“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?” (I Corinthians 3:1-3)
Kinsey’s husband Jordan went to a conference in Philadelphia last week so she and Owen got to come visit. While Susan and Kinsey ran an errand Saturday morning, I was asked to feed the baby… who only has two teeth. No bacon and eggs for Owen… only gooey baby food and milk.
Though Paul told his brothers and sisters in Corinth that they were the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, he said it was clear they were not living by the Spirit. Though they should have been mature, they were ‘mere infants.’ Paul called them ‘worldly’ because they could not get along.
What are signs of maturity in Christ? What is the difference between the ‘worldly’ Christian and the Christian who lives by the Spirit? Since ‘God is love’ and the Gospel is centered in the Father sacrificing His Son for the salvation of the world, I would propose that the most mature are those whose lives are most consumed with the love of God. The most mature are those who love like Jesus loves.
I asked Kinsey to share anything that had been on her heart at church Sunday. In her younger days, our oldest daughter was a pretty good math student, so I was not surprised as she shared in a logical, forthright manner words from John. Perhaps this is a path to maturity.
How do I know if I really love Jesus? “Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me.” (John 14:21)
What are His commands? “And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.” (I John 3:23)
How do I love? “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (I John 3:18) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)
How did Jesus love? “He began to wash His disciples’ feet…” (John 13:5) “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (I John 3:16)
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13
“Those who obey His commands live in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: we know it by the Spirit He gave us.” I John 3:24