Higher Ground: Steps toward Christian Maturity (Bible Study Guides)

Editorial Reviews. About the Author. Steve Brestin is the author, with Dee Brestin, of several books and Fisherman Bible Studyguides, including Friendship.
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In a Mediterranean culture abuzz with many religions and spiritual paths, Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles declared unequivocally that Jesus was the way to God. If we are Jesus' true disciples, can we do less? It seems that the occasion of Paul's explanation of his ongoing quest for God is that some in the Philippian church believed they had already arrived, that they were already perfect -- that they had "arrived" or "apprehended" the ultimate in spiritual possibilities. Paul is clear that he makes no such claim.

In verse 15, Paul uses the somewhat ambiguous noun telios , which can mean both 1 "perfect, fully developed" in a moral sense, or 2 "full-grown, mature, adult. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. He challenges his so-called mature or perfect opponents to agree with his call for a continued, unremitting quest to knowing God more fully.

Those who disagree will be corrected by God. Then Paul warns these "perfect" Christians, "Only let us live up to what we have already attained" 3: I recall a Sunday School song I sang as a boy:.

It's a pretty bold thing to call people to mimic you, but Paul does so. Sometimes we're afraid to tell others to imitate us, but frankly, that is Jesus' own method of discipleship and that of the early apostles of the faith. No, you're not perfect and you make mistakes, but as you follow Christ invite others to learn from your example. When you make a mistake, admit it, ask for forgiveness and go on. Don't let false humility stand in the way of you being a discipler of others.

Paul's goal in our verse is to alert the Philippian believers that those who don't live out the Christian life in practice can't be trusted as guides to the spiritual life, no matter how "perfect" they claim to be. Why are we so hesitant to do this? How does God use imitation in building disciples?

Who is likely to imitate you? Now Paul reminds them of the sad fact that the lifestyle of some professing Christians is not at all a "perfect" or even "mature" life. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. Paul says these opponents "live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Paul affirms elsewhere that this direction doesn't mean entering the Kingdom of God, but its opposite Romans 8: And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

The old Gospel song may be corny, but it expresses an important truth:. Heaven should be our focus, not the illusory and transitory world in which we live. And from heaven, Christ shall return fulfilling Daniel 7: How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19? What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship?

It means in a metaphorical sense here, to be firmly committed in conviction or belief, "stand firm, be steadfast. But with great affection, Paul calls his readers to a higher calling: This entire passage examines Paul's holy intolerance with a status-quo faith. He wants to know Christ in his fullness. With every fiber in his being, he is straining all out for the prize of knowing Christ, of being "in Christ" in all his living, of "the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" RSV.

Where are you, my friend? Have you settled for a Christianity of the mind rather than the heart and spirit? Have you excused yourself so often that you are complacent with your spiritual experience? I can say with Paul that I certainly haven't attained where I want to be in Christ.

I still fight the temptations of Satan that try to derail me and cause a train wreck. But my heart leads me on, as I sense yours does, too, to an all-out pursuit of God. I want to scale the utmost height, And catch a gleam of glory bright; But still I'll pray till heaven I've found, 'Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

Father, forgive my complacency. Purify my heart that its single focus might be on you. Help me to pursue you only, not turning to the right hand or the left. In Jesus' name, I pray. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament , in loc. We saw the related verb politeuomai in 1: It has since appeared in books by both Albert E.

Brumley and J. Baxter , but they are not the authors.

Bible Verses About Growth

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Believers have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. They were elected before time, redeemed by his blood, and forgiven of their sins. They were delivered from spiritual death and from following the world, the devil, and the flesh, and made alive with Christ. When Paul considers all that God did for believers, he is prompted to pray for their spiritual maturity—he wants them to live out their identity in Christ. And this should be true for us as well. When we consider all that God has done, it should challenge us to pray for spiritual maturity in ourselves and others—and to actively seek spiritual maturity.

It is the most reasonable thing we can do considering all that God has done in our lives. Paul says something similar in Romans When we truly understand what God has done for us, we are challenged and encouraged to grow up into our divine calling. But from these passages, we also understand why so many are not growing. Therefore, they continue to look just like the world. They are prone to materialism, division, lust, and even hopelessness. We must know our identity in Christ and all that God did for us. It has often been said that the Christian life is understanding our new identity in Christ and learning to live it out.

Do you know your identity in Christ? Do you know that on the cross, Christ broke the power of sin over your life Rom 6: God has good and wonderful things planned for your life.

2 Peter 3:18

Do you know that God seated you in the heavenly places with Christ and that one day you will rule with Jesus and even judge angels Eph 1: The more you comprehend of your eternal destiny, the more you will be pulled out of worldliness and sin. You will be encouraged to offer your body as a living sacrifice unto God, and to pray for your spiritual growth and that of others.

Why is knowing our identity in Christ and what God did for us important for spiritual growth? How can we come to know and live out our identity in Christ? In what ways has learning your identity in Christ helped you to grow in grace, and to be set free from specific sins?

Higher Ground: Steps Towards Christian Maturity - Steve Brestin - Google Книги

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being Ephesians 3: Before Christ went to the cross, he prayed in a similar manner for the church John He prayed that God would sanctify them by the Word of God, that they would be kept from the evil one, and that they would be united.

If we are going to grow spiritually, we must pray for ourselves and for others. His prayers focus on the spiritual condition of believers, and this must be our priority as well. In Matthew 6, Christ warns the disciples not to pray like the Pharisees and pagans because they will not be heard by God v. Such prayer is unacceptable to God. How can we incorporate these characteristics into our own prayer life?

As he considers what God does for believers, he is prompted to pray. This should be true for us as well. Scripture and prayer always go together. When a need arose for the Grecian widows to be cared for, the apostles said they could not do it because they had to give themselves to the ministry of the Word of God and prayer Acts 6: These two always go together.

Not only should the Word of God inspire and inform our prayer, believers should also consistently pray Scripture.


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When Christ was dying on the cross for our sins, he prayed two scriptural prayers: While Christ was being murdered on the cross, Scripture not only prompted his prayer— it was his prayer. How do you use Scripture in your prayer life? While praying, Paul was kneeling. The normal way for Jews to pray was standing up cf. This is how our prayers should be. I fast twice a week. His prayer was prideful and selfish. Christ warns the disciples not to pray loud and long in order to be seen by others Matt 6: In contrast, Christ tells the disciples to go into their closet and pray privately—to be seen only by God.

In fact, we probably get a picture of this with the issue of tongues at the church in Corinth. Many commentators believe that when Paul says a person who prays in a tongue edifies himself and he who prophesies edifies others 1 Cor These people are glorifying themselves instead of thinking about the others who were present.

However, Paul commands that everything in church worship be done for the edification of others 1 Cor Many Christians are like that—their prayers are meant to be seen and heard by others rather than God. Be careful of prideful prayer. When we pray, we must remember that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble James 4: Only those who pray with humility receive grace. He not only recognizes God as his own Father, but also as the Father of all believers in heaven and on earth. The prayer is not individual but familial, as it considers other family members God cares for.

When praying, we must remember that we are part of a family. We must constantly remember others in our prayers. It has been said that if a billionaire donates ten dollars, he gives out of his riches, but if he donates one million, he gives according to his riches. Since the Lord is infinitely rich in glory, let the saints get ready for a deluge! Why should we ask so little of so great a King? Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much.

1 Samuel 2:26

When praying for ourselves or others, we should pray great petitions. We should pray for God to abundantly supply needs, to greatly use others for his kingdom, etc. What are some other practical principles concerning prayer? What disciplines have you found helpful in your prayer life? Most Christians live without this power, and therefore live ineffective lives. How can we allow the Spirit to strengthen us? This is clear from the context of Paul praying for believers to be strengthened.

Christ fasted and prayed for forty days, and left the wilderness empowered by the Holy Spirit Lk 4: After they prayed, the building was shaken and they all left filled with the Spirit of God. The Spirit empowers believers when they pray. If we are to be empowered by the Spirit, we must live in the Word of God. There is a story in the Old Testament about Jehoshaphat, the king of the Judah, fighting a battle against a nation through worship.

After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: Similarly, when Elisha was approached by Jehoshaphat and Ahab about whether to go to war against another nation, he asked for a harpist. The harpist played, and the Spirit of God came upon Elisha to prophecy 2 Kings 3: God inhabits the praises of his people Psalm And do not quench the Spirit. However, when we give thanks and praise to God, he empowers our inner being.

This means the spiritual part of man where God dwells and works. The inner man of the lost sinner is dead Eph. The inner man can see Ps. He also must be cleansed Ps. The outer man is perishing, but the inner man can be renewed spiritually in spite of outward physical decay 2 Cor. Reply 2 Like Follow 3 hour ago. Fang Yin Ni Amazing website Sofia Almeida Barbosa It's so easy, just click the download button and i get the most wanted book.. Reply 2 Like Follow 5 hour ago.

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