So, How Mature Are We?

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Helen

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A Quote:- ~ Written by Matt Tomlinson.~


" If I am defensive, pride is raising it's head at me.
If I am defensive, I still think I know better than anyone who disagrees with me.
If I am defensive, I still am, to some real degree, UNTEACHABLE.
If I am defensive, I am revealing an inner attitude, that I could not be wrong.
If another Christian, comes to me to share something they feel is a need in my life, do I respond with defensiveness or do I quietly listen, truly hear what they are saying and make sure I understand it. Do I thank them for coming, and then examine myself before the Lord to receive what He wants for me?

If I do, that is maturity and Christ likeness.

*How I respond at those times will make all the difference between real growth and change, or not!
If I am defensive, when another brother or sister says something I don't agree with, I am showing I still live like an island, separating myself from the body, asserting my carnal independence from the body, and thus from the head as well.
When I am defensive, I am far from being like the Lord Jesus right then. May God save me from this wicked and on going thing.
Jesus was never defensive one time in His life not even once and He is calling me to put it off. Die to self daily and become, defenceless, with all my defence being in Him ALONE.

~ Written by Matt Tomlinson.~


It doesn’t matter if we have been saved just one week or 50 years ...if we are still defensive when it comes to these things, we are acting immaturely and need to grow in grace and mature. We are hurting ourself and possibly others in the process.

The true sign of a mature Christian is the one who can humbles themselves and drop all the pride to the ground and counts it worthless, compared to the desire and will of God...which is Christ likeness. "
* * *

I read this today and it caused me to ‘stop and think’…..a 'Selah' moment.
So just passing it on.
 

101G

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" If I am defensive, pride is raising it's head at me.
If I am defensive, I still think I know better than anyone who disagrees with me.
If I am defensive, I still am, to some real degree, UNTEACHABLE.
If I am defensive, I am revealing an inner attitude, that I could not be wrong.
If another Christian, comes to me to share something they feel is a need in my life, do I respond with defensiveness or do I quietly listen, truly hear what they are saying and make sure I understand it. Do I thank them for coming, and then examine myself before the Lord to receive what He wants for me?

If I do, that is maturity and Christ likeness.

GINOLJC, thanks for the post, interesting point made. but we as christians must be careful of what other bring to us, which will determine our defensiveness. if it is of God the Holy Spirit will give understanding of it, that I agree with. but if it's not of God, I can only speak for myself, if it's not of God I'm like my brother Paul, Philippians 1:15 "Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: 17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel".

for if Christ lives in me "HE" want let pride rise in me. if Christ lives in me "HE" want let us walk together, except we be agreed?. if Christ lives in me "HE" will test the spirit by the spirit?. if Christ lives in me is "HE" not the FATHER of spirit and corrects/chastise his own if wrong.

we're not debtors to the things of the flesh but to the Spirit/Lord Jesus. maturity is not found in "I" but in "HIM"..... it's not what goes into a man's MOUTH that defile him, but what comes out of a man's mouth that do. so a sure sign of maturity is 3M tape on men's mouth..... (smile).

be blessed.
 
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Helen

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but we as christians must be careful of what other bring to us, which will determine our defensiveness

Now that is a point I didn't think of when I copied the artical .....very good point.
You are right of course , we certainly do have to " weigh " whatever a person brings to us...not all people are sharing things with us for honest or good reasons!! :)
But, would you still agree , that even then, even if they come in to us in a bad attitude, it is still well worth taking whatever is said to us, before the Lord and weigh it, and let the Holy Spirit show us if there is any truth whereby we can learn and grow.
So that, even then...we still walk in maturity. :)
 
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101G

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But, would you still agree , that even then, even if they come in to us in a bad attitude, it is still well worth taking whatever is said to us, before the Lord and weigh it, and let the Holy Spirit show us if there is any truth whereby we can learn and grow.
So that, even then...we still walk in maturity. :)
I agree totally, scripture, 1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good".
 
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101G

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Good post G, we all have been given the measure of faith, and we must grow in it. the apostle Peter stated to add to our FAITH, (1 Peter 1:5-). maturity comes with TIME. an elder in a church where I use to attend said this to me, "your carnal life can teach your spirit life some things". at the time, I really did not understand his comments. and yet another elder, she told me this "sometimes you might have to give up the right for the wrong". that I really didn't want to understand and didn't want to hear it. just the thought of the words give up the right? I said to myself, are you crazy. but when it happen to me I "GREW" in GRACE. as mention above, I had to use some of that 3m tape on myself, and what a difference it had on the satiation at that time. even though what I had to say might have been "RIGHT" but it was at the wrong time. experience, weather in the flesh or in the spirit are good teachers. for when God made man it was good, like all things he made. but maturity come in "TIME". we're all new babies in Christ Jesus. likewise in the Natural, I haven't seen a newborn start walking before it crawl first. and one more point, all things in the natural comes from the Spiritual, it's only how one use and adapt to the things that God give us in righteousness or foolishness, and that is a LEARNED animal, which takes TIME.

be blessed.
 

amadeus

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ha amen, one cannot really serve God much typing on a computer imo
We might be surprised on this point. Some who never posts but simply reads what interests him may be blessed. Our witness should be in every thing that we... and it is. The difficulty is of course that some of the things that we do are NOT good... unless we are already overcomers as Jesus was/is an overcomer.
 
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Grams

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That's what I try to do ...... write in the forums hoping I say some thing to make a none believer think at least.

because when I speak I have no verse I can remember....... I was going to a forum that was not Christian, but it closed down.
and now I cant find one to try.......
 

mjrhealth

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So that, even then...we still walk in maturity. :)
Maturity is a funny thing, I have seeing 5 year old children that are more mature than 40 year old men, I have seeing christians come and boast " i have being a christian for 50 years", like, so what God can use children and donkeys dont account for much in Gods Kingdom. But pride is a horrid thing one reason I dont like this points and like thingy, but it does help some. I find in my old age I get more defensive, but than I also get more cranky as this silly fleshy brain of mine does silly things, I forget more and that can get me frustrated. Just glad Jesus will do away with all this. Not soon enough...
 
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tabletalk

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Maybe this verse says something about maturity. From Hebrews.
Hebrews 5:14
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discernboth good and evil.
 

aspen

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So, is Compromising with others, part of maturity or is it a bad thing?
 

Helen

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So, is Compromising with others, part of maturity or is it a bad thing?

Compromising with others?
Not sure what you are asking Aspen.
If you mean should we agree with someone else's view or position...just to keep the peace... NO.
But I would all all times hope I can agree to differ and still keep the relationship solid.
Lets use you and I....I am SURE there are things that we disagree upon somewhere...probably even strongly! ha!
Do we compromise our positions...no..because we both believe that what we are seeing is something God showed us.
If we can agree to differ on that one subject..and we can maintain a relationship, and we are still solid and shoulder to shoulder against the enemy when needed.
The devil likes nothing more than to divid God's people..

But if...as with some people ( we've all met 'em ) people just get mad when disagreed with...and close off the communication, then there is nothing we can do. Once anger is in the picture, I back off.

Some people that I have met are so set on making me ( or anyone else) believe what they believe or see scripture as they see it...because they are so sure that they are right and I am wrong. And they act like it is life or death. And bottom line...not much IS!! Outside basic faith, obviously...not much else bothers me in what a person believes. If they want to believe in a rapture or no rapture, fine, trinity or no trinity, fine, gifts or the spirit or no gifts of the spirit ..fine.. We discuss on here to have fellowship with like minded Christians...and hopefully "drip some blessing" out onto someone else. Changing what people believe or don't ...is God business not mine!
To me nagging to change minds shows immaturity.God left us free to choose...we should do the same with our brethren.

Personally I don't give a rip whether people believe what I believe or not... I will tell them...and if they argue...I just think- " fine, no worries" and move on...it is the moving on bit that some people can't seem to do. :)
One lady on this site thinks everything I post is suspect and in her book .. wrong..and she just has to say so every time.
I have responded and shown my point of view ...but she always has to disqualify it...it's no sweat to me...but it seems like a big red rag to a bull to her... Hence, we have no relationship..there is no common ground. We cannot discuss in a friendly spirit... I don't do 'hostile'.
Whereas a brother on here and I ,were not agreeing at all...we had a few posts back and forth for a while...I don't think we totally ever saw the subject quite the same..but we got close to agreeing... we left the discussion with the relationship intact. It was pleasant.
Much of the time I have found when people are pleasant and take time to lay out what they mean...the lights come on... ..miscommunication on Christian sites is often what causes the problem. I know I often do not express myself well.:oops:

So, compromise position ?..no. But compromise in agreeing to differ yes.
As I see it..everything we believe is really our opinion in interpretation of scripture. So really none of us can know for sure that we have it right....but many will go to their graves declaring that they have the truth on all things that they believe..
But, TRUTH Himself will declare it on That Day. :)

Sorry, I have rambled on here...bbyrd009 said it so simply.... LOL


 
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amadeus

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Compromising with others?
Not sure what you are asking Aspen.
If you mean should we agree with someone else's view or position...just to keep the peace... NO.
But I would all all times hope I can agree to differ and still keep the relationship solid.
Lets use you and I....I am SURE there are things that we disagree upon somewhere...probably even strongly! ha!
Do we compromise our positions...no..because we both believe that what we are seeing is something God showed us.
If we can agree to differ on that one subject..and we can maintain a relationship, and we are still solid and shoulder to shoulder against the enemy when needed.
The devil likes nothing more than to divid God's people..

But if...as with some people ( we've all met 'em ) people just get mad when disagreed with...and close off the communication, then there is nothing we can do. Once anger is in the picture, I back off.

Some people that I have met are so set on making me ( or anyone else) believe what they believe or see scripture as they see it...because they are so sure that they are right and I am wrong. And they act like it is life or death. And bottom line...not much IS!! Outside basic faith, obviously...not much else bothers me in what a person believes. If they want to believe in a rapture or no rapture, fine, trinity or no trinity, fine, gifts or the spirit or no gifts of the spirit ..fine.. We discuss on here to have fellowship with like minded Christians...and hopefully "drip some blessing" out onto someone else. Changing what people believe or don't ...is God business not mine!
To me nagging to change minds shows immaturity.God left us free to choose...we should do the same with our brethren.

Personally I don't give a rip whether people believe what I believe or not... I will tell them...and if they argue...I just think- " fine, no worries" and move on...it is the moving on bit that some people can't seem to do. :)
One lady on this site thinks everything I post is suspect and in her book .. wrong..and she just has to say so every time.
I have responded and shown my point of view ...but she always has to disqualify it...it's no sweat to me...but it seems like a big red rag to a bull to her... Hence, we have no relationship..there is no common ground. We cannot discuss in a friendly spirit... I don't do 'hostile'.
Whereas a brother on here and I ,were not agreeing at all...we had a few posts back and forth for a while...I don't think we totally ever saw the subject quite the same..but we got close to agreeing... we left the discussion with the relationship intact. It was pleasant.
Much of the time I have found when people are pleasant and take time to lay out what they mean...the lights come on... ..miscommunication on Christian sites is often what causes the problem. I know I often do not express myself well.:oops:

So, compromise position ?..no. But compromise in agreeing to differ yes.
As I see it..everything we believe is really our opinion in interpretation of scripture. So really none of us can know for sure that we have it right....but many will go to their graves declaring that they have the truth on all things that they believe..
But, TRUTH Himself will declare it on That Day. :)

Sorry, I have rambled on here...bbyrd009 said it so simply.... LOL


The truth is that God alone gives the increase. He may or may not use you, or me, or the other guy to do it. No matter how much we know or think we know or how little we know we should know that:

"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." I Cor 3:6-7