You Can't Follow From Ahead

Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.

2 John 1:9-11 (NIV)

Have you ever walked with someone who does not know where they are going but they walk ahead and you have to catch up to them and then get them back in the right direction? In a way that is what the Apostle John is talking about. 

Back in eighties one budding group of churches started to really explore the depths of the movement of the Holy Spirit. I think their intent (to know Christ in a deeper way) was good, but, they ended up doing a lot of questionable stuff. They went from "singing in the spirit" to "laughing in the spirit" to being "slain in the spirit". When people started to say things like, "If you read something in the Bible yet sense the Spirit telling you something different, go with the Spirit," then I knew for sure they had gone to far ahead. 

It is good to want to know Christ in a deeper way, but remember God is not the author of confusion so he won't give you conflicting directives. Paul said he wanted "to know Christ in the and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death," (Philippians 3:10).

Remember, you can't follow Christ if you try to run ahead of him. 

Father, help us to follow you and not get ahead and off track. Praise be to you in us today. 

TIME TO GROW UP

"Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance for acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hand, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment." Hebrews 6:1-2

I grew up in churches that emphasized the need to share the gospel with the unsaved world. That's not a bad desire. I remember sitting in a service while the preacher waited for someone to come forward to accept Jesus. Finally, some ninety year old lady would go forward, again, and we could all go home. They were sharing the gospel, fulfilling the great commision...

The author of Hebrews says it's time to grow up. Time to build on the foundation of the elementary teachings about Christ. Time to take your faith to the next level. 

So, the question is: Where do we need to mature? Where do we need to take our faith in Christ up a notch? 

Father, help us to mature in you. Praise be to you in us today!