Marks Of Maturity Series

What would you like to change about yourself? And what have you done to change? Some of you have read self-help books, while others have joined a gym. Some of you are pursuing a degree, and others become religious.

Today we begin a summer teaching series for those who want to change. This is a series for those who have a desire to make their lives count. Here are nine beautiful qualities that everyone wants in their lives. I want you to possess them all. If you live out these nine beautiful qualities, your home will have greater harmony. If you have a desire to make your life pleasing to God, then lean in and listen up. For I have good news for you: God makes His power available to change your life.

Let’s jump right in, and I invite you to turn to page 1239 in your pew Bibles.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:16-26).

Now, these are famous verses well beyond the walls of the church. At the center of this Scripture are two contrasting lists: “the works of the flesh” in this corner and “the fruit of the Spirit” in this corner. For the weeks to come, we’ll talk about what’s in the second list. We may not come back to Galatians 5 each week as we look at love, joy, peace, etc. The fruit of the Spirit tells us that God wants you to grow to spiritual maturity. In order to grow you essentially need three things to work in combination: 1) you need the power to change; 2) you need a picture of change; and 3) you need the process to change.

Again, you need the power to change, the picture of change, and the process to change. First, here’s the process of change: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation…” (1 Peter 2:2). So we begin to get a picture of the process of how God changes us: little by little and level by level.

Second, here’s the picture of change: “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4). In fact, the Bible teaches that you were chosen believer for the very purpose for God to change you. God wants you to be holy. And to see the picture of the changes God wants to make in your life, look no further than Jesus Christ. Like you, God has a desire that you change; God has a passion for your growth. You are made to grow just as a student in school is expected to move from grade to grade, so a believer is called on to grow. Christians grow. You cannot stop a Christian from growing because God is inside of them performing this. A non-growing Christian is a square circle or a glass hammer. Christians, by definition, grow. If you are stagnant, you are in sin. But, lastly, you need the power to change, and that’s what I want to focus on for the next few moments.

Here’s a brief sermon preview of where we’re going in the new few minutes: 1) You’re Caught; 2) You’re Empowered; 3) You’re a Partner

1) You’re Caught (Galatians 5:19-23)

You’re caught between two powers or two forces. Hasn’t this been your experience when you want to change? You’re caught, you’re trapped, and you’re torn.

1.1 The Goal

From the very beginning of your life, you were made to grow spiritually, intellectually, relationally, and morally like Jesus Himself. God’s ultimate goal for you is to have the character of Christ.

1.2 Two Fights and Two Natures

You need to know: there are two natures in every Christian: the flesh (sinful nature) and the Spirit. But you live in a warzone between your sinful nature (aka “the flesh”) and the Spirit: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Galatians 5:17). Keep in mind that before your conversion you were fighting against God – this is what I’m calling your first fight. After your conversion, God is fighting against the evil in you – this is what I’m calling your second fight. All human beings were built to worship him and center their lives on Him, and you centered your life on lots of other things. Because you centered your life on lots of other things, you experienced w breakdown in your life. To live without God is like trying to pull a wagon without wheels. It kind of works, but it drags, and it scrapes. Eventually, it disintegrates. Your life before Christ kind of works for a while, but eventually, as time goes on, your life disintegrates.