What is the Key to Maturity?

Tonight I was reading and came to a section in the book Bait of Satan where John Brevere comments that the key for maturing in the Christian walk is obedience, not knowledge of Scripture. He was not saying that knowledge is unnecessary, but only that the key to maturity is obedience.

As I thought about it, I think I understand what he was trying to say, that is, that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). But rather than helping his argument I think he made a fatal flaw and cut the limb upon which he was attempting to make his argument. Obedience is not the key to maturity, knowledge is. Obedience is the fruit of true knowledge. Obedience can never circumvent knowledge, rather it grows out of it. Notice the relationship between obedience and knowledge:

1) Those who do not control their bodies for holiness and honor but disobey through the passions of lust do not know God. Therefor, if one knew God they would obey him and honor him with their body.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God (1Thes 4:5)

2) Idolatry is due ignorance of God. Knowledge of God, or rather to be known by God, liberates a man to obey.

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? (Gal 4:8-9)

3) Love is the fruit of knowing God. Not to love means not to know him.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 Jn 4:8)

So how do we mature? It is no good just to say ... "Obey God!" That's like telling a blind child, "Read the book!" He cannot read it until his eyes are opened. Even then he must know how to read before he can obey.

Paul's logic is not, "Obey God, and then you will know him," but, "Know God, and then you will obey him." The objection to this is that there are plenty of disobedient people who claim to "know God."

I have two responses: First, I don't think they truly know God, or at least they do not know him as they ought. The unbelieving Gentiles acted in dishonorable ways with their bodies precisely because they did not know God (1 Thes 4:5). Paul exhorts the Ephesians to no longer walk as the Gentiles "in the futility of their minds" (Eph 4:17). he then goes on to explain that this Gentile mindset is because of their ignorance (v18). But the Epesians are different, they have learned Christ and been taught in him (v20-21).

Second, I think that Galatians touches on an important aspect of "knowing God." It is far better to be known by God than to claim to know God. One could claim to know Tiger Woods, but the mark of truth comes when Tiger acknowledges that he knows that person. Jesus comments on this when he speaks of those who will profess to have known him and have even done many great miracles in his name. But Jesus will look at them and say, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Mat 7:23). If they had known Jesus, or rather, had been known by him, they would not have been "workers of lawlessness."

So let us press on to know Him. Let us discard the myth that ignorance is bliss. No, ignorance is slavery. Knowledge of God leads to obedience which is a sign of maturity.

Philippians - Counting It All Loss

I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Phil 3:8)

What is my desire?

I find that my heart is a factory of idols. With little effort, what begins as a perfectly harmless desire can grow into an overwhelming craving ... cheesecake, exercise, career, relationships, sleep. The evil in my desires typically lies not so much in what I want, but that I want it too much (Calvin), because these desires compete against Christ for supremacy. That which is my greatest delight is my God. We are controlled by what we desire. Therefore, if we satisfy our desires with temporal goods, then our desires will themselves be ephemeral ... like the seas that are fed by the rivers, always longing but never satisfied.

The heart of sin

To be ultimately satisfied in anything other than God is the heart of sin. This is what it means to fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), we have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the glory of mortal man (Rom 1:23). We have all loved other things more than God and thus have fallen short of this glory. So how then do I love Christ more than his creation? How then do I consider everything else as rubbish compared to Christ?

A Superior Satisfaction

According to Philippians 3:8, Paul says that he considers everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. The only way to fight desire is with desire. The only way we can joyfully give up our goods for the sake of gaining Christ is if we see Christ as superior to his gifts. We see this all the time in children. You can give a little boy a Hot Wheels car and he will be content with it ... that is, until another boy walks in with a bigger better car. And suddenly, the first boy is no longer satisfied with his car, he wants the other car. If you had asked the boy to give up his car at first he would have struggled to let it go. But had you asked him after he was mesmerized by the other boy's car, he would have paid no mind. Why is this? Because his first desire was eclipse by a desire for something greater. This is the only way we can consider everything as loss and rubbish compared to Christ: we must see Christ as a superior satisfaction.

Know Christ

How does one begin to grow in their desire for Christ. Paul says, "know him." Knowledge of Christ should be the kindling of our affections for him. The more we know him the more dim the allurements of this world become and the more desirous of his presence we become.

Oh that you would increase, Lord, that I my affections for these fleeting pleasures would decrease.

Friday Night Evangelism: Acts 2:1-13

Acts 2:1-13

Purpose of the Signs

Tonight I want us to study Pentecost and answer a few questions.

· What is being filled with the Holy Spirit

· What is speaking in tongues

· What is the purpose of tongues

· Are tongues a necessary evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

I think these questions are relevant to evangelism, because if the gifts are for today, which I think they are, and we are attempting to evangelize without them, then I think we are limiting our effectiveness and robbing God of opportunities to be glorified. According to scripture signs and wonders are intended to confirm the authority of the spoken word (Acts 14:3). Jesus himself illustrates this when he asked the Pharisees, “Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins I say, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” (Mat 9:4-6)

What is being filled with the Holy Spirit?

We have talked about a number of the terms, but I want us to focus on what Luke says in Acts 2, namely, being filled with the Holy Spirit. I believe it is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that enables the recipient to preach with boldness and/or to perform signs and wonders:

1. 2:4 – people were filled with the Holy Spirit. Effect: speaking in foreign languages, Peter preaches and the audience is “cut to the heart.”

2. 4:8, 13 – Peter was filled. Effect: he preached with boldness

3. 4:31 – Peter and John and friends finish praying and the Holy Spirit fills them. Effect: they “continue to speak the Word of God with boldness.”

4. 9:17 – Ananias prays for Saul that he may regain sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Effect: Paul regains his sight

5. 13:9 – Paul is filled with the Holy Spirit. Effect: rebukes the magician causing him to go blind

Notice the numerous connections of being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking with boldness – whether it is preaching with authority or rebuking the magician, the Spirit comes upon the person with power. The majority of the texts indicate that the filling of the Holy Spirit was for the furtherance of the gospel through bold preaching and signs and wonders. What I find that is interesting, is that we only have one reference of being filled with the Spirit resulting in speaking in tongues.

What is speaking in tongues?

I believe that according to Luke, tongues are the supernatural ability to speak foreign languages. I'll show you where I'm getting that by looking at the three accounts in Acts:

According to Acts 2 tongues must refer to foreign language, not a heavenly language: 1) The disciples were not speaking one “heavenly tongue” but different tongues, 2) men of different regions understood them in their native tongue, and 3) no indication of an “interpretation” was necessary.

Acts 10 records the Gentiles experiencing their own “Pentecost.” Luke uses similar language by recording that the disciples were “hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God” (v46). I believe Luke intended the reader to make a parallel with Acts 2, therefore indicating that tongues hear is also a reference to foreign languages.

The last account in Acts 19:6 is the most vague. The effect of the Holy Spirit coming upon them is speaking in tongues and prophesying. I think this one is intentionally non descriptive because Luke intends the reader to connect this experience with the previous two. He no longer needs to define these terms because the first account in Acts 2 acts as the reference point.

What is the purpose of tongues?

I believe that according to Luke, the purpose of tongues is the immediate empowerment of the Spirit to communicate the mighty works of God in another known language.

- 2:11 The Jews in Jerusalem heard the disciples telling in their own tongue “the mighty works of God.”

- 10:46 The disciples were hearing the Gentiles speaking in tongues and “extolling God.”

Those who heard the tongues were able to understand it and needed no interpretation.

Are tongues a necessary evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

I do not think that tongues are a necessary indication of being filled with the Spirit since there are numerous accounts of people being filled with the Spirit in which speaking in tongues did not occur (or at least that scripture does not record).

Ephesians - Praying in the Spirit

And take ... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. (Eph 6:17b-18)

In light of Paul's prayer in Philippians, I have been inspired to study his prayers throughout the epistles. I am amazed at how often "praying without ceasing" and "pray for our deliverance" were embedded in his petitions. Ephesians was a rich deposit of prayers, especially chapter six. This is the well known section where Paul informs the church of our true battle, not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of this age (v12), therefor we need spiritual armor and weapons. Paul informs the church of the one spiritual offensive weapon they have and how to use it.

The church is given the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Scripture is to be our saber in the battle against unbelief. This is clear, but what seems unclear at first glance is how we are to pray in the Spirit. Some may take this to mean praying in tongues or simply asking the Spirit to direct your prayers so that whatever you ask is "in the Spirit." Although I don't think that these conclusion are excluded as possibilities, I think the immediate context demonstrates that praying in the Spirit is in conjunction with the Sword of the Spirit. We pray in the Spirit by wielding the Sword of the Spirit. In other words, we inform our prayers with the Word of God. Scripture because the launching pad for our petitions and praise. We anchor our faith in the promises of God revealed in his word. The Spirit of God will always work in conjunction with the Word of God. Therefore, we must have more of the Word in us that we may pray in the Spirit.

Philippians - A Prayer of Deliverance

For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.

What are the means of Paul's deliverance?

According to Paul, his deliverance was contingent upon the prayers of the Philippian church and the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This implies an intimacy between the Philippian church and Paul. They were partners with him in the gospel (v5) and partakers with him of grace (v7). Because of this relationship, Paul depended upon them for the success of his ministry. I believe that their prayers were the means by which the Spirit of Christ would act on behalf of Paul.

So how is my prayer life? Who has not been delivered as a result of my failure to pray? Lord, may I prayer for my brothers and sisters that they may be delivered.

What is the deliverance Paul speaks of?

Is the deliverance Paul speaks of a liberation from suffering or death? No, for he goes on to explain that whether in life or death, Christ would be honored. Therefore, the type of deliverance Paul must mean is a sustaining grace in the midst of suffering. Paul hopes that he will be courageous in the face of his trials and not abandon his faith. Thus, deliverance may take the form of death, so that Paul's faith remains intact (for if he had lived he would have given up). Or it may take the form of life, so that Paul's faith may be strengthened.

So what form of deliverance do I long for most: deliverance from suffering or deliverance through suffering, whether it ends in life or death?

Philippians - A Painful Grace

In the opening prayer of Philippians, Paul is thanking God for the partnership (v5) of the church in the work of the gospel. He then goes on to explain that his affection for them is due to the fact that they are "all partakers with [him] of grace, both in [his] imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel" (v7). What can be easily overlooked is how Paul defines the grace. This is not the general "unmerited favor" flavor of grace. No, Paul tells the Philippians that this grace is expressed in two ways: they are sharing 1) in his imprisonment and 2) in defending and confirming the gospel. This is a painful grace.

To put it another way, I believe this is the type of grace that is given to those who suffer for Christ's sake. The Philippian church had been granted faith! And Paul wanted them to see that they were also "graced" with the honor to suffer for Christ (v29). Paul has affections toward them, because this is the heart of Christ, to be near to those who suffer for his sake.

Lord, may I fear no man, but trust that when suffering comes as a result of following you that you will grant me this grace, so that whether by life or by death you will be honored (v20). For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (v21).

Friday Night Evangelism: Acts 1:7-14

Acts 1:7-14

They were with one accord

It is important not to gloss over this fact. The disciples were with one accord. The very ones who were just days before arguing over who would be the greatest in the kingdom (Lk 22:24) were now humbled and unified. Why? What had taken place between these two events? Christ's passion and the disciples utter abandonment. They were all great at one thing … abandoning their Lord when he needed them. Yet after his resurrection he sought after them and commissioned them to be his witnesses to the end of the earth. The ground was leveled through the cross and they all saw their true selves. They were all in need of forgiveness. And they were all in need of the boldness that comes from the Spirit. Therefore they were with one accord devoting themselves to prayer.

They were devoting themselves to prayer

What must they have prayed? What instructions on prayer did Jesus give according to Luke? Lets read Luke 11:1-13. According to verse 13 what are God's children to ask for? They are to ask for the Promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. What is the first illustration Jesus gives on how to pray? What is he attempting to teach? We are to be persistent in prayer (v8). Or as Acts says, we are to be devoted to prayer.

But this is a paradox. Jesus tells his disciples to wait until they are clothed with power from on high. But he has also instructed them to pray for it. The two seem in conflict. For example, it is like a Father telling his son, I'm going to give you some ice cream and the son continuously asking, “Can I have some ice cream , can I have some ice cream, can I have some ice cream.” The natural response would be to tell the child, “Son, I told you I would give it to you. Now, you need to wait for it and stop asking for it.” But this is not so with the Spirit. The Father is going to give them this promise, but they must persistently ask for it, seek for it, and pound the doors of heaven for it. Therefore, we see in Acts that they were not just praying but devoting themselves to prayer.

If there is a discipline that is overlooked in the believer's life it is often prayer. Prayer is pushed to the periphery because it does not generate the immediate results that our western instant gratification culture demands, but we can do nothing apart from the empowering work of the Spirit. But the Spirit is given to those who devote themselves to ask for it.

Application

How is our unity? How is our devotion to prayer? How is our desire for the baptism of the Holy Spirit? I want us to take some extended time and pray for unity, devotion to prayer, and a desire for the Spirit.

Friday Night Evangelism: Acts 1:1-8

Acts 1:1-8

Wait for the Promise of the Father

After giving the disciples a forty day crash course on the Kingdom of God he orders them to remain in Jerusalem. Why?

To receive the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Spirit (note the parallel).

We're going to spend the rest of our time answering this question: What is the promise of the Father? Or put another way, what is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Question: Up to this point had the disciples not received the Holy Spirit? (John 20:21-22)

If the disciples had already received the Spirit, what are they waiting for? I believe there must be a difference between what the disciples received in John 20 and what they are about to receive in Acts 2. The former refers to regeneration through the Spirit as explained by Jesus in John 3, while the latter refers to the empowerment by the Spirit as demonstrated in the book of Acts (or even when Jesus sent out the disciples by twos in Luke 9). I have many reasons why I believe there is a distinction between these two accounts, but I'm only going to give you three of them. I encourage you to do your own study. Don't take my word for it but study the scriptures.

I believe that the promise of the Father or the Baptism of the Spirit, is not regeneration but a subsequent empowerment of the Spirit in order to accomplish kingdom work.

Argument 1: The Disciples had already Received the Spirit

I have already explained my first argument. There appears to be a distinction between John 20 and Acts 2. The disciples had already received the Spirit when Jesus breathed on them, therefore, it would make sense that there is a special impartation of the Spirit for which they are waiting.

Argument 2: The Terminology of Parallel verses

Another indication that what the disciples were waiting for was an empowerment of the Spirit and not regeneration is the terms that Luke and Jesus use. None of the terms necessarily imply regeneration. In fact, if I had time, I would show you that Luke uses the term filled with the Spirit to refer to instances of supernatural empowerment and not regeneration.

The passage in Acts 1 is referring back to Luke 3:

• He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16)
• I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49)
• … wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5)
• You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:8)
• And they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4)

VERB OBJECT

Baptized - Holy Spirit and fire (2x)

Sent - Promise of the Father

Clothed - Power from on high

Receive - Power

Come upon - Holy Spirit

Filled - Holy Spirit

None of the verbs are exclusive to regeneration. Second, notice what is being associated with the Holy Spirit, namely the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5) and power from on high (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8)

Peter's Explanation of Pentecost

The third argument is Peter's explanation of Pentecost. After the disciples had been clothed and filled with the power of the Spirit, the people are perplexed. Are these men drunk? Peter stands up and explains to the people what has just been fulfilled. Keep in mind that he is explaining what the promise of the Father is by quoting the prophet Joel (Acts 2:17-18):

And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

Notice that the outpouring of the Spirit was to result, not in regeneration, but prophesy. There were many other OT passages foretelling of the Spirit bringing regeneration, such as Ezekiel 36, but Peter chose this passage which does not speak of regeneration, but prophesy. Why? Because the promise of the Father, that is, the baptism of the Spirit, was the subsequent empowerment of the Spirit for kingdom work, not regeneration.

Application

Why am I making such a strong case for this? Jesus thought it necessary for his disciples to receive the power of the Holy Spirit so that they could be his witnesses in Jeruslalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. This task remains unfinished, therefore, the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Spirit remains open for us today. We need this empowerment to finish the kingdom work. As believers we already possess the Holy Spirit, Jesus has breathed new life into us, but now, to do his work, we must be clothed with power from on high. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Next time we meet I will talk about how we go about this. But to clarify any misconcesptions. We cannot make this happen. As we will see, the disciples simply waited and prayed, it is the Father's prerogative to pour out the Spirit. Meanwhile, let us pray and ask that he would grant us the Holy Spirit tonight.

Friday Night Evangelism: Acts 1:1-2

Acts 1:1-2

Jesus Began a Work

The first account records what Jesus began to do and teach. Notice that Luke did not say what Jesus did but what be began to do and teach. I think that this is significant for the book of Acts and especially for us today. Jesus began a work recorded in the Gospel of Luke, which continues on into the book of Acts and continues today. As one pastor has noted, the final chapter of Acts does not end with a period, but with a comma.

It is true that Christ accomplished and finished a work on the cross – he has secured the blessings of God, established redemption, and acquired forgiveness (Eph 1:3, 7). Yet the implications of this accomplished work remains unfinished.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Mat 24:14)

We can see that Christ's intention was for the disciples to continue the work that he began to do and teach. They were to be his witnesses in their city and to the end of the earth (v8).

The work remains unfinished, therefore Acts applies to us today. Jesus began his ministry 2,000 years ago and has continued to spread his word through his witnesses.

Jesus Healed and Taught

I think both of these words are important and indicate different aspects of Jesus' ministry. In the gospel of Luke, he expounds upon these two aspects:

And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'” In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Luke 7:20-23

Where do you see teaching in this passage?

Where do you see doing in this passage?

Jesus' healing and teaching ministry is not disputed. The real question is this, “Is that same healing and teaching ministry available to us today?” If it is available to us, why then are our ministries often heavy on the teaching and light on the healing?

How does this affect our evangelism?

These are all questions that I do not intend on answering tonight, but will address as they come up in the continuing study of the book. We're going to take it slow because I want Luke to inform us on how to answer these and other questions. Not all of us may agree on this issue; therefore, I encourage you to take some time to study this book. Whether you believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a subsequent filling or as the regeneration of a person, you are welcomed here. Nonetheless, I am persuaded of the former and hope to convince you through scripture as to why I think this.

For now, I will simply state that I believe that the healing and teaching ministry of Jesus is available and that we need a subsequent baptism of the Holy Spirit in order to operate in this power. However, this baptism cannot be conjured up, but is freely given by God to whom he pleases. Thus we need to ask the Father for the Holy Spirit that we may evangelize in his power.