Sanctification or Christian maturity is a  process and is learning to live consistent with who we are in Christ.  For this reason, Paus letters teach us who we are and whose we are. Maturity is realising that anything but Jesus will not give life nor be life. Jn 14:6 Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life Therefore drawing from anything in order to find life in either things, people or places will leave you short of life! Whenever we feel angry, disappointed or fearful it is a sign that you are looking to the wrong thing to give you Life. Years ago I owned a green Austin car. Once a light came on the dash to warn of an impending mechanical failure. I wasn’t long before I had to replace some major parts of the car.  Anger or fear are just a warning light that we are doing the wrong things in order to find life. People, places and things may be a gift from the Life not the source of life! God allows us to have needs that only He can meet.  There are three things that only Jesus can give us. Jesus alone can give us unconditional love.   Jesus alone determines our worth for He alone outbid everyone for us and paid the highest price for us. He alone can be with us always. Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus that they would be strengthened in their inner man by Christ dwelling in their heart through faith, because when they were rooted and grounded in His love they would become mature.  Every time believers get together, it is so they can receive more of the love of God.  There are problems in our hearts that need to be exposed to His love. Love casts out fear and dissolves inferiority.  Maturity also means we must take responsibility rather than blame others.  By understanding the past and its effects we can then make better choices now.

Friends, maturity does not happen with the click of the finger; it takes time and it involves changing the way we respond to ourselves and others and ensuring that we are looking for Life in only one place.

In the middle ages, many sons of noblemen were apprenticed to existing knights. They learned to be knights by wielding weapons and fighting in armour until they were successful in war and were able to guard the house (castle). They became sons of the house through warfare. Spiritual sons know they are part of an army and they know who their enemy is. Sons understand that, when Jesus defeated the devil, He did it in their name. Jesus never came to earth to prove He was greater than the devil - He’s always been that! He came here to defeat him as a human being on our behalf.  The devil was a strong man who could only keep his goods until a stronger one came upon him. That stronger one is Jesus and His Church!  The enemy is still our foe but now in the presence of the enemy, Jesus provides victory. King David said “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;” (Psalm 23:5) There are some things God only puts on the table for us in the presence of our enemies. In other words, most of the times we receive something fresh from God are in the midst of a battle.  In an environment where we need nothing, we receive little. The Christian life is a life of being in need. We should get used to it! We need Jesus every day to live as a Christian. We can’t heal the sick or forgive constantly without Jesus; we can’t cast out devils or defeat our enemies each day, except through Him. Jesus said to one of the churches in Revelation, “...you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:17) They had everything they wanted but nothing they truly needed. If we know our true need, God will be our garment, our life, and the anointing we need to see clearly. Sometimes our greatest challenge is to know what we truly need. Like this ancient church group, sometimes we need an enemy to fight!

Friend, to increase in authority there has to be an increase in the challenges we face. God works on the basis that His provision for us is not just sufficient but is more than sufficient for our need and the things we face. If our enemies are a two on the scale, then His grace can be a four. If our troubles are a five, then the strength and more than sufficient anointing that He gives us, will be a seven plus.

Work is meant to be profitable.  If the work you’re doing isn’t making you any money and there is no reason why you think it will turn around, stop doing it.  God wants you to make a profit.  God expects you to sow one seed and reap a harvest.   If what you’re doing and sowing is not bringing a return to you, that seed is dead. Everything God creates, He creates to have the power of multiplying in it. He expects you to be making money. If you can sow 10000 and reap 20000 God is delighted.  Surely you don’t need convincing of this. This is his law of sowing. The power to multiply is in the seed. We work also to make money for our daily necessities. Gods plan is for you have enough over after your living expenses, to be able to give to good works.   If you haven’t got enough to give to every good work,  your either not earning what God  wants you to earn  or you spending too much on other things.  Wesley said “Make all you can, save all you can and give all you can. Consumerism was unheard of till 70s.   Early middle class Christians were thrifty. They were not affected by consumerism. They believed enough is enough.  They knew how to live moderate and they saved. With the money the saved, they invested but Wesley never stopped there.    He also said “Give all you can”     Use what you have saved and invested, to help others to and to extend the kingdom of God.  God intended for you to put some of our money into the kingdom of God.  God is not expecting Bill gates and Helen Clark to fund the outreach to the nations or to reach our own city.  If His people are not going fund the work of God who is?  Make for your selves friends of unrighteous mammon.   It is His after all.

Friend, we were blessed to be a blessing.    After you paid your tithes, met all your expenses and blessed your family, then we are able  to give regular amounts into the kingdom of God.

Work is a blessing. It is blessed not cursed.  Sure there are elements of labor now because of sin, but Adam and God both worked before sin. The Greeks used to believe that work was a curse. So the leisure market sprung up - it is still in our psyche.  They got slaves thinking “why spend 50 hours plus at work.” We need to turn labor into work. We have labor unions because they saw no dignity in their work.  They felt they were just working for the boss; being forced to labor when they should have been out fishing and they got this begrudging attitude. If the hammer falls down we need someone else to pick it up for us because it’s not my task.  A labor mentality instead of a Christian mentality were work is an invitation to join with God in making a world! What is the difference between labor and work?  Labor tends to be faithless and cursed, without God and filled with worries and sleeplessness? When a man sees his life call in terms of work, it becomes faith filled and blessed by God without sorrow.

Friend, work is one of our ministries to God.  At work you’re in the ministry!   It provides necessities, it gives a stable society; it helps the poor and the needy. Mostly it offers worship to God.

Adam was connected to God and to his work, but since the fall, man has had trouble connecting work and God together.  The best many Christians have been able to do, was connect Sunday with God whereas all week as well as the day of rest, Adam and Eve were connected with God in their work. In fact, it seems from scripture, that eternity will be filled with creative fulfilling important work; not clouds and harps.   Work is our first mandate.  Our first calling is as regent under God (Earthly rulers representing heavenly king), is to rule over the earth and subdue it. We are commissioned to subdue the earth. Engineers, builders, dressmakers, and florists all make the earth, work for us.   We take the earth resources and use them we are to take the earths challenges and overcome them. Humans are world makers.  Agricultural, material, political, aesthetic work, musical, artistic work, relationship work, or technical work we are making our world. So when a man makes a tunnel under the sea from England and France bringing people together, God says yes!   God wanted to use man to release the potential of the planet. Gods potential in the plant is released when we work with God.  And that is what we all working to do. Release the potential of creation. So a teacher releases potential in their pupils. A mussel farmer releases the potential of the ocean.   And doctor releases the potential of healing in a person. God actually heals but the doctor assists the process of releasing the full potential of healing. A cook releases the potential of veggies. Parents, builders, everyone; if we aren’t releasing potential, then we aren’t working with God.   If you’re holding down, holding back, keeping something or someone under, then start working with God.  This is the reason why the 5 fold ministry is called the work; it’s all about releasing potential in people.

Friend, there are no easy jobs done by Christians. We all have time and abilities and we all use resources, machines and responsibilities. Your job is no harder than mine and no easier.  Every job is done faithfully and well is difficult whether a builder or an accountant.  It is no harder for me to do my job well that it is for you to do your job well.

Brothers in ancient Greece and Rome were very loyal to their siblings. Even secular writer like Aristotle said that a brother would think of their brother; they would rejoice in brothers by any downplaying of his advantage and share their resources and any glory that they were given. In the book of Philippians Paul is saying that when Christ came to earth he becomes a brother. Jesus was exalted into a place of great authority because of His actions not as the son of God but as the son of man.  When Jesus took up the form of man he became a brother of mankind.  The cross was a manifestation of brotherhood not Sonship with God and redemption was affected not by Jesus in His unique divinity but by his humanity in becoming our brother or kinsman-redeemer.  When Paul said ”let this mind be in you …”  he was saying it’s the same mind that Jesus had to become a brother to humanity. He became a Redeemer brother to redeem us. He was thinking of us as a brother would.  The mind of Christ toward us as a brother, in seen in His consideration of us and his rescue of us. The mind of Christ is the mind of brotherhood.   Jesus acted the role of a perfect brother. He Rejoiced in his brothers. The mind of Christ and his brotherhood is seen in His downplaying of his advantage to raise mankind to share his joy.  He was not in competition about who could see the father’s face. He shared resources. He shared his divine recourses and relationships.  So whatever he inherited, his brothers would inherit too including the Spirit. He would not see a brother struggle and not step up to the plate to help. He could not see a brother flailing or not succeeding and turn a blind eye. He also shared His glory. The mind of Christ and His brotherhood is seen in His determination to share His glory with us.    The cross was to bring his brothers to see the father’s face. He wanted to bring all brothers to have the same place a privilege. Jesus was the example brother.

Friends,  God is enabling us to see our identity in these days and our identity is not just about Sonship with God but about brotherhood with Christ and your brothers.  Paul says that lack of oneness in brotherly love is inconsistent with our identity as the brother of Christ and of each other.  Disunity is a violation of the mind of Christ as a brother.  Philippians 1. 29.

Paul constantly calls the Philippians brothers and he uses brothers strategically because of what it meant to be a brother in the ancient world. The ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish world were very tribal.   It mattered where you were from it mattered what family you were from. Most adult men were still known as the son of someone. A person’s family of origin is the primary source of their status and location in the world. It was important from whom people descended. Genealogies serve to defend the claim of honour, identify social roles and obligations, establish inheritance rights to indicate birth order and honour order. Levite’s assumed their role based on their lineage. Who the father was, was more important than who the Son was.   So a good name (Fathers)was better than great riches.  The name of your father opened doors for the son.  (Another’s named)People were known by the father’s name in Jewish culture Bar Abbas, bar Bar Timaeus are derived from birth. Also in Greek-Roman world view the relationship between siblings was the closest strongest and most intimate relationship in the ancient world. They were considered same blood, same stock and this was only enhanced by similar upbringing. The greek word is Adelphos, and means from the same womb. I think this is sometimes lost on us in the Western world. Our natural brothers can so isolated from us we are independent and disconnected but not in Paul’s day. Aristotle said “Brothers love each other as being born of the same parents; for their identity with them makes them identical with each other.  They are therefore in a sense, the same thing though separate individuals.” Nic Eth.  8.12.3. Brother in that time would always think of their brother; they would rejoice in brothers by any downplaying of his advantage and share their resources and any glory that they were given. And what the Philippines heard Paul saying you are my brothers and you are brothers of each other.  You are siblings of one another, with a shared father and shared family.  As it is in the natural so it is in the spiritual family. This was the ethic of the day even among pagans.  So Christians are explicitly instructed to treat one another as a family; young men as brothers older women as mothers, younger as sisters. In fact, Philadelphia the love of brothers and sisters is the central ethic shaping relationships in the church. You would not have had to say anything more to a Christian than “he is your brother,” to explain how he should be treated.

Friend, brotherhood alone is able to evaluate what is compatible and incompatible with the Christian lifestyle. Add to ... godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love.  2Peter 1:7 

The town of Corinth was exceedingly wealthy. Many ships were dragged across the Isthmus to save the trip around the coast. There were many sailors many tradesmen business people.  And t was exceedingly corrupt.   The immorality of Corinth is legendary. Greek /Roman culture makes desperate housewives looked like a deacon’s meeting. To the believers in this town Paul writes you are sanctified.   To be sanctified means to be made a saint. Originally meant set something apart for God so in the temples pots and vessels were sanctified. For us it is really begin set apart for God and his purpose and becoming more like Jesus we want that So God is sanctifying us right now justified sanctified glorified. Corinthian people were completely given over to every vice they wanted. In fact pottery pieces and inscriptions say that the motto of the Greeks/Romans in current was “All things lawful!”   Everything was okay; do what you want, if it feels good, but Paul writes to say that we are sanctified to God so we don’t do what we feel like doing but what will serve Gods purpose best.

Friend, sanctification is just living in a way that doesn’t offend other believers or stumble non believers in any way.