Today, I am presenting the fifth and final message in our series “The Banner of Love”. In the last four weeks we’ve looked at the four phases of the Christian’s growth in Christ.

During the first phase of our maturing in Christ, we learned that there was more beyond just our experience of victorious salvation through Christ. There was joy in a new and growing love relationship with Jesus.

During the second phase of our maturing, we learned it is not enough to receive Jesus as Savior and then enjoy a private faith afterwards. The Lord expects us to take our private faith public into the world. We may face trials when we enter the world carrying our banner of love and faith, but it is in those trials that we will grow, and our love will be proved. We must be careful not to fall into Spiritual Agoraphobia after receiving Christ.

During our third phase of maturing, we learned that it is easy for us to hold up “The Banner of Love” during the height of spiritual experience with God, but we are challenged in the face of that “roaring lion” who seeks to devour us, to courageously and joyfully hold up that “Banner of Love” for Him!

During our fourth phase of maturing, we learned that we must be willing for God to put the branding of shame, sufferings and misunderstanding on our lives, as Jesus experienced from childhood through the Cross.

During our final phase of maturing, we learn that the height of maturity produces an overflow of Christ in our lives. Therefore, we experience a paradigm shift from life in the world to the fullness of life in Christ!

When our desire is to show Him our love for Him rather than to receive His love for us, then we experience spiritual maturity in our lives

In fact, when we are focused more on heaven than the world we live in the height of Christian maturity

When we embrace the height of maturity, we look forward to our deliverance from our physical bodies, either by death or the rapture.

As mature Christians our prayer lives connect fully with the heart of God.

Our maturity is not reflected by an obligation to duty to the Lord, but by a true unselfish love for Him

Mature Christians learn that listening to God is far more important than talking to Him.

When all that matters in life is Christ and His Will, then we have reached the height of maturity in Christ. It is here we will lift to the highest level “The Banner of Love”.