Biblically Measured (Part 1)
Series: Where Do You Go From Here? – City Church of Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN
Hebrews 6:1, Let us go on to maturity.
Today we come to the second characteristic of a spiritually mature Christian. A Biblically measured Christian is one who has a growing knowledge of God’s word and is using this knowledge as a standard of living.
Our lives are shaped by two key factors:
1
Our Relationships
2
Our Choices
How we live in our relationships with others and the choices we make are governed by our values—the things we deem important and true. This is the question we must address today…
James 3:13-18 outlines two sources of wisdom:
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don’t brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don’t brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.
1
The wisdom of the World
2
The wisdom from Heaven
Wisdom is the criteria I use to live my life. It is decisive factor in all our decision-making. We could think of it as the “operating program” of our minds.
Its characteristics… It is secular. It is sensual. It is Satanic. Its results…
Contention
Confusion
Corruption
Its source…God
Its characteristics Its results…
Pure
Peace-loving
Gentle
Submissive
Submissive
Full of Good Deeds
Impartial
Sincere
It produces a right attitude that is followed by right actions and results in a right harvest.
To neglect the Bible is to lose the ability to make right choices.
Hebrews 5:13-14, A person who is living on milk isn’t very far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right.
If we are going to call ourselves Christians, we must decide that God’s Word will be the blueprint for our lives.
Psalm 1 is a poetic expression of the contrast between one who walks in the wisdom of the world and one who walks in the wisdom of God’s Word.
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers.
But they delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night they think about his law.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail.
Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.
But this is not true of the wicked. They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.