Mature Faith

Philippians 3:1-16

Horton Road Church of Christ

March 21, 2010

Spiritual maturity is not gained

by bible knowledge

or personal accomplishments

or by a winner-take-all attitude

Spiritual immaturity is the result of unlike minds

“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.”

(Philippians 4:2)

“In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had.”

(Philippians 2:5)

We are spiritually mature when we

trust Jesus more than ourselves

are more attached to Jesus than to ourselves

keep pressing ahead in faith instead of falling back

Trust Jesus more than yourself by

rejoicing in faith, serving God, and

trusting Jesus

How do we trust Jesus?

“Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the

Lord! ... Serve God by his Spirit [and] boast in

Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 3:1, 3)

Draw closer to Jesus

“What is more, I consider everything a loss

because of the surpassing worth of knowing

Christ Jesus my Lord.... I consider them garbage,

that I may gain Christ.”

(Philippians 3:8)

How do we draw closer to Jesus?

“[I want to] be found in him, not having a

righteousness of my own that comes from the

law, but that which is through faith in Christ.... I

want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of

his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,

becoming like him in his death....”

(Philippians 3:9-10)

Keep pressing ahead instead of falling back

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or

have already arrived at my goal, but I press on

to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took

hold of me.”

(Philippians 3:12)

How do we press ahead?

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind

and straining toward what is ahead, I press on

toward the goal....”

(Philippians 3:13-14)

If you are not mature, God will educate you

“All of us, then, who are mature should take such

a view of things. And if on some point you think

differently, that too God will make clear to you.”

(Philippians 3:15)

Live up to what you have already attained

“Only let us live up to what we have already

attained.”

(Philippians 3:16)