BENCHWARMERS NOT ALLOWED!!!

Hebrews 6:1 - Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity

On any given Sunday in churches across America (and other parts of the world) you will find millions of Christians sitting in the pews logging in their sixty minutes of "God-time."  Many are there because they believe that Jesus came and died on the cross so that we could be forgiven of our sins.  They know that faith in Jesus is the key to eternal life and they come to church because that is exactly what they are supposed to do as a Christian....or is it?

In the above scripture, the writer (possibly Paul) says to leave behind the "elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.  The King James version says "let us go on to perfection."  The Greek word used here τελειότης (Strong's G5047) refers to the state of mental or moral completeness or perfection.  The implication here is that Christians continue to grow and become more "Christ-like" as we learn more about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold the new has come.

The message here is clear: when we become Christians we undergo a complete change of our hearts, minds, souls, lives and EVERY PART OF OUR BEING.  The Greek "καινά τά πάντα" (the new has come) literally means: all things are new, previously non-existent, begin to be far different from what they were before.  In other words, if you become a Christian and continue living the same life you were living before, something is wrong.  We cannot repent of our sins and proclaim salvation in Jesus while continuing to commit the same sins over and over again.  There must be a change.  Not simply a little one: there must be a radical transformation that makes you almost unrecognizable to those who know you best. 

Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives in me. 

It is not simply enough to say that we are a new creation. Instead, believers recognize that a true relationship with Jesus comes at the cost of total surrender of our old lives.  Picture it as if your old self has actually died: forever.  You've been resurrected as a believer.  You are washed clean of all your sin.  You trust in the Lord for everything.  You give your whole life to Him.  This is what it means to be "born again."

Our born again lifestyle is not a sign of perfection.  In fact, John even tells us "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). Paul also speaks to us that, "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing" (Romans 7:19).  There is no doubt these men were Christians who were continuing to move toward perfection.  However, they continued to struggle every day just as we all do.  So what are we to do about this?  To the best of our ability we should be obedient to the Lord.

John 14:15 - If you love me, you will keep my commandments

Becoming a Christian is not simply about having faith in Jesus.  It is a relationship in which we are to listen to and obey our God!  That means obeying His commandments.  Here are just a few of the many commands that Jesus left for us:

- Seek God first! (Matthew 6:33)
- Go and sin no more (John 8:11)
- Let your light shine before men (Matthew 5:16)
- Make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19
- Love one another (John 15:12)
- Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44)


If every Christian would simply follow that list of commandments from Jesus, we would probably have a much easier time getting the message to people.  Instead, many Christians tend to continue to live a life in which we are stuck in the patterns of this world.  We watch the same movies, listen to the same music, stay overly busy, gossip just as much, take on the same debt, get involved in the same sinful activities, etc.  This is why Paul reminded us, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).

You see, a life lived for Jesus is a life that reflects His love.  As we learn more about Him, we should experience a change in our minds and hearts so that we can eliminate the sinful behaviors from our lives and replace them with those which glorify the Lord. Only then can we begin to move on toward maturity and/or perfection!