“Oh, grow up…”  Admit it.  This has been said to us more than once while getting through those adolescent years, right?  This phrase from parents comes as their beloved adolescent has rolled their eyes when corrected, asked to do something to help the household in which they live, or by merely trying to communicate.

At times, as parents we feel and can almost hear the eyerolls of our adolescents as they walk away in disgust at our wisdom in raising them!  Parents and other significant, caring adults heave loud sighs as adolescents gripe and complain about life, their siblings’ behaviors, while daring to confront their parents with their “rights” as individuals while still residing in the home provided for them.  But they are kids who have not yet grow up to realize what life is all about, right?  As adults, we no longer live like adolescents—do we?

As new believers, there comes a time when we must decide and commit to who we are in Christ.  Who are in Christ was plainly outlined by Paul at the beginning of his letter to the church and continued through chapter 3.  In chapter 4 we come to the “therefore” portion of Paul’s teaching that will clearly explain how believers, confident in their new life in Christ, need to behave.  Our belief in Jesus should be in sync with our behaviors as we become more like Jesus.  Who we are leads what we do—with the help of God’s Holy Spirit guiding us! 

Paul could be saying, “no eyerolls, please;” we must grow up in Christ, listen to what God wants, and then do what He says!  Live to avoid the “sigh” of God and instead live to please God—not because it looks good or feels good but because of our sincere love and gratitude for God—the One and Only who is Good!  Thank God who so loved us He sent His Son, Jesus to save us!  Yes, it’s time to grow up—from the inside out!

Ephesians 4, The Message

Be Mature

^1-3 In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

^4-6 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

^7-13 But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. The text for this is,

He climbed the high mountain,
He captured the enemy and seized the plunder,
He handed it all out in gifts to the people.

Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

^14-16 No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are easy prey for predators. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.

The Old Way Has to Go

^17-19 And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

^20-24 But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

²⁵ What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

^26-27 Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

²⁸ Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work.

²⁹ Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

³⁰ Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.

^31-32 Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Pause to pray asking God to transform us to be all He created us to be.  This will cause a disturbance of habits, expect it.  This will require putting self-interests aside in the process of growing up to be more like Jesus in every way.  Our new lives of believing and behaving like Jesus begin on the inside, flowing from our hearts.

I’m reminded just now of a new song written by Miranda Curtis, “Let Praises Rise”

Let praises rise
From the inside
From the inside of me

May you delight
In the inside
In the inside of me
Come fill my life
From the inside
From the inside of me

Set me on fire
From the inside
From the inside of me
All I want is for you
For you to be glorified
For you to be lifted high
All I want is for you

For you to be glorified for you to be glorified
Let praises rise from the inside
From the inside of me…

New Life begins with the heart.  God sees and knows our hearts.  He knows what is real and what is not.  “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” 2 Chronicles 16:9, NLT  We can avoid the foolishness of being at war with evil who teaches us to be unloving to each other—cling to what is good by being committed fully to Who is Good—The One who has already won the war!  God strengthens the fully committed who trust Him.  Be real, it’s time to grow up…

Lord,

Thank you for helping us grow up from the inside out each day we commit ourselves to you as an offering.  Help us to embrace who you are working in us so that we may become more like you in every way from the inside out.  Help us to mature as we live a “life renewed from the inside and working itself into our conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in us.” 

I pray that the world will see you in me today and that you will be glorified through me.  I believe.  Transform my behaviors to match my belief in You.  Help me to grow up!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen.