Life #16 - Who are Full-Statured Christians?

There is no other way to accomplish full-stature unless we, the body of Christ, grow up into the Head, which is Christ (Ephesians 4:15 NIV). Full-stature means we are tĕlĕiŏs, complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); of full age.

According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, “children”, tĕknŏn, of God are heirs and joint-heirs with Christ, which stresses the fact of our spiritual birth. On the other hand, “sons”, huiŏs, of God—through our conduct—give evidence of the dignity of our relationship and likeness to God’s character.

All Christians, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, undergo the process of mĕtamŏrphŏō, to transfigure, change, transform. Additionally, Vine states that we undergo a complete change which, under the power of God, will find expression in [our] character and conduct. So, when Jesus mĕtamŏrphŏō on the Mount, could we also say that he changed into the expression in character and conduct of his Father (John 14:10, 24)?

It appears that only “sons”—in Christ there is no male or female (Galatians 3:28) —will stick it out until they are tĕlĕiŏs, complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); of full age. Thus, we can propose that the level of maturity in “sons” differ from the level of maturity in “children”.

The Lord’s image, at its basic level, is life and incorruption—displayed through lives of holiness and righteousness. Has God found these expressions through our own character and conduct? Are we huiŏs? Or tĕknŏn?

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; Greek definitions from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: COMPLETE #5046 - tĕlĕiŏs, tel’-i-os; CHILD, CHILDREN #5043 - tĕknŏn, tek’-non; SON #5207 - huiŏs, hwee-os’; TRANSFIGURE #3339 - mĕtamŏrphŏō, met-am-or-fŏ’-o; Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981); excerpts from our book to be released next year.  This blog connects with blog Life #12 – Do You Measure Up?

Life # 15 - Life Began as a Chicken

Milo tree

Every living seed carries within itself a blueprint of its fully mature form. In the natural, seed’s fully mature form is a flower, a plant, or a tree. In the spiritual, sin has a fully mature form. It begins with lust, which births sin; when sin is full grown, its fully mature form is death (James 1:14, 15 KJV and NIV). Even the incorruptible seed from which we have been born again, must develop into its fully mature form (1 Peter 1:23). But what form could that be?

Christians are exhorted to 1) get rid of our corrupt self, 2) put on the “new creature” which is created to be like God in holiness and righteousness, and 3) grow up into him, the Head, who is Christ (Ephesians 4:15 NIV). Isn’t it strange that the church stagnates at his “body”, failing to grow up into him, “the Head”? His image is our incorruptible seed’s fully mature form (2 Corinthians 3:18).

As sons, huiŏs, all he accomplished for us—his transfiguration, his death, resurrection, his everlasting zoe-life and incorruption (2 Tim 1:10 NIV)—are ours!

As for the chicken and the egg. The Adamic race began life fully grown. They were not embryos. Not until after sin entered, did Adam and Eve begin their “begetting”—and by implication, so did the rest of God’s original creation. The chicken, and not the egg, redirects us to our fully mature form.

“And God said, Let us make man in our image…” (Genesis 1:26).

Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; this blog addresses Life #4 – To Live is Christ, item 7; excerpts from our book to be released next year.

Life #14 - Faith to Live

• “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God…” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

“I live by the faith of the Son of God”. Hmm. Other bibles state that we live by “our faith” in the Son of God. Please! Jesus had something to say about our faith and it wasn’t pretty. He called it ‘little’ because little faith succeeds only in calm seas! The disciples quickly learned this distinction when the winds started to blow and the waves covered their boat (Matthew 8:24-26).

So how can we expect our little faith to prevail when the winds of death and the waves of disease begin to shake and overwhelm our earthly tents? If our faith were enough to get us to live and never die, wouldn’t we all be immortal right now? Instead, the opposite is true. Our faith is insufficient and carries with it a pattern of failure.

We are justified by the Lord’s righteousness, washed by his blood, cleansed by his word, quickened by his Spirit, etc. After all he accomplished, does it make any sense to live by our faith—a faith that has failed to walk on water, cast out demons, raise the dead, and accomplish greater works?

To “live and never die” is to make “life unto life” (2 Corinthians 2:16) “by the faith of the Son of God”. Period.

  

Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts from our book to be released next year.