spiritual – Praying Pint

27.m. “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called”

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Romans 12:1   I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Acts 9:31   So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Colossians 1:10  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

1 Thessalonians 2:12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

2 Timothy 1:9    who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

What does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called? Our salvation is in Jesus Christ alone. Nothing we could do or did do would add or take away from His complete work on the cross. There is not a single “Good” person who has done good enough to merit what Christ did on the cross. There is not a single “Bad” person who has done such vile bad things that the work of Christ on the cross will not save them completely. The good and bad people are both sinners, lost, apart from God, walking in flesh and doing fleshly things, and in need of redemption, forgiveness, and salvation. Once they have come to the saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ, repent of their sin, and trust in, cling to, and rely on Jesus Christ they are saved, born again, a new creation. The Holy Spirit is given to each one of them, to lead, comfort, and die them unlimited power to live in this world in a manner worthy of the price Jesus Christ paid for their sin. So I ask again what does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called?

This is an ever-changing goal in the life of a Christian. As we grow, here a little there a little, precept by precept, line upon line. As we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God and His grace, mercy, and love, our understanding of what walking in a manner worthy will also grow. That is why it is an ever-changing upward goal. We do well to grow in our knowledge and understanding, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little. Too often our attainment of growth is limited because of our lack of knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. Too often we neglect it. Too often we are complacent. Too often we get caught up in the busyness of life and worry about walking worthy of what our neighbors and family will think rather than the one who freely gave His life to redeem you.

26.y. “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord”

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

Acts 13:48    And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14    But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.  To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

James 2:5    Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

2 Timothy 2:19    But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

John 15:16   You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

“We are not sitting here, and groaning, and crying, and fretting, and worrying, and questioning our own salvation. He has blessed us; and therefore we will bless him. If you think little of what God has done for you, you will do very little for him; but if you have a great notion of his great mercy to you, you will be greatly grateful to your gracious God.” (Spurgeon)

“Our thanks are due to God for all temporal blessings; they are more than we deserve. But our thanks ought to go to God in thunders of hallelujahs for spiritual blessings. A new heart is better than a new coat. To feed on Christ is better than to have the best earthly food. To be an heir of God is better than being the heir of the greatest nobleman. To have God for our portion is blessed, infinitely more blessed than to own broad acres of land. God hath blessed us with spiritual blessings. These are the rarest, the richest, the most enduring of all blessings; they are priceless in value.” (Spurgeon)

If we have no appreciation for spiritual blessing, then we live at the level of animals. Animals live only to eat, sleep, entertain themselves, and to reproduce. We are made in the image of God and He has something much higher for us, yet many choose to live at the level of animals. (Guzik) Believers are chosen by God, and they are chosen before they have done anything or have been anything for God. The great light of this truth casts some shadows; namely, in trying to reconcile human responsibility with divine sovereignty. Yet the purpose of light is not to cast shadows but to guide our steps. The light of God’s selection gives us assurance to the permanence of His plan and His love towards us. The reasons for God’s choosing are not inconsistent, impulsive, or random. Though they are past our finding out, we know that they are altogether wise and good, but the reasons are all in Him, not in us. His choosing is according to the good pleasure of His will. We are chosen not only for salvation, but also for holiness. Any understanding of God’s sovereign choosing that diminishes our personal responsibility for personal holiness and sanctification falls far short of the whole counsel of God.

We should not think for a single second we will not be held accountable for how we cherish and honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do. We have been chosen to be children of God. We should be living our lives so that Jesus Christ is proclaimed and honored and glorified. What kind of child is it that spends no time with their father, who does not listen to their father, who does not obey their father, who does not seek and desire the wisdom of their father?

26.r. “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed”

Galatians 5:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Romans 14:1   As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

Romans 8:6     For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 15:1   We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

1 Corinthians 3:1    But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.

Ezekiel 34:16    I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

James 5:19-20    My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,  let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Jude 1:22-23     And have mercy on those who doubt;  save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Paul’s wording here speaks not of a determined and hardened sinner. Instead, the idea is of someone who has fallen into sin, finding themselves trapped in a place they never thought they would be. Overtaken “Contains the idea of falling. It is not the deliberate, the planned, aspect of sin that is stressed here, but rather the unwitting element. Mistake rather than misdeed is the force of the word, though without absolution of responsibility.” (Ridderbos)

When a person is overtaken through the weakness of the flesh, the seduction of the worldly, or temptations of Satan, the outcome is a time in a person’s life where the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit are being hushed and Jesus Christ is not being honored or glorified. Restore them. This job of restoration is often neglected in the church. We have a tendency to either pretend the sin never happened, or we tend to react too harshly towards the one who has sinned. The balance between these two extremes can only be negotiated by the spiritual. It should be normal to do what God says here, but it isn’t. It is all too easy to respond to someone’s sin with gossip, harsh judgment, or undiscerning approval. (Guzik)

“Let the ministers of the Gospel learn from Paul how to deal with those who have sinned. ‘Brethren,’ he says, ‘if any man is overtaken with a fault, do not aggravate his grief, do not scold him, do not condemn him, but lift him up and gently restore his faith.” (Luther)

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

We are not to turn a blind eye to a wandering brother. We are not to neglect a brother fallen to temptations of the flesh. We should recognize it but not embrace it. We should, with love, patience, gentleness, and kindness walk alongside them and through the Holy Spirit’s leading, guide them away from their wandering. How many times have you heard parents tell you about how their teenage child has seeming rejected all of what they had taught them? They do not abandon their child, they still love them, they are patient with them, and they pray for them. Parents who have gone through this will tell you more often than not that their adult child later came to them and apologized for how they acted. Very similar to the parable about the prodigal son.

Where there is spiritual weakness, knowledge, understanding, and true brotherly fellowship in the things of God, in the body of the church, more than likely the ability to recognize yet alone guide that person back. Neglect and complacency in God’s Word will hinder your walk with Him and will always put you on paths that do not honor or glorify Jesus Christ.

22.f. “I could not address you as spiritual people”

1 Corinthians 3:1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

1 Corinthians 14:20   Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

Ephesians 4:13-14    until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Hebrews 5:12-14    For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,  for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.  But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Surely, Paul is telling us that there should be a “spiritual growth” realized in each of us. It is written in Isaiah “For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” Throughout our lives, we are to be spiritually growing. This growth requires watering and feeding in the Word of God. It does not come through osmosis. Time must be spent both reading it and thinking about it and applying it. The fruit of the Spirit does not grow without being watered and fed. Do you have peace, joy, love, long-suffering, kindness, patience, gentleness, rest, courage, hope….? The world will offer everything under the sun to replace what God will give to the hearts and minds of those who seek and desire to humbly surrender fleshly desires. Spiritual maturity comes with constant watering and feeding in the Word of God with a heart and mind choice to grow and live to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

22.c. “Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom”

1 Corinthians 2:6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

Do you ever wonder who the “among the mature” is referring to? Some may argue that it is related to age. Others would say saved and unsaved or mature and immature believers. Paul did use mature in Ephesians and Philippians as believers who had grown from the elementary concepts of salvation, redemption, and forgiveness to personal application and food for everyday growth, understanding, and knowledge in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These mature would grow in discernment (wisdom) and understanding. In this, the mature would understand the world and culture they lived in and how it was always trying to draw them away from honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ. They would clearly see the separation from things of God and things of this world. They would discern what was proper and right for their soul. The immature (baby) Christian would put anything into its mouth and would follow after anything that was pleasing to the flesh. The immature would be easily swayed toward things that were not God-honoring. Ignorance does not exempt them from the expectation of growth in their life.

The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not the end of wisdom but rather the beginning of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, power, grace, love, mercy, courage, strength, joy, and peace.

Still not ready

Psalms 119:97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

“This is a pure song of praise. It contains no single petition, but is just one glad outpouring of the heart.” (Morgan)

The superficial Christian may read and understand and even, in an outward sense, obey the word of God. But only the spiritual man loves it; they live as if they could not live without it. To the superficial Christian it is a duty to satisfy the conscience; to the believer it is food and medicine, light and comfort – the word of God is life.

If one wants to, they can increase their love for God’s word. You can’t make yourself love something or someone; but you can cultivate love towards someone or something.

· Give it your time; set it before you constantly.

· Give it your attention and care; look after the word of God (it is my meditation all the day).

· Give it a truly listening ear.

· Give it your honor and your obedience.

· Give it your appreciation; value it for all the good it has done for you and be thankful for all that good.

· Give it your dependence and trust; let it care for you.

· Give it your praise; speak highly of it before others.

When we truly love someone, we don’t wish to change them. “You cannot bend the Bible to your mind; how much better it would be for you to bend your mind to the Bible, and to say, ‘O how I love thy law, – the doctrines of it, the precepts of it, the promise of it, the ordinances it enjoins upon me, the warnings it sets before me, the exhortations it gives me!’ Love the whole Bible from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation, and be prepared even to die rather than to give up half a verse of it.” (Spurgeon)

“I beseech you to let your Bibles be everything to you. Carry this matchless treasure with you continually, and read it, and read it, and read it again and again. Turn to its pages by day and by night. Let its narratives mingle with your dreams; let its precepts color your lives; let its promises cheer your darkness, let its divine illumination make glad your life. As you love God, love this Book which is the Book of God, and the God of books, as it has rightly been called.” (Spurgeon)

“We may hear the wisest teachers and remain fools, but if we meditate upon the sacred word we must become wise. There is more wisdom in the testimonies of the Lord than in all the teachings of men if they were all gathered into one vast library. The one book outweighs all the rest.” (Spurgeon)

Boice tells a story about the life of Harry Ironisde, the pastor and author and Bible commentator. Ironside went to visit a man near death, suffering from tuberculosis. The man was almost dead and could barely speak. As Ironside spoke to him he asked, “Young man, are you trying to preach Christ, are you not?” Ironside said that he was, and the man replied: “Well, sit down a little, and let us talk together about the Word of God.” Then the man opened his Bible and spoke with Ironside until his strength was gone; he shared insights from the Bible that Ironside had not appreciated or even seen before. Ironside was stunned, and he asked the man: “Where did you get these things? Can you tell me where I can find a book that will open them up to me? Did you get them in seminary or college?” The old man replied: “My dear young man, I learned these things on my knees on the mud floor of a little sod cottage in the north of Ireland. There with my open Bible before me, I used to kneel for hours at a time and ask the Spirit of God to reveal Christ to my soul and to open the Word to my heart. He taught me more on my knees on that mud floor than I ever could have learned in all the seminaries or colleges in the world.”

The Bible is the description of our heavenly inheritance.

The Bible is the instruction manual for wise and blessed living.

The Bible is a telescope where we see the heavenly city that is our destination.

1 Corinthians 3:2 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. I gave you milk,not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready, for you are still worldly.