Growing to Your Full Stature in Christ

growing

In understanding spiritual maturity, one thing I’ve found to be vitally important is that mere knowledge of the Word of God without knowing, understanding, believing and experiencing the unconditional love of God will rarely, if ever, enable us to interpret, understand and communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ correctly!

NOW ABOUT food offered to idols: of course we know that all of us possess knowledge [concerning these matters. Yet mere] knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud), but love (affection and goodwill and benevolence) edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow [to his full stature]. 2If anyone imagines that he has come to know and understand much [of divine things, without
love], he does not yet perceive and recognize and understand as strongly and clearly, nor has he become as intimately acquainted with anything as he ought or as is necessary. I Cor 8:1-2 (AMP) 

Paul is addressing one of the many problems the early church was facing at that time—food that had been offered to idols.

In issues of disagreement within the church, there will always be people who have their particular doctrinal opinions and scriptures to prove their point of view.

That’s why Paul said, “…of course we know that all of us possess knowledge concerning these matters”

But he continued, “Yet mere knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud)…”

Paul was saying that if all we have is mere knowledge of scripture, it will cause us to be lofty and proud!
Then he said, “…but love (affection and goodwill and benevolence) edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow [to his full stature].”

The J B Phillips translation says: “…Now to deal with the matter of meat which has been sacrificed to idols. It is not easy to think that we “know” over problems like this, but we should remember that while knowledge may make a man look big, it is only love that can make him grow to his full stature.”

This means: No matter how much scriptural knowledge we think we have or how much we know about the Bible, without also knowing, believing and experiencing the unconditional love of God for people, we may still be quite ignorant of things we ought to know.

That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Eph. 3:17-19 (KJV)

With our hearts firmly established in the finished work of Christ and deeply rooted in the unconditional love of God, we are able to comprehend (to lay hold of so as to make one’s own, to take into one’s self, or to appropriate with beneficial effect) the deep things of God.

Comprehending the deep things of God’s unconditional love clearly supersedes mere knowledge!
True spiritual maturity is not how much scriptural knowledge we accumulate or how many scriptures
we commit to memory.

True spiritual maturity is when we are firmly rooted, grounded and persuaded
of the unconditional love of God for people! Then we are empowered to interpret the Bible!
Knowledge of scripture without a healthy revelation of God’s love for people is powerless to touch, heal, and transform lives!

Only within the unconditional love of God demonstrated by Jesus Christ are we able to have a healthy biblical understanding that will enable us to grow to our full stature in Christ.

-Blessings, Arthur

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Arthur Meintjes

Arthur Meintjes

Arthur teaches the grace of God in a practical way that highlights the dignity and value of every individual in God’s sight. This emphasis creates an atmosphere of restoration—restoring our relationship with God, with our families, our neighbors, and ultimately our nation. It’s practical Grace for extraordinary living!

13 Responses

  1. This short teaching is really power packed. God has been showing me that Love, Gods Love on me as a believer, flowing through me is the one of most important factors we can walk in. It is all about Him not me! Thank you sir.

  2. Thank you for your teachings Arthur and Cathy…for your ministry as well. You are BOTH vitally important to the body of Christ. Again….Arthur, you have the greatest revelation of the unconditional love of God…than anyone I know. Thank you for sharing the truth about My Daddy!
    Blessings to you both from Reese and Angela in OKC!

  3. Arthur; I’ve been listening to your teachings for on average 3 hours a day approximately for about 4 months and I’m just recently getting into studying and meditating on God’s unconditional love for me. His love for me is changing my heart and life. Thank you so much Arthur and Cathy.

  4. Arthur this is Great, Awesome news and your teachings have changed and will continue to change my life in the best way possible.

  5. Considering Jesus being the exact representation, radiance & outraying of who His Father God is; also considering God is love. My question to you sir are there any particular words or actions of Jesus that the Bible r cords that he engaged in that we should throw out And not consider those particular words and actions to be the true & pure definition and expression of what Love wholly really and truly is?