Daily Devotional
Are You Becoming More Like Jesus?
“Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:13
April 18, 2024
Ponder This
You can be spiritually healthy and not mature. A five-year old child can be healthier than a fifty-year old man, but he is not mature. If you’re a newborn babe and you’re rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ, you’re healthy. But that does not mean you do not need to go on and mature. You can be gifted and not mature. These things without maturity create a lot of problems.
What is maturity? Maturity is Christlikeness. Maturity is being like Jesus. That word “perfect” in our verse today means, “mature.” Paul was saying, “The goal of my ministry is to present every person as a mature Christian.” That’s the goal of my ministry. I thank God for church buildings. I thank God for Sunday School attendance. I thank God for church budgets. But all of that is splendid nothing without you growing in the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What is the goal of ministry, and what is the measurement of ministry? It’s very simple: Are people becoming more like the Lord Jesus Christ?
- According to this definition, how are you maturing in your relationship with Christ?
- What is challenging about maturing in faith?
Practice This
Talk to a prayer partner and ask that person to pray for you to grow in spiritual maturity.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
