Mature Maturity

(Philippians 3:12-17 ESV)
[12] Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. [13] Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [15] Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. [16] Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
[17] Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

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• [verse 12] Paul makes the claim that most of us would make: "I'm not perfect." Most people would agree with that. He goes on to say that because of that, he is always striving to be better and more mature (the word for "perfect" he uses is also the same word for "mature" down in verse 15). However, this is much different than bettering himself simply for the sake of self-improvement. He gives the reason he continues to strive forward: it's because Jesus has taken Paul as his own; it means Paul fully recognizes that Jesus has paid a penalty on his behalf and because of Paul's faith in that, he is a possession of Jesus. Paul is not talking about self-help as the answer to maturity, but self-denial.
• [verse 13] Paul will never consider himself to have "arrived." He knows fully well that the only way to have attained full maturity, or perfection, is to die and be united with Christ. Because of this fact, he refuses to dwell on what is past and move forward in a life that is a process of dying to oneself that he may be formed more into the image of Jesus daily. The goal is not death, but life in abundance (John 10:10). This comes through a repentant life, walked with Christ.
• [verse 15] Paul calls all believers who are mature to have this attitude: the attitude of verses 12-14. He's saying that mature believers should know that they are not as mature as they should or could be. My hope and prayer is that I never forget this. I don't want to be one of those Christians who seems unteachable; who seems like they have everything under perfect control; who knows it all; who gives advice to anyone and everyone but is unwilling to take any advice from anyone other than their senior pastor (even though they've never really talked to their senior pastor at great length). Being a mature follower of Christ means knowing that you are really not all that mature yet.
• [verse 17] At the same time, we need to be confident enough in our maturity that we are worthy of being imitated by fellow believers. So my two questions for the day:

1. How "perfect" do I see myself?
2. What in my life is not worthy of imitation; and what must I do to remove them?
   

D.A. Carson on The Drifting of Evangelicalism

Prudence applied to women

I agree with Hanzo in that we wrongly idolize the type of hero that carves out his own path and fights against the world to create his own justice and truth. There is only one truth and that is God's truth. I think women also tend to idolize this false hero. They even desire that type of man. However, to have a man like that would be fun for a while but in the end, only cause heart-break and strife. Such a man does not love as Christ loved the church. There is no sacrificial love. There is no laying down of his own life for the greater good.
Also, I think women do themselves a great injustice by thinking they should be "equal" to men. This is not prudent. This idea does not consider the future, it embraces the "here and now." God made woman to be man's helper, not his competition. Why should women compete with men anyway? I think we tend to think men somehow have it "better." They get the better pay, the better social status, they have more power and influence, they are stronger physically, and they appear to have the freedom to walk away from family obligations. But really, a woman who is to be the wife of a man should fit him like a puzzle piece in that where he is lacking, there she can provide. I'm going off a bit from the subject of prudence, but to bring it back, I guess what I'm trying to say is, a prudent woman seeks God's truth and doesn't seek after the moment's pleasure.
Just my thoughts...

Sorry, Wolverine...

Proverbs 8: 12-15
"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
I have counsel and sound wisdom;
I have insight; I have strength.
By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;"
***

We hear it said all the time, that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; in addition to that, wisdom declares that the fear of the LORD also entails the "hatred of evil."
Pride, arrogance, perverted speech--all qualities of the devil; and also, major qualities of our idols here in America. We love that Dirty Harry, Muhammad Ali, Wolverine-type of hero who has a certain cocky arrogance, who takes pride in himself, who says whatever he wants and does whatever he wants. Something in us wants to be like that. I think that's why we love rock stars, it seems like they live outside the hum-drum civilian life the rest of us live in--it's like they're somehow free from all of that.

Don't get me wrong, I think Ali is the greatest, and I likes me my Wolverine; but we appreciate guys like that because underlying their arrogance and pride is a heart devoted to goodness and a heart for the people. However, I will make the case that the beloved dichotomy we find in our arrogant heroes is unbiblical, and we as Christ's disciples are not to pursue it, envy it, or strive for it.

The Scripture goes on to say that in wisdom there is insight and strength. Part of wisdom, as indicated earlier, is prudence for the simple, and sense for the fools. Yet our American heroes bear the banner that reads, "Go with your gut!" or, "Shoot first, ask question later" or, "Just do it." Not exactly the prudence that wisdom demands. We think the man holding the gun is strength, but the Bible says that wisdom is strength; and this wisdom is singular, meaning there is only one wisdom--not a plethora of cosmic wisdom which is up for you to pick and choose and decide what works for you.

By this singular wisdom, kings are to reign, and rulers are to do what is just. This one wisdom comes from only one source - the God revealed in the Bible.

Proverbs 8: 22-23 says,
"The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of old.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth."

If we go with what atheism and evolution tell us, the wisdom we have as humans exists only within us and our minds, and as a result of all our accumulated knowledge, history, and data throughout the years. This then logically leads to the notion that as time progresses, we'll get wiser and smarter, because more time + knowledge, history, and data will = more wisdom. It makes sense, almost. God tells us that everything was created in the wisdom of God, and this wisdom belongs to God, and it existed before the beginning of all creation.

This also does not mean that a portion of wisdom belongs to Zeus, and a portion of wisdom belongs to Krishna, and a portion of wisdom belongs to Buddha, and a portion of wisdom belongs to Joseph Smith, and a portion of wisdom belongs to the Tao, and a portion of wisdom belongs to Jesus;
it ALL belongs to Jesus!

It's by this wisdom that was there at creation, and was there at the cross, that we seek to live our lives by. Friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4); and so we have to be uncompromising in living our lives according to God's wisdom. And so, Bruce Lee, Ali, Wolvie, I won't idolize you. I don't want to be like you. Jesus, help me to be like You.