Assessing Our Personal Journey in Christ

God perfectly provides members of “the Body of Christ” with a strategic edification-education process whereby saints are progressively established and matured. It is contained within the Pauline epistles of Romans-Philemon.

This process is different than many Bible processes, which are found in small sections of verses. The Edification Process spans all of Paul’s epistles, providing a structured coursework to grow spiritually, teaching us how to live Christ and become effective “ambassadors for Christ.”

There is a God-given design to our edification as doctrine seen in Romans through Philemon. It is highly organized as a curriculum for optimal learning. This helps us to easily locate its beginning or foundational teaching, through to the more advanced doctrine.

This enables us to assess where we and others are functioning and may or may not have understanding and to apply or teach this grace doctrine in wisdom. It is helpful to ask yourself questions as you read, study, or teach Paul's epistles. For example;

• In Romans: Is my/their speech and behavior consistent with knowing and living Romans foundational truth?
  • Am I/they confident in Romans Chapters 1-5:
  • Am I/they confident in the eternal security of Romans Chapters 6-8:
  • Am I/they clear in our new identity in Christ and how to live a holy righteous life?

It is important to listen closely to what is said, and believed, noting one’s behavior, as this information can help us recognize what doctrine in Paul’s epistles needs clarity or teaching

E.g., If ‘I never feel like I measure up,’ or ‘I continually work hard to do good and earn God’s favor,’ or ‘I feel condemned’… it may be that one continues to live under a religious performance-based acceptance system. In that case Romans 7 may yet need further clarification.

Growth in the Word is NOT meant to be random or haphazard. Paul’s teaching is laid out in strategic units of advancing teaching, very similar to an educational curriculum. Each verse, chapter, and book build upon the one before, progressing a believer to the next logical step of doctrine in order to understand and grow from babes in Christ unto mature adult believers. Each epistle has a purpose, with chapters teaching key doctrines to attain that goal.

Romans is a most foundational epistle:

Romans Chapters 1-5: How to be justified/saved,

6-8: A Holy (sanctified) Walk.

9-11: Where we today, not being Israel, fit into God’s Overall Plan and Purpose.

12-16: Worship and Service.

16:25-26: Proclaims Our further calling to being established in the Pauline “Revelation of the Mystery” concerning the riches and eternal destiny “body of Christ,” as Paul would continue to teach and reveal in his POST-ACTS key epistles of Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians.

God’s systematic method builds an edifice of doctrine in us to lead us to know that we are “the fullness of Him” in “the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3).

Romans-Philemon contains three main components of instruction:

A. Foundational: Romans (establishing doctrine), I & II Corinthians and Galatians (reproof and correction applying Romans Truths: Issues: Corinth: carnality, Galatia: legalism).

B. Advanced: Builds on the foundational doctrine: Ephesians (sit, walk and stand in our heavenly position), Philippians (standing fast), Colossians (walking worthy, and looking to “appear with Him [Christ] in [heaven’s] glory,” Col. 3:4)

C. Leadership-Mentoring Epistles: Based on prior instruction, continues training to enable spiritual men (fathers & stewards of the doctrine) to teach, encourage, and train up saints to be “the faithful” adult believers using grace doctrine: I & II Timothy, Titus, & Philemon.

Things to Ponder:

Be strategic to mature in edification and to train others: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (II Tim. 2:2) Regularly reflect and ask yourself questions:

1) Do you/they rightly divide the Word of Truth and acknowledge that Paul’s epistles are written directly to the Body of Christ to encourage and edify?  (II Tim. 2:15)

2) Do you/they take personal responsibility, deciding where/how to study regularly?

3) Do you/they expect the Church or a teacher to provide all your training or assume it will happen by watching random teaching messages, such as those available on YouTube?

4) Are you/they progressing in the edification process, or lulled to sleep by the distractions of life?

Consider these things, brothers, and sisters.

• As Adapted Deborah and Brian Johnson