Jesus to them, they now became accountable for this sins, their ‘covering’ of ignorance dissolving as they learn that Jesus brings eternal life.

Some would say it would be better for them never to have heard if they could stay in ignorance and end up in heaven, but that misses the point. If they already know God through nature and are doing that things God requires because He put His law in their hearts, when they hear His name is Jesus they will receive him like the Choco’s did. That of course is the opposite course of action the people in Romans 1 took “who did not like to retain God in their knowledge” so their heart was darkened. …

If all go to heaven except the most evil, then why did these people need to hear of Jesus, and why is God bringing Buddhists and Muslims to Him through the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Why not just let them be if heaven is their ultimate destination?

Indeed, why did Jesus issue the Great Commission if all religions lead to Jesus and ultimate reconciliation? …

Universalism just doesn’t stand the test of the Word and what God is doing in the world today. Yes babies who die go to heaven. And yes there seems to be or has been provision for the truly ignorant. But all over the world people of all religions, especially those where missionaries and Christians are not allowed, are having Jesus appear to them in dreams and visions as they seek to know the True God. He is not telling them to go on in their religion, rather that “He” is the way, the truth, and the life. Amen!

Some of my thoughts to stir your thoughts,
Blessings,
John Fenn

END
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Check out his two sites: Interactive Faith Home and Church Without Walls International.

Been a while here since my previous three posts were lost. This had the effect of derailing my plans entirely. Now how to begin? How about a little update?

I was driving to work in my car yesterday, thinking about a member of my family who has no use for God. The closer you are to a family member, the more disconcerting this can be. In fact, I’m often surprised at how many Christians are not the least bit concerned about the salvation of their own family members. Perhaps they subscribe to the notion that either it’s not that important or that all the world will be saved in the end anyway (universal reconciliation).

To be sure, I have investigated the claims of universal reconciliation and been less than fully convinced. However, God’s unlimited mercy continues to amaze me anyway. It was while I was driving that I suddenly remembered this scripture:

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecc. 3:11, NIV)

We all feel the pull of something grander than ourselves, which we cannot grasp any more than we can reach the moon though it may seem near. Even the most hardened atheist seems often compelled to look to the universe in search of…something — an answer perhaps. We look and do not find, we yearn and are never satisfied. Perhaps this is eternity expressing itself in our hearts.

For the Christian believer, the thought of someone we care for missing God represents the loss of all eternity. I have often wondered how can there be a point to enjoying God forever when eternity has been lost? Who can get their mind around such a thing?

“When they crucified Jesus, they crucified eternity.”

Now where did that thought come from, I wondered? I never considered it before. God is eternal. Could there even be an “eternity” without Him? No, there could not be. In an instant I realized that all of eternity was wrapped in Christ while the Roman soldiers nailed His humanity to the Cross. I often feel that eternity when I think about those who seem to be lost and do not even consider finding the way out — all of that eternity in my heart was crucified on the Cross during the Great Shakedown between Life and Death.

Suddenly, I knew the answer was in there. I’ve known a few people who died without seeing their prayers answered for lost family members, yet those prayers were answered after their departure. I wondered just how far can God really come from behind. What we see is a far cry from what He sees. There is a judgment, though what it entails has not yet been revealed. I am beginning to think that whatever comes, it will not diminish what God has bought through the Cross of Christ. It was an eternity-for-eternity trade. Eternity crucified, eternity resurrected — fully beyond our imagination of both the good we hope will come and the evil we fear.

Who has seen eternity? Who can describe it? Yet we all feel it in our greatest hopes and losses.