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Christian Maturity Unity 1 Corinthians 1:10 This verse of scripture, reveals one of the essentials found in the book of Acts: unity. And not just unity in the passive sense of no divisions, but unity for the active purpose of perfection. Rebellion or Righteousness Man can either be united in rebellion or in righteousness. Genesis 11:1-9 tells the story of unity in rebellion. The whole earth was in unity i.e., ‘one language and one speech.’ Unity Through Division The first step to unity is division. That is a basic principle taught in both the Old and New Testaments. The serpent was able to unite the woman to himself by dividing or separating her from God's word, purpose, and command. This division produced unity in rebellion. Similarly, Jesus declares in Luke 12:49-53(51),
The idea here is that unity with God demands division or separation from worldly elements, just as unity with Satan demands division or separation from righteousness and holiness. Jesus told the apostles in Acts 1:4 not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. That statement is, itself, a call to division; they must separate themselves from outlying communities. Just what did the Lord have in mind when He said to wait? It seems unmistakable that the main intention was for them to curtail their activities.
Many sermons have been preached proclaiming the need to ask for the Holy Ghost, and that is a valid point. Luke 11:13b states: “...how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Yet asking is not the only factor involved in receiving the Holy Ghost, nor is it the most important. Acts 5:32 gives us the key ingredient for receiving the Holy Spirit. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. Obedience is the primary factor. Therefore, even before the coming of the day of Pentecost, we see obedience and unity in the hearts of the 120 people of the upper room. The Tower of Babel Note the interesting similarities and contrasts between the day of Pentecost and the account of the tower of Babel.
That is not too surprising, since those hearers were still in rebellion against God, as were those of early Babel. The Young Church Thus far we have seen a small group of 120 people, gathered together, bonded with each other in the unity of righteousness, and miraculously transfigured into the Body of Christ. Then, almost immediately, the disciples reproduce themselves nearly thirty fold. At that point the Church is young and strong, yet notwithstanding, immature. So the emphasis now shifts from the creation or formation of the Church to the maturation of the Body of Christ. Indeed, there were rather serious difficulties that had to be confronted and dealt with. Ananias & Sapphira The Bible omits anything said by them up to Acts 5:3. But we have been given information that might be seen as part of their background. In the last six verses of chapter 4 we read that those who had possessions were selling them and giving the proceeds to the apostles, to help in meeting the needs of all of the people. But Ananias kept back a portion of the money in order to take care of himself. Yet, before the entire assembly, he claimed to have given sacrificially, as others had. He was seeking the praises of men and the blessing of God, without denying the flesh. Since he had not given all, as he had boasted, he was guilty of stealing (Leviticus 22:21 ff). A vow is just as sacredly binding as an oath; the vow must be performed. A New Dilemma It is largely supposed that God killed Ananias and Sapphira, but Malachi 1:14 gives a different view. Ananias and Sapphira had cursed themselves by not fulfilling their vow. To make matters worse, they had made their corrupt vow and gift before both God and his representatives, seeking their approval. So, in the presence of God and the assembly, they forfeited their lives. Maturity Through Discipline - Submission to Authority The Ministry Gifts Ephesians 4:11 ff speaks of the gifts that Christ gave to the Church. These are gifts of people, of calling, and of purpose i.e., the five-fold ministry. The purpose of these gifts, as stated in verse 12, is for the perfecting (or maturation) of the saints (the individual members of the Body of Christ). With the tragedy involving Ananias and Sapphira we see a definite move of God's Spirit toward establishing these gifts in the Body of Christ. It also becomes clear that the primary focus of these gifts is that of leadership and direction. The Seven Deacons In Acts 6:3 the apostles tell the people to choose seven men, filled with the Holy Ghost and wisdom. The seven men were deacons i.e., servers, waiters upon tables, etc., not leaders. They did mighty works, signs and miracles; they gave powerful testimonies; but they were not leaders, and they did not work toward the maturation of the Church. Throughout the book of Acts, spiritual maturity and separation from worldly elements always came through the ascension gift ministries. Philip, The Deacon Acts 8 tells about Simon the sorcerer and Philip, a deacon, who is there in Samaria preaching. At this point Simon the sorcerer tries to buy the power of the Holy Ghost. Peter does not turn to Philip and say, “You had better handle this.” Again, Philip was only a deacon, which is not a position of authority or leadership. The Apostle Peter Peter, operating in the 1office of apostle, one of the ascension gifts for the maturation of the Church, takes immediate disciplinary action, the outcome of which I will not comment upon at this time. Peter knew he was called and anointed to administer discipline; Philip knew he was not so called. The Whole Church Galatians 2:11-14 shows us that Paul took the discipline of God's word to the Church elders also.. Perfected by Discipline Discipline is not an exercise reserved only for the laity of the church. All must come under the blanket of discipline, especially those in leadership. Peter In Acts chapter three, Because he had let God deal with his heart, he was more mature in this area and able, therefore, with no sense of personal guilt, to admonish the crowd for the evil they had done. And the proof of his work is in the fruit: 5,000 born again. Paul Another instance is that of the bitter quarrel between Paul and Barnabas (mentioned in Acts chapter 15). Paul was entirely out of line with respect to his conduct and attitude. Mark was just a young boy; probably scared stiff. He had neither the experience nor the revelation Paul had, and yet Paul ridiculed Mark for his lack of commitment. Later, however, Paul allowed God to deal with his heart on the matter and he was brought to a place of repentance and greater maturity. |
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