We have talked before about the importance of order and the Law of First Mention. First things, first fruits, first statements all matter. They are highly important and worth paying attention to. This should cause us to pay particular attention to the very first question God ever asked. This initial, primary question is recorded in . . .
Text: Genesis 3:9 (NIV)
But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
I remind you that God is omniscient. In other words, He is all knowing. The question wasn't asked because Adam was the greatest, hall of fame, undisputed champion of all time hide and seek contestant and been able to find some God proof hiding place where even God couldn't locate Him. THE question WASN'T posed so that God could gain information He didn't already have. It was a question asked to force Adam to come to grips with information that Adam needed. He had gone from walking openly, transparently and shamelessly before gone to hiding from God's presence and the question forces him to evaluate his new condition and position. God asks Adam this question to force him to come face to face with Adam! God knew where Adam was. The question is did Adam? Haven’t we discovered that we can be oblivious to our own lack, fallen condition, location? They don’t call them blind spots for nothing! That is why this is THE question that we must answer as we begin this New Year. It is a question that we should continually be asking of ourselves. We must also know that this is THE question that God continues to ask us to force us to recognize, address and embrace our location and position as it relates to Him. Like Adam we can choose to hide but like Adam we soon discover that God knows where we are!
So, this is the question for us . . . Where are you?
Mrs. Smith had applied herself. Out of high school she attended the local university and then did her student teaching and finally not only graduates with her degree but is awarded her state teaching certificate. She lands her first job in an elementary school several counties over. Her first year is spent in burning the midnight oil, scratching out effective lesson plans and learning to juggle children and parents. The final day of school approaches and by all standards it was a successful first year with only a few hiccups here and there. Finally, summer break arrives and is enjoyed. As she enters her second year Mrs. Smith is in a rhythm and by following the same exact plans as year one the second year seems to go flawlessly. During her third year Mrs. Smith notices that the other teachers are trying new approaches and techniques but Mrs. Smith sticks to her guns and repeats her successful formula from the previous years to the letter. This approach is followed annually until at year 25, Mrs. Smith retires. The question then is did Mrs. Smith have 25 years of teaching experience or did she have one year of experience 25 times?
Sadly, this same question should and could be asked of most if not all of us spiritually. We had this moment where we came to grips with our need of Jesus for salvation. He altered our path from death to life. Then time goes by and too often, like Mrs. Smith, we turn the pages of the calendar and we age, but we don’t mature in our walk with Christ. Too often we simply have one year of relationship repeated 3 times, 5 times and in some cases 25 times.
We have made spiritual maturity a calendar issue. We begin to believe a false narrative that says, "How long I have been saved determines how spiritually mature I am". As the calendar turns without any intentionality or effort on my part, I assume that I also increase in spiritual maturity. Like cheese I become better with time. I don't have to do anything to become more mature except traverse time.
I believe this is why we have we have grown consistently more uncomfortable with preaching and discussions about spiritual maturity. I like it better when we just do church and never have to answer THE question. I believe we approach our relationship with Christ this way because if the need for growth and maturation is unaddressed, then we don't have to personally address it. The enemy who exposed Adam's nakedness which causes him to hide has changed his approach and now convinces us that we are fully clothed. So, we rubber stamp and approve of our own level of maturity as mature because we have no standard other than ourselves to compare to and we walk around naked thinking we are fully robed in maturity. That is why we have "mature" believers acting like, talking like and conducting their lives like people who have only known Jesus for one year and no one can correct them because they are "mature". We really don't want anyone to address the necessity of maturing in our faith because we then are forced, like Adam, to choose one of two options.
One option is to honestly and transparently participate in self-examination while we open the door to allow other people to pinpoint shortcomings in our walk, attitudes, character so that we can grow. We come out of hiding and own up to our need for growth.
Option two is that we hide ourselves behind masks, distractions, excuses and we give ourselves permission to ignore the discussion, we refuse to participate in the discussion or we fudge on our evaluations letting ourselves off the hook as the exception so that we can continue to exhibit behavior, attitudes and emotions that are unlike Christ while we claim that we are intimate with Him. In that process we transform Jesus to look like us rather the allowing our relationship with Him to transform us into His image. This is why and how "mature" believers can continue in gossip, anger, pettiness, territorialism, offense, prejudice, lust and the list goes on. By transforming Jesus into our image, we become convinced that He would approve of these things because He is like us.
I will tell you that unless we opt for the first of these options, we really have no chance of ever actually becoming mature in our faith. We may be born again but we will never go beyond that. Because here is the hard and unsettling truth. True spiritual maturity forces us to transform and conform to His image which involves guarding our mouth, turning the other cheek, leaving our gift at the altar and seeking out the other party, believing the best about others, not allowing vain imaginations to run our mind and life, preferring others over ourselves, making room for others, breaking down walls, living in holiness and the list goes on!
So, over the course of the next few weeks you have a decision to make. You can listen with your mind already made up based on your own standard of maturity. You can decide that you are spiritually mature because you meet your standards or because so much time has gone by since you entered a relationship with Jesus and determine that you don't have to answer THE question. Therefore, you are exempt from growth. You have already arrived! Or you can honestly and carefully allow the Holy Spirit to pinpoint areas of our lives where we not only need but absolutely must let light shine because we realize that we have grown comfortable in our childishness or there is still room for growth!
We must know where we are if we are going to be able to grow. Honest and realistic assessment is the key to advancement. Growth is determined by being unguarded! Maturity is only gained if we are maskless.
I also want you to know that as we take this journey this question is a personal question. Too often we want to push the responsibility for the answer to this question to someone else. If my spouse was really pursuing Christ, then I would be further along in my walk. If my Circle was more spiritual, then I would be growing. If my church was deeper, more spiritual, more ____________. However, I want you to notice THE question again. God asks Adam, "Where are you?" He didn't ask "Where are y'all?" Eve was there too. But God makes it a personal question because it is a personal question. Although environment matters a refrigerator is proof that you can be cold, in a warm environment and the grill is proof you can be hot in a cold environment. We have a personal responsibility to grow and mature. Spiritual growth is your choice and your choice alone. As a church our responsibility is to partner with you in this journey. We will try to provide you tools to assist. We will even take a test during this series to help you evaluate your spiritual maturity. But at the end of the day your growth is your responsibility . . . period. Our individual spiritual maturity cannot and never will be the responsibility of the corporate. You can and should grow whether this body is 1 inch deep or a mile deep. In either condition, you must still work on you. You must grow you!
Answer the question . . . Where are you? As you ponder this question this week, as it relates to your spiritual maturity level, I want you to think am I an infant, a teenager, an adult or a parent? I want us to move past just saying we are devoted to Christ. The word "Devoted" means zealous attachment or affection. A lot of us are zealous about Jesus. Attached to Jesus and even have affection for Jesus but being devoted doesn't mean mature!
The Bible goes deeper than devoted.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)?For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
Fully committed means blameless, perfect, derivative of a Hebrew word for wholeness.
That is not about devotion that is about maturity! That is why Paul says in Ephesians 4:11-13 (CEV) . . . Christ chose some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like Him.
Maturity is the goal!
Remember the number of years you have been in church or in relationship with Jesus is not the issue. Are you like Jesus or does He look like you?
Where are you?
