Mature/perfect in Christ: spiritual gifts in the Body of Christ

[Ariel82]

Before we start, this is a discussion thread. Not a teaching thread. If you come to discuss the Bible, what God tells the original audience of scripture, how the message can apply to us, give testimony of how God works in your life, welcome and be blessed.

If you believe yourself a self proclaimed teacher, wolf Hunter, modern day prophet who's words should be held equal with the Bible.....please move on to your own threads, because you will be put on ignore until I have time or God tells me to read your responses.

With only one fully functioning eye at the time...don't really care to babysit hurt pride. Yeah I will get some grief for that, but I will take someone speaking honestly and from the heart than sugar coated dung any day.

So for those still reading, I wanted to know what your thoughts on how a mature person in Christ would be like?

I have meet a few who qualify, have you meet anyone? If so can you describe the characteristics of the person that made you believe they were mature in Christ?

personally feel like I need some deeper roots myself but not as shaky as when I first joined this site. Don't get tossed around by every false doctrine, because I can spot them now before they start blowing down my back.

Next question is about spiritual gifts and how they help people become mature in Christ?

So summary:

1. Have you meet a mature Christian and what characteristics did they have to help you identify them?

2. How are spiritual gifts identified and used to help mature young Christians?

Let's add another.

3. How can people use their spiritual gifts to be part of the Body of Christ?

Thanks for anyone who takes the time to read this wall of text and respond.

 

[Ariel82]

Dear God: we pray that we use this time of rest to dive deeper into your word. Lord there are so many false and deceptive teachers out there, seeking to steal your sheep. God open our eyes and ears to see the lies and follow You. God I pray for those in the pits of despair, reach down and show them Your light. Help us be Your hands and feet to the weary and lost. Let us speak life and not death into the lives of others. Lord tame our tongues, cleanse our hearts from seeing only the bad. Help us see the people others will become when they are washed clean and standing in Heaven with You. God help us speak life. May the meditation of our hearts and minds be pleasing to You O Lord.
In Jesus HOLY name we pray, Amen.

 

[Ariel82]

1 Corinthians 12
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.



Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

 

[trofimus]

Before we start, this is a discussion thread. Not a teaching thread. If you come to discuss the Bible, what God tells the original audience of scripture, how the message can apply to us, give testimony of how God works in your life, welcome and be blessed.

If you believe yourself a self proclaimed teacher, wolf Hunter, modern day prophet who's words should be held equal with the Bible.....please move on to your own threads, because you will be put on ignore until I have time or God tells me to read your responses.

With only one fully functioning eye at the time...don't really care to babysit hurt pride. Yeah I will get some grief for that, but I will take someone speaking honestly and from the heart than sugar coated dung any day.

So for those still reading, I wanted to know what your thoughts on how a mature person in Christ would be like?

I have meet a few who qualify, have you meet anyone? If so can you describe the characteristics of the person that made you believe they were mature in Christ?

personally feel like I need some deeper roots myself but not as shaky as when I first joined this site. Don't get tossed around by every false doctrine, because I can spot them now before they start blowing down my back.

Next question is about spiritual gifts and how they help people become mature in Christ?

So summary:

1. Have you meet a mature Christian and what characteristics did they have to help you identify them?

2. How are spiritual gifts identified and used to help mature young Christians?

Let's add another.

3. How can people use their spiritual gifts to be part of the Body of Christ?

Thanks for anyone who takes the time to read this wall of text and respond.

I imagine a mature Christian to be like Polycarp. Or some orthodox monks, with their love, knowledge and understanding.

I did not meet many mature protestants, but I know, lets say, 3 I can say they are mature. Not just digging in the Bible, but really mature personally and spiritually

 

[bravethea]

ONLY JESUS SAVES

 

[Ariel82]

I imagine a mature Christian to be like Polycarp. Or some orthodox monks, with their love, knowledge and understanding.

I did not meet many mature protestants, but I know, lets say, 3 I can say they are mature. Not just digging in the Bible, but really mature personally and spiritually

Let's focus on the people you know personally. What makes them mature?

Maybe an example of how they responded to a situation to illustrate their maturity?

 

[Ariel82]

ONLY JESUS SAVES

Very true brave.

After Jesus saves, He teaches us how to walk with Him...mature members of His body help with this walk, this life.

 

[trofimus]

Let's focus on the people you know personally. What makes them mature?

Maybe an example of how they responded to a situation to illustrate their maturity?

Peaceful, self-controlling, loving, able to listen, able to teach, without anger, wise, without any need to attack or prove something, living like they already are in heaven, above all the earthly thinking.

 

[Ariel82]

That's awesome. Its always a blessing to meet people who walk so closely with Jesus, that His light shines brightly through their unspoken and spoken actions alike.

 

[mailmandan]

In regards to being mature/perfect the key word here is teleios, which is often translated as 'perfect' but can equally well be translated "goal, end, or purpose." The telos of a thing is that point to which a thing yearns to be, the purpose for which a thing was built.

It does not imply that sinless perfection has been attained, but it is the trajectory towards which the essence of a thing strives.

In the case of "Be ye perfect," (Matthew 5:48) it is completely legitimate to translate teleios in the sense of "Be that which God has designed you to be." As Jude 24 implies, we are being made fit to stand in the presence of God - it is the end for which we are made. Jesus is exhorting us here to be that which God would have eventually be, but he is not necessarily demanding we are already there.

These are the places in which teleios is used. The ESV likes to use the word 'mature' to capture this sense.

1 Corinthians 14:20 - Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. Here, the tie with our behavior is explicit, contrasting the maturity of our walk with the innocence of our understanding in regards to evil.

Philippians 3:15 - Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Here, maturity conveys the sense of growth - the way in which we will grow.

Col 4:12 - ...that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. Again, like Jude, the sense of maturity, steadfastness, and being what God designed you to be.

James 1:4 - Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 3:2 says - For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

Perfection/maturity is a process, begun by suffering, strengthened into steadfastness, and made complete in the perfection - the end state towards which all of this is pointing.

 

[Depleted]

1. Have you meet a mature Christian and what characteristics did they have to help you identify them?

2. How are spiritual gifts identified and used to help mature young Christians?

Let's add another.

3. How can people use their spiritual gifts to be part of the Body of Christ?

1. Three identifying markers:
a. Didn't fear showing or telling their weaknesses.
b. Didn't fear teaching, if someone wanted to learn from them.
c. Didn't waste time figuring out where they stood in God's eyes or where others stood in God's eyes.

2. Besides not spending so much time evaluating if another was young in Christ or not? (Usually, talking to the person reveals how long the person has known Christ.) Two ways:
a. Watch and encourage. Truly get to know the person by their actions. If New Member is good with kids, let New Member know you think he's good with kids. If she has the patience for the broken, let New Member know what ministries are available to help the broken. If New Member has a tendency toward wanting everything neat and orderly, point him toward administrative ministries. And always let the person know which Old Member has that gift too, so there is a mentoring aspect. New folks don't come with divine understanding of all aspects of any given ministry. It's good to know who to turn to when stuck.
b. We had a personality test that gave people some kind of clue what their gifts were, and then they can go from there to figure out how to do that... again, with a mentor.

3. The way the Bible says to do it. It's not like gifts is a brand new thing. The Bible speaks enough about how the different gifts have been used -- complete with examples of people who had those gifts -- so how to has already been answered. The only thing that might be required is some guidance from someone who has been using the gift for a while and has already searched the scriptures.

 

[PeterJens]

1. Have you meet a mature Christian and what characteristics did they have to help you identify them?
2. How are spiritual gifts identified and used to help mature young Christians?

Let's add another.

3. How can people use their spiritual gifts to be part of the Body of Christ?

We have a number of retired pastors, missionaries in our assembly.
We also have some who have gone to bible college, though work as professionals.

The main characteristic is their patience, faithfulness and love.
They often reach out to the needy and weak and know how to give them a helping hand.

Spiritual gifts are always a sticking point because often these people are multi-talented,
and church life does not stretch them very much.

This is probably the biggest failure to find ways to empower and use the gifting when the
church is often limited in vision and scope.

 

[Ariel82]

Be that which God has designed you to be."

Wow, profound statement, mailman. That we would all strive for that goal and lay aside all other worries and ambitions to being less than what God intends us to be.

Lynn, very clear, concise and practical answers. Thank you.

 

[Ariel82]

We have a number of retired pastors, missionaries in our assembly.
We also have some who have gone to bible college, though work as professionals.

The main characteristic is their patience, faithfulness and love.
They often reach out to the needy and weak and know how to give them a helping hand.

Spiritual gifts are always a sticking point because often these people are multi-talented,
and church life does not stretch them very much.

This is probably the biggest failure to find ways to empower and use the gifting when the
church is often limited in vision and scope.

Our church reaches out to neighboring church and works together in projects that impact the whole community like the homeless or Matthew ministry(putting food in backpacks for hungry children, given to them at school). They have an interdenominational breakfast every Saturday to fellowship and talk about community needs and ways to address them.

Perhaps your church and some neighboring ones can start that?

Patience, faithfulness and love..awesome.,,and reaching out to needy and knowing how to help.

The knowing how, stumps me sometimes,

 

[Grace777x70]

I have met and listened to a few Christians who I would say are mature. One of the most loving and that exhibited the fruit of the spirit the most to me was an Anglican minister from the 70's who was in the Charismatic Renewal back then.


1) I do know how to spot immature Christians and scriptures tells us how. Someone can be a Christian for 60 years and pastor a church for 40 years and read Greek and Hebrew fluently, memorize 1/2 of the NT, pray 5 hours a day, be in church every time the doors are open and still be a baby Christian.

If people are exhibiting malice and slandering others in the body of Christ - these are baby Christians. Being deceitful about what others are saying is another sign. Hypocrisy is another one - like when we call someone directly a name and then say we are to walk godly.


1 Peter 2:1-2 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

[SUP]2 [/SUP] like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

Paul also talks in 1 Corinthians about "babes in Christ" with those that are causing divisions and strife.

2) I think the discovering of spiritual gifts is something that the Lord reveals to us as we grow to know Him. Other mature people can sometimes see these gifts in their infancy stage and encourage us to follow them.



3) I think learning to follow the Spirit of God within us will show us when to walk in the gifts He has given us. Sometimes it's the application of that gift that needs the direction of the Holy Spirit as well in our lives.

 

[Ariel82]

I think question 3 is hardest for me to see in this world because of the small number of churches that have really,been able to intergrate most of its new members into a part of ministry that allows them to use their spiritual gifts under an elder who shares those gifts also.

Or perhaps it's the new members that don't reach out and have the courage to ask for help in finding their niche in the body of Christ?

Or maybe folks are too hurt and broken to be ready to join with others quite yet?

Hmmmm..,i guess it's really a case by case, person by person thing?

Will have to pray and think about it more.

 

[Grace777x70]

I agree with Ariel - the 3rd question is the one most open to variance.

Some more thoughts on #3

3) Sometimes the same gift can manifest or express itself differently in different people. I have a medical background and in the study of how the human body functions the Holy Spirit has shown me that different cells have different purposes and some only get "activated" in certain situations too.

Likewise we are the body of Christ and the head gives out the signals in our bodies for our individual cells to function. Sometimes all we need to do is feed those cells the proper nutrients and their function just occurs because of "who or what they are". They end up "being who they already are" if fed properly and waiting for the right time.

Unless the Lord build the house - they labor in vain that build it. This scripture seems to indicate we can "try to build things" but unless it is actually the Lord working in and through us - we can build things in vain - even if it is for a good cause or we have good intentions. Just part of growing up to depend on the Lord in us.

 

[Blain]

I know several mature Christians here and I hope to be able to mature much more myself. Tourist is slow to speak but when he does he always has an insightful post, grace777x70 has waged in the battles of osas and other sensitive subjects with an astonishing amount of maturity he rarely ever speaks from anger and can hold his own scripturally as well, Ahwatukee has always been polite and gives his responses in a well educated and informed manner regardless of the topic.



The spiritual gifts are identified with discernment and teaching the young in faith about the spiritual gifts and how they are used for each part of the church is vital, not everyone even knows all their spiritual gifts even with 40 plus years of faith and some still don't know how to function with them fully yet but each gift is just as important as the other and if you teach a young christian these things early and how to use them even if they don't know their own gifts yet then you will have a well prepared believer when they mature

As for how people can use their gifts for the body of Christ well there is not any one way to do this, all it takes is a willing heart. Knowing ones gifts is important and also knowing what those gifts are for in the church and how to use them properly for some mercy and compassion others are teacher others still are prayer warriors but regardless of the gifts one has you might be surprised how many ways God can use you to help and to further his kingdom. God isn't looking for the strong or for the ones who have a clean robe with no faults he is looking for the willing. even the smallest things done have a huge effect even if we don't see it which is why we should always be willing for him to use us in any way he sees fit but be careful if you say to him in your heart Lord use me as will whenever you want and however you want trust me he will

 

[FreeNChrist]

I have known many mature Christians, and the one distinguishing characteristic they all share is the humbleness of a person who knows and acknowledges the reality of their own failings and so recognize their ongoing need for Jesus.

 

[Ariel82]

I know some people I consider mature in Christ but still very human...they still cry and are broken when tragedy happens. They still have doubts and need encouragement.

For example, a pastor lost her adult daughter due tragic accident. That broke her for a while and she stopped preaching. She needed to heal.

She is patient, loving and able to help others before and after her injury and healing.

However, during her time of troubles, she needed the support of others.

Mainly I think of this in that when we go through pain and trials or see others suffering..,we can't know if the person is a babe or full grown in Christ, and does it really matter?

If we see pain, shouldn't we seek to comfort and help others heal before we place burdens of ministries (not just preaching) and pressure to grow on others?

What I love about God is He always met me where I was. He never demanded that I search and find Him, but was always was in arms reach of a prayer. All I had to do was stretch my arms out and cry for His help.

After we are healed from our fall or beatings, then we can learn to walk and help others walk in the good works God created and saved us to do. After we are reassured of God's love and see again His vision of who He wants us to be.