Take one dead soul, introduce them to Jesus, become alive when you surrender. That's about it. But wait! There's more! Ultimately the above scenario leads to salvation. What comes after salvation? That depends on you and I. We can embrace the sanctification process or we can bail on the whole maturity in Christ idea. That doesn't seem like a very good idea though. We were created by God for a purpose. Should we stop at salvation we miss the blessings that God has for others through you and I. This is mirrored in everyday life. We graduate high school (most of us), go on to college or work (again, most of us) and then become productive citizens (most of us). While there are some Christians who mature past salvation, there are others who stop short of that maturity. Our need for Christ is essential. Without Christ we would spend all of our lives serving the enemy and eternity in hell. Not a good choice. How we live and die are important in the salvation of others that are all around us. Neglecting those who are unsaved is not a Christian option. Changing the rules so that people think they don't need salvation to spend eternity in heaven is wrong. Yet we have cults that do just that. Just because a nation or even the world changes the rule to make everything okay, God does not. He is a holy and righteous God with whom there is no shadow of turning. Sin is sin and sin needs to be dealt with by everyone.
Just as there are three things that take man down, there are three things that bring Christians to maturity. The three things that take a man down are manipulation, control and secrecy. All three were present in the garden with Eve and then Adam. They are also present at the Cross and now in our churches and cults. The three things that bring Christians to maturity are prayer, reading the Word and doing what Christ has ordained us to do. Should we decide to do what Christ has ordained us to do, we will see the Kingdom of God advance and lives saved. Should we practice manipulation, control and secrecy we will see the kingdom of Satan advance and lives be lost. I wish the Christian would take seriously the threat of the evil one. He comes to deceive the very elect the Word tell us. No one is beyond the temptations brought about by manipulation, control and secrecy. No one. The Christian and their world should be as striking as the difference between black and white. People in the world should have no question if you and I are a Christian or not. We, Christians, are the only Bible some people will read. Can we please make it easy for the unsaved to see Jesus through us! Their lives depend upon the mature Christian.
Christians who desire to be mature in Christ cannot envision their being mature in the world instead. Separation of the things of the world and separated for Christ go hand in hand. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount makes this very clear. Read Matthew 5 and 6. Then go out and live that life. What you will find yourself doing and becoming is mature and effective. The more we learn of Jesus, the more we should want to follow him. The church is full of those who think they have arrived while they haven't even left their driveways. Do you know your neighbors name? Do you know their needs? Are you able to talk to your children and neighbors about Jesus as easily as you talk about things of the World? Answering these questions in the positive requires a maturity that only comes from surrender to Jesus. In that state, Christians become effective in the Kingdom of God on earth. Doing so is thought to be costly. That's what the world wants us to believe. In reality doing so brings the blessings from heaven upon us so much that we cannot contain them. Remember that it's always your choice.
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