Spiritual Maturity
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“Spiritual Maturity is, in a sense, the state of responsibility.”
It was quoted like this “the state of being mentally and emotionally well-developed, and therefore responsible:
I like the way former columnist Ann Landers put it:
Landers wrote that people display maturity in patience, perseverance, decision-making, dependability, self-control, and humility; that is, the ability to admit simply “I was wrong.”
It is in essence: the quality of behaving mentally and emotionally like an adult
According to Loriann Oberlin “the full picture”:
Taking responsibility for one’s missteps is a hallmark of maturity; crafting villains into one’s story with finger-pointing is the opposite.
The pursuit of maturity is not something that we suddenly have all at once…but rather, it is something that we work on through the process of time....
One of the differences between Maturity and Perfection is that perfection is something worked towards but, more than likely, never reached until we pass from this world to the next
Whereas Maturity is also something that we work for but is something that can be, for the most part, attained in this world.
We are always growing and maturing in Christ
Maturity and perfection are very similar but slightly different in this context.
Perfection: an unsurpassable degree of accuracy or excellence persued.
When we serve God, we serve him unto precision and Excellence…
with full accuracy and preciseness (According to the word)
or as it where in fidelity:
accuracy in details : exactness
This is our pursuit of perfection
Maturity: The condition of full development
meaning in a sense: of or relating to a condition of full development
having attained a final or desired state
Fully persuaded and committed.
also, a place of full understanding and adherence.
For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
sports analogy.....if you want to be the best....
if we pursue the goal of being the best, we will be the best we can be.
Maturity is:
The ability to respond to a given situation appropriately.
It’s not just something that happens through the process of growing older but rather, something that is attained through teaching, knowledge and wisdom.
Maturity is also shaped by:
experiences
wins and losses
Ups and Downs
Successes and failures
All these things are by design to bring about growth and maturity in knowledge, actions and thinking....things that we should grow by…gain victory and not defeat.
They are things that can make us a well rounded individual for the better
spiritual maturity is not all about being perfect, but rather, being perfected by the things we face.
the pursuit of maturity is hopefully to establish a child’s feet on a firm foundation
Something that is able to sustain us through life's difficulties, trials, pressures and uncertainties.
As A Child
As A Child
When a child is growing up they are very impressionable and easily swayed to a particular direction or way of thinking.
They are not fully mature…or fully developed into adulthood
They are still in the training and learning stage.
I child will likely be the product of its surroundings and upbringing thus the importance of education and training.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
The expectation of being a child naturally is the same as that being a child of God it is to eventually grow into a fully mature adult.
For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Milk is used here to identify the state of a child
Someone that is unskilful in the word of righteousness....unskilled and immature in understanding.
A young non-mature animal is referred to at times as a suckling.
This being a young unweaned animal
An animal that is still dependent on its mother and is not yet mature enough to survive on its own.
An animal that does not yet have the knowledge and skills to be able to survive and protect itself.
Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
When we are born again…we start out as a child who indeed is dependent upon, as the scripture has said, “tutors and governors”
in a state of instruction unable to discern for himself.
But as we grow, there comes a time that we must come to a state of maturity
We learn to survive on our own and not be dependent on someone else.
Continuing in Hebrews it says:
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
As we grow and mature on the milk of the word, there comes a time we must move on to maturity…or the to move on to “strong meat”
A child that refuses or cannot move to full maturity is a child that would either have some sort of abnormality or a child that simply just refuses to mature.
In the natural sense, maturity is not always a choice but rather, a person with an abnormality or a birth related restriction may not have a choice.
But maturity, in the spiritual sense is always a choice
We make the choice whether we want to serve God and grown spiritually or not.
As a Adult
Within the natural course of things, a human being, under normal circumstances, will grow to be an adult.
Once this happens, the parent no longer has the responsibility to care and protect the child
The child comes to a point where they have to begin to support themselves whereas they must take on the responsibilities of life.
They must begin to mature.
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Paul applied the illustration in order to show the contrast between the believers’ former position and what they now enjoyed. Formerly, in their state of spiritual immaturity (when we were children, nēpioi), they were like slaves
We where as a child that is no different than a servant
We where servants of sin in that, we where under the bondage of sin.
Galatians here is drawing a similarity to the Jews under bondage to the law and Gentiles being under the bondage of sin.
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
We, as children, once where servants to sin until the time of redemption…that is, our deliverance from sin and the curse of it, unto a new man.
Galatians goes on to say:
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
We are therefor, no longer children but adults (Sons of God)
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
One point that must be made is this:
No one can live, as it where, by the Sermon on the Mount, for example,
without first experiencing the new birth and living it out under the control of the Holy Spirit. The steps of the Master are too majestic for unaided or unregenerate people to follow.
It is therefor through the Holy Spirit that we are able to even have a chance of growing and maturing in Christ.
The things of the spirit and of God are for the most part, insurmountable to a person in the flesh
To a person relying on their own strengths
The Greek word that Paul uses, teleios, has a special technical meaning. It signifies “an end, a goal, a limit,” and it combines dual ideas:
The desired end result, an ultimate goal
first, the full development of one’s powers and authorities under the Holy Spirit (living daily through the Holy Spirit)
And secondly, the attainment of some goal or standard—the realization of the proper end of one’s existence.
So our word “mature” has come to mean complete or full grown, and implies ripeness in character and experience.
it is used of the full development of adulthood as compared with the immaturity of childhood.
Viewed from another angle, spiritual maturity is simply Christlikeness.
Paul said it this way:
1 cor 11.1
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
We are as mature as we are like Christ, and no more.
He was the only fully mature man. His character was complete, well balanced, and perfectly integrated.
All His qualities and capacities were perfectly attuned to the will of God, and this is the model, the standard God has set for us:
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
When he says “every man perfect in Christ: He is referring to every man perfect or mature in Christ.
In short, God’s purpose is to produce people who fulfill their humanity and become what God designed for them to be.
In commentary, William Hendriksen says,
“A high degree of maturity can be attained in this life here and now, but full maturity is difficult to realized this side of heaven. In heaven we will be perfectly sinless and obedient.”
And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.
Many people fall short of maturity and expectation because they have no spiritual goals and/or aspirations
man cannot experience the level of fellowship which God desires until he accepts God’s purpose for him.
Until his purpose becomes our purpose…there will likely be no maturity or real growth
Our true purpose is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
To walk as he would walk
To talk as he would talk
To fulfill his purpose in our lives
To experience a true relationship with God.
To grow in grace and truth.
Jesus Christ is our standard for spiritual maturity.
We then grow and mature in the knowledge of Christ
We are mature to the extent that we fulfil or perfect the end for which we were made.
So perfection is not simply flawlessness. It means realizing our created end and aligning ourselves with Christ and his purpose rather than ours..
And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].
Many churches that report a decline in church attendance have come to the realization that one of the possible reasons for this decline is an apparent lack of focus on discipleship ministries and spiritual growth.
We will never come even close to maturity in Christ until we focus on spiritual growth and maturity on a personal basis
It’s not necessarily the condition of our minds (though that is an important element) Maturity is about how we live your lives.
It'is possible to be theologically astute and still be immature.
It'is possible to be biblically literate and in need of significant spiritual growth.
It is very simply about our walk with Christ and our alignment to his ways and purposes
To continually grow and mature in knowledge, direction and commitment
We understand that while knowledge is so vitally important…it is not this that makes a person mature in christ.
In a spiritual perspective, Everything you do in life flows from everything you are in Christ.
We grown less dependent upon ourselves (our wants and needs) and become increasingly dependent on Christ (his desires and purposes)
Mature Christians make every effort to build on their faith
How is Spiritual maturity measured?
Myth about maturity: the longer you go to church, the more mature in Christ you become.
People think that just going to church every week makes them strong in the Lord. Don't get me wrong; going to church can help you grow. But just because you go to church does not mean that you are mature.
Maturity in Christ is not measured by years.
Maturity in Christ is measured by our obedience to the Word of God and our commitment to his purpose.