Here you can see the pumpkins which I wrote about in the last blog post.
The purpose of growing pumpkins is so that the pumpkins will be a “blessing” to me … meaning, I can use them to bake nutritious, delicious food items. But they have to turn ripe. They have to “mature.”
In the same way, the purpose of spiritual maturity (aka: “ripeness”) in the life of a Jesus-follower is so that we will be a blessing to those around us … both fellow Christians as well as those who have not yet come to Jesus.
One of the primary signs of spiritual maturity (“ripeness” – so to speak) is a life which demonstrates love.
Before coming to Corinth Paul had been teaching brand-new Christians in the city of Thessalonica. Paul was only in Thessalonica for a couple of months, then he was forced to flee town due to protests and riots. The brand-new Christians in Thessalonica only had a small window of opportunity to receive teaching from Paul.
But a small window of time, combined with obedience to God’s instructions … resulted in a spiritual maturity which caught the attention of everyone around!
“The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia – your faith in God has become known everywhere.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:8
What was it that caused their faith to be so obvious to everyone??
It was the demonstration of love through their lives.
Paul writes: “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:3
It is work to have a life which demonstrates love. It takes effort.
Love will prompt us to action. Action which is “labor.” It takes effort to love others.
Loving others requires endurance. Especially when it feels as if all our effort is in vain. That’s why hope is so important! It is our hope in Jesus Christ, that he will do something beautiful through our efforts, which gives us the endurance to persevere.
By contrast, the brand-new Christians in the city of Corinth had Paul with them for a year and a half. This was a long time by comparison. This was a very wide door of opportunity to receive Paul’s teaching.
However, a very wide door of opportunity, combined with apathy and disobedience to God’s instructions … resulted in significant spiritual immaturity.
It would seem logical that the group of Christians who had Paul with them the longest would have been the most spiritually mature. But this is not the case. In actuality, the Christians who had Paul with them the least were the more spiritually mature. All because they obeyed … and they imitated Paul’s example of loving others.
Simply put: Love is the sign of spiritual maturity. Love as actionable obedience.
Paul states of the Christians of Thessalonica: “You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6
“You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. … And we thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, … you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” – 1 Thessalonians 2:10, 13
The Word of God was at work in those who believed.
The same is true in our life today. If we want to be spiritually mature, we need to let the Word of God be at work in us. Or, simply put: We need to obey what it says.
When Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth, he did not open his letter commending them for their love. Rather, he opened his letter thanking God for saving grace, for the work he was doing in their lives … and a statement of trust that he would bring them to spiritual maturity.
“I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way. …
“He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” – 1 Corinthians 1:4-5, 8-9
Paul had confident trust that God would keep working on these Christians so that they would eventually be blameless (reach spiritual maturity). He stated that if God has called us into fellowship with himself, then he will be faithful to work on us as we grow in spiritual maturity.
God is completely trustworthy and faithful to work on us, developing spiritual maturity in our life. However, the ultimate outcome of our spiritual maturity depends on whether or not we are faithful to obey on our part.
God will be faithful to convict us of sin in our life. But we have to be faithful to obey and get rid of the sin. Our love for God is demonstrated through our obedience.
God will be faithful to instruct and counsel us in how to live a holy life. But we have to be faithful to obey and do what he says.
God will be faithful to develop love in our life. But we have to be faithful to obey. Love is demonstrated obedience.
Just like my ripe pumpkins are a “blessing” to me … so also, as we grow in spiritual maturity, our life will be a blessing to those around us, via our demonstrated love.
The title of this blog is: “Daily Blessing.” Most people would like to receive a daily blessing. Life is hard. It would be nice to receive a “daily blessing” to help us make it through. By living each day of our life with actionable, demonstrated love towards others, this not only is a “daily blessing” to them, but it also winds up being a “daily blessing” to us as well!
As we are a “daily blessing” through our love, we likewise receive a “daily blessing.” Love is the blessing! (God’s love poured out in our heart!)
