Maturity In Christ

This is book 3 of a 3 book series. It is the longest of the books. The first 3 chapters are “The Holiness of God,” “The Testing Of Our Faith,” and “Selfishness And Pride.” They reveal major obstacles to Christians who want a deeper faith. For we “...walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV). God wants us to become so holy (1 Peter 1:15-16) that we hate “...even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:23 NIV). Yet this flies in the face of everything this world stands for. It separates us from lukewarm church goers (Revelation 3:16) who still love the things of this world (1 John 2:15-17), yet expect to get to Heaven.

Chapters 4, 5, and 6 are “Examples Of Selfishness,” “God’s Terms, Not Ours,” and “Making Changes In Our Lives.” Living by faith requires becoming less so that Christ can become greater in us (John 3:30). Christ must be our role model! That brings us to chapters 7 and 8, “Learning Obedience” and “Sin Is In Our Blood.” To walk with Christ isn’t easy. As we get closer to Him, the rest of the world speeds past us the wrong way, like a train heading for destruction.

Chapter 9 is “Infant Death And Suicide”. It warns against suicide. For Christ’s love (Romans 8:35-38) and peace (Philippians 4:7) is greater than our pain when we put Him first. Chapter 10 is “The Dilemma.” It explains what to do when you sin and feel discouraged in your faith. Chapters 11, 12, and 13 are “Getting Off Balance,” “People Become Fanatics For A Cause,” and “God Doesn’t Need Us, We Need Him.” They show how good works and social programs can lead to pride and a haughty attitude (Proverbs 16:18) when they’re not Spirit led. They also lead to a false sense of security. Chapter 14 is “Growing In Faith.” It shows how God humbles us to teach us to rely on Him. Chapter 15 is “God Teaches Us.” It explains why we can’t fight spiritual battles with carnal weapons. And how the Holy Spirit fights for us when we serve Christ.

Chapter 16 is “Temptation.” It comforts those dealing with severe temptation and shows how we can live above sin. Chapter 17 is “Liberal Thinking.” Contrary to popular belief, people are not basically good deep down inside (Jeremiah 17:9). That’s why we need to depend upon Christ. Chapter 18 is “Judging The World.” It contradicts church doctrine, which encourages a condescending attitude toward the world (John 3:17 and 1 Peter 4:17). This theme continues in Chapter 19, “The Separation Process.” It discusses a lesson the apostles learned about replacing arrogance with love.

Chapter 20 is “The Love Of Material Blessings.” It describes the heartbreak of Solomon as an old man. He realized how much he had lost spiritually by putting pleasure ahead of his walk with God. Chapter 21 is “The Love Of Money.” It shows how, even strong Christians, can stray away from Christ when they put money first (1 Timothy 6:10). Chapter 22 is “Bad Role Models For Christ.” It shows how those who put wealth first can bring scorn upon Christ. Chapter 23 is “Idolatry.” It describes how Christians can be led astray by sports, rock concerts, and any other obsessive activity.

Chapter 24 is “Love of Self.” It discusses how self-pity and fear can become stumbling blocks that can get in the way of a Christian’s relationship with God. And lastly, there is the Epilogue. It describes how this whole project began. And it invites the reader to come to the Lord for the first time or return to Him if they have strayed away.