… That is a tough questions to answer because of who I am compared to. I could easily be a Pharisee and say that I have read my bible over 40 times in my life and I have cast out demons, healed the sick, and I prayed every day in a vain hope to some how point to myself as this Spiritual mature person compared to other men. If I do that, when I get there He will say He never knew me. But when my comparison is Christ, I am a leprous beggar and the king of sinners. So have I become more like Christ in my life, yes I have. I can now at least notice when hate, lie, murder with my words and try to feel guilty about it. This is in the right direction at least. Looking at myself with Christ as the lens I am a wretch just like the song writer was talking about. So what has my spiritual growth done for me? Has it given my any righteousness to brag about? No. All my righteousness and brag is still in the cross for I need it if I am be accepted in to heaven. I need it simply to avoid being reprobate of mind while I am here on this earth. I have found that the only value of growth, and it is such a precious value, is that it more firmly in trenches the understand of my need for Christ’s work that day on Golgotha. The further I go, the more I understand just how much I need Him in me to do the simplest things. Without him I cannot pray right, fast right, seek right, teach right. This is the mystery of 1 Corinthians 13 that without the Cross that one true example of agape love I am more than bankrupt. To say bankrupt is to say I had something in the first place, but in truth the best word is nothing. Without the Cross in everything I do I am nothing. If I begin to esteem myself something even in the cross all I need do is look at Jesus and I will know it all came from him; in him all my value lies. The result of my spiritual growth has never helped even one person. I have been blessed with being a part of helping many people, but it was always Him helping them while I was merely a tool used. With joy I hope that he will continue to use me. Spiritual maturity is understanding the meaning behind Paul’s cry that he would diminish so Christ would increase.
Think about that
Aaron
