April 6, 2025 -- Philippians 3:15 -- You who are mature and maturing

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Let those of you who are mature this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
Philippians 3:15 ESV
 
When you look at the last fourteen verses, you’ll read some very harsh words. Paul warned the people who were hearing this letter to look out for the dogs, the evil doers, the mutilators of the flesh. He reminded his readers to anchor their lives on Christ Jesus and His death and resurrection. Any other hope, any other appeal for salvation is useless. The evil doers and mutilators of the flesh were trying to lead people astray, to trust in Jesus and something else. Then Paul revealed how much he needed to grow and to work out his own salvation, pressing on to make Christ Jesus his own. Why mention this? Simply, you can not argue someone into the kingdom of God, nor force someone to follow Jesus. When the beauty of Who Jesus is reaches past a man’s defenses and takes hold of the heart and inspires his imagination, such a man will turn to Jesus and long to know Him as He is revealed in the Bible and presented through the right preaching of His Name.
 
How are men guarded against heresy? (Heresy is teachings, doctrine, practices that are opposed to the clear instruction of the Word of God.) First, believers must read the Bible; do this to distinguish real from counterfeit teachings. Know your Bible. By the way, this is a sign of a believer, someone who is hungry to read and know the word of God. Second, believers must connect themselves with a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching group of believers. Look for a group of people who strive to live in faithful obedience to Jesus. Third, those who are growing in the faith will have lapses, sins, and struggles. A true Christian community meets more than just on Sundays, but in gatherings large and small through-out the week encouraging, praying, meeting, visiting. sharing with those who have needs so that the whole body of Christ is built up. They will correct the error. They will help you to expose your sin and hate it more and more. Finally, there must be Christian discipline as well. The mature helping the weak in the faith. The mature guarding the people of God against heresy. When a person connected with a Christian group persists in sin, even after instruction, rebuke, correction and warning, then that person will be put out of the assembly. There are so many warnings in the Bible against people who seem to be God’s people, but who are in fact ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15-23).
 
Take the encouragement that is offered here in today’s verse. God will reveal Himself to you. He will by His Holy Spirit bring you to the Bible so that in it you will see Jesus Christ in all His beauty. You will be drawn not to a man’s interpretation but be drawn into all God has in store for you. The Spirit of God, Who was in Jesus Christ in fullest measure through-out His earthly life, that is the same Spirit Who will bring you to Jesus. The Spirit will interpret what is true.
 
Father in heaven, as instructed by Your Son, we ask that Your wisdom to be given; we seek the knowledge of Jesus. Not Jesus as a concept, or some disembodied truth; but to know the Person of Jesus as the Captain of Salvation. Father in heaven give to us Your Holy Spirit so that we will distinguish between what is true and what only appears to be true. Lead us in the way everlasting so that we will be increasingly more mature in our connection to Jesus and because of this bear fruit that is evidence of a life lived abiding in Him. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/zundjUFazfg?si=RG9OU8xqg34TS9ZA Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me
 

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