What defines "immaturity"?
I used to think it had something to do with how many people you knew.
Then again, perhaps maturity depended on how well a person could manage his emotions.
I am now convinced that maturity depends to a greater extent on --- security.
How secure do you feel in your own skin?
How secure do you feel in the truth of who you are?
Do you define who you are by what you do, what you have, what you are?
I know beyond the shadow of a doubt -- that who I am has nothing to do with who I am:
"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15: 10)
For God's grace to flow in my life, I learned that I had to be established in righteousness:
"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. " (Isaiah 54: 14)
This was a promise in the Old Testament, fulfilled in Christ:
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
This gift of righteousness, this new identity of grace, these two God invites us to receive and keep receiving:
"For if by the offence of the one the death did reign through the one, much more those, who the abundance of the grace and of the free gift of the righteousness are receiving, in life shall reign through the one -- Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17, Youngs Literal Translation)
There is no surer sense of security than a life of receiving and receiving again by faith the imputation of no condemnation and power to do all things through Christ!
So immaturity will melt away in the life of a believer who is transformed from glory to glory, who receives righteousness from faith to faith in Christ Jesus!
I used to think it had something to do with how many people you knew.
Then again, perhaps maturity depended on how well a person could manage his emotions.
I am now convinced that maturity depends to a greater extent on --- security.
How secure do you feel in your own skin?
How secure do you feel in the truth of who you are?
Do you define who you are by what you do, what you have, what you are?
I know beyond the shadow of a doubt -- that who I am has nothing to do with who I am:
"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15: 10)
For God's grace to flow in my life, I learned that I had to be established in righteousness:
"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. " (Isaiah 54: 14)
This was a promise in the Old Testament, fulfilled in Christ:
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
This gift of righteousness, this new identity of grace, these two God invites us to receive and keep receiving:
"For if by the offence of the one the death did reign through the one, much more those, who the abundance of the grace and of the free gift of the righteousness are receiving, in life shall reign through the one -- Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17, Youngs Literal Translation)
There is no surer sense of security than a life of receiving and receiving again by faith the imputation of no condemnation and power to do all things through Christ!
So immaturity will melt away in the life of a believer who is transformed from glory to glory, who receives righteousness from faith to faith in Christ Jesus!
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