Bible as Calibration 6.27.2024

     We need regular check-ups regardless of how long we have been a Christian. We will need to gauge our individual growth and our maturing integration into the Church. The Bible provides benchmarks for every part of our spiritual journey from our conversion, through the elementary phases of development, until we have discerned and developed our personal ministry gift. 

    The scriptures give us the best, most objective criteria for determining our progress through each step of our journey. It is objective in that all believers everywhere and at all times can calibrate their individual and corporate Christian lives according to the single Biblical standard which brings the whole Church into maturity. 

Process

    Christians follow a crucified Christ. This theological fact is supposed to be the basis for our own discipleship. The following text occurs after Jesus spoke of His founding of the Church. After He spoke of His own passion. After Peter’s thinking became demonic.

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24 ESV)

Jesus' reasoning is so clear you could preach it! The process of discipleship--regardless of the wide variety of other ways we might qualify that process comes down to three actions. Deny Self. Take up our Cross. Follow Jesus. Sing the Hymn, say the prayer—Do thou likewise. 

Progress

    Benchmarks. We need benchmarks to know how effective we are. We need some measurable goals to help us determine whether we are maturing in Christ. 

 “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8 ESV)

“Oh. Do you mean the Bible kind of tells us what is expected? It gives us an idea of what it means to mature in Christ?” Yes. Yes, it does. One of the issues is that it’s not the sexy kind of stuff that you’re going to hear in the modern Worship Industrial Complex. Why? Cause some of it is hard. Actually, it’s only as hard as we want to make it, it’s not very flashy and while it will build the Church it won’t result in many empires. Virtue. Knowledge. Self-control. Steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection? Nope not woke, rather the yoke of Christ. 

Proportion 

     Many of us have known someone whose sincerity and passion were so unbalanced, so disproportionate that it made me them difficult to work with. Every generation of believers is blessed with “Thunder-sons” who are eager to call down destruction on perceived enemies, or whose joy is unleashed when mercy or grace is needed. 

    We need to live a balanced life of faith. Not only will it allow the gift we have been given to flourish balance will also allow our gift to work in concert with the gifts that surround us in the Body.  There are many Churches that are all head. Some are all heart. Others are all help. And others all hallelujahs! Every Church, every healthy Church, needs all those things—at the right time, in the right proportion, for the right purpose. 

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:6-8 ESV)

 Strictly speaking, it is preaching that Paul says should be done in proportion to faith yet, the general tenor of this passage is that the maturing exercise of Spiritual gifts is to be channeled with balanced, symmetrical understanding. Working in concert the gifts create a harmonious, functional, healthy body. A disproportionate body is unhealthy, dysfunctional, and discordant. It is interesting and wise that Paul does not command the body to be proportionate—but the individuals who form the part of the body. A healthy body is composed of healthy constituent parts that use their gifts to further the witnessing and disciple-making purpose of the Church.

Summary

    We use the Bible in different ways to provide the guidance we need as believers. We look to the good and bad characters in the Bible for positive and negative examples. We use Scripture to provide a true bearing upon the road of discipleship. The Bible is our charter of freedom and the incorporating document of our New Covenant. And using the Bible we calibrate our maturity on the road to discipleship. 

    The Bible reminds us to have a balanced and mature approach to life and ministry. Scripture gives us benchmarks to measure our progress. Finally, the Bible clearly discloses the nature of discipleship and the process of cross-bearing submission expected of those who have called upon the name of the crucified and risen Lord for Salvation. This ought to keep us busy till the last beat of our heart and breath in our lungs.