Experience Produces Maturity

People who have been Christians for while often forget what it was like when they first got saved, when everything was new and exciting, but they really didn’t know what they were supposed to do.   Like a little child, their lack of coordination and experience resulted in a lot of mistakes and bad decisions, but eventually they learned what they could and couldn’t do.    While they were learning this, their parents and siblings had to learn to put up with their mistakes and try to help them learn, recognizing that if the children don’t learn they will be held responsible for what they do.

In the church, we have a similar responsibility toward those who are not as spiritually mature, as Romans 15:1-3 tells us.  “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”  Even our perfect Lord and savior had to work with his human followers to help them learn.  If they did not learn, it would reflect poorly on him that they didn’t do what was right.   The scriptures spelled out what they should know, as Romans 15;4 tells us.  “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” 

Learning takes time and effort, and sometimes we despair of the students ever catching on.  We are not perfect, and we need God’s patience to teach others.  If we allow the Holy Spirit to direct us, he will enable us to do the job, according to Romans 15:5-7.  “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”

We have to realize that God isn’t just interested in those with a Christian background.  We have a responsibility to teach those who don’t have a solid background and teach them so they can serve God just as completely as those who have grown up in a religious background, just as Jesus reached out to both Jews and Gentiles to bring them both to the same spiritual level.  The Jews had had nearly two thousand years of teaching about God, from the time of Abraham.  Most of the Gentiles had had none, and would require more teaching than the Jews.  Romans 15:8-12 talks about how Jesus reached out to the Gentiles to bring them to the same knowledge of God.  “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.  And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.  And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.  And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.”

Romans 10:11-13 makes it very clear that salvation is the same for the Gentiles as for the Jews.  “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  Many times those with no Jewish or Christian background are left feeling inferior to those who have such a background.   Since they have the Holy spirit to teach and guide them, they are not inferior.  Romans 5:13-14 tells us, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.  And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” 

In I Corinthians 1:4-8, Paul said, “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Thanks to the Holy Spirit, No group or individual is inherently better than another.  Any differences are the result of their personal choices.