MATURITY
Day 24
It's Day 24, and today we will get into the topic of spiritual maturity. Over the last few days, we have talked about some very deep topics that will take time to truly develop and implement in your life. For the believer, what is spiritual maturity, and how do we mature? In Colossians 1:28 it says, "He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ." This verse right here is the theme verse for After Salvation, because we exist to develop and equip every believer to reach their full potential in Christ. Below we will define and bring insight into what makes a Christian mature.
How Do We Define Christian Spiritual Maturity
Someone who is spiritually mature, in my mind, is not one who strives to be perfect in the practice of his or her understanding, execution, and approach to life; that produces a religious person. Below are some great quotes from other believers about spiritual maturity, and then I will share mine.
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"Spiritual maturity is not reached by the passing of the years, but by obedience to the will of God." — Oswald Chambers
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"Maturity comes not with age but with the acceptance of responsibility. You are only young once, but you can be immature indefinitely." — John C. Maxwell
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"The mark of spiritual maturity is the ability to see God in every circumstance." — Oswald Chambers
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"The path to spiritual maturity is a journey of faith that takes time, patience, and a willingness to learn and grow from our experiences." — Author Unknown
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"Maturity in Christ is not measured by how much you know about the Bible, but by how much of the Bible is manifested in your life." — Author Unknown
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"Spiritual maturity is not about becoming religious; it's about becoming more like Jesus." — Rick Warren
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"Spiritual maturity is not a destination; it's a lifelong journey of becoming more Christ-like in our thoughts, words, and actions." — Author Unknown
These are all great quotes from amazing Christian leaders and there is nothing wrong with them in my opinion. Personally, my definition for spiritual maturity means the following,"Spiritual maturity is a consistent awareness of our need for Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives combined with a relentless resistance to anything that opposes or hinders God's will within us." Below, I would like to break this down for us, so we can get the full picture of what I'm trying to build in this statement.
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Consistent - The spiritually mature believer is consistent in everything they do, not perfect in everything they do. They understand that consistency (commitment) within their connection to God, His church, and His mission will make a difference in his or her spiritual growth. This is honestly one of the hardest spiritual disciplines to develop within our lives but is a key to the mature believer. The concept of consistency blends into what we have been learning in After Salvation. Below is a re-emphasis on the diagram we see daily. If we are consistent within these areas, spiritual maturity will be the outcome.
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Awareness - As we mature (naturally speaking) we become more aware of the world around us, and we should be able to understand how to work within the context of the culture we find ourselves in. The same should be understood about the spiritual life. We should become more aware of our need for God and the power of His Holy Spirit and of the spiritual and fleshly battles that take place within and around us. Awareness is what separates children from adults both in the natural sense and spiritual sense, and we become aware by processing knowledge, life events, and practice (obedience).
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Relentless Resistance - Within the mind of spiritually mature people, they make commitments to die to themselves daily. They resist the devil and his temptations with a relentless and unwavering mental and physical commitment. This goes back to putting on the full armor of God, remember it is up to us to put on the armor of God daily. They understand the seriousness of sin and the destruction it causes. We have the power of the Spirit which manifests the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and the last fruit that is listed is self-control. Sin slows the progress of maturity and can sometimes completely paralyze the believer's spiritual life if they allow sin to overtake them.
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God's Will - As we alluded to yesterday, to really know God is to know God's will. The mature believer has a Kingdom-focused mindset, understanding the importance of a one-track mind in Christ. This doesn't mean we aren't allowed to have fun, as not everything has to be ministry. This means that God is at the center of their world and everything they have and everything they do is for His glory. They understand that the most important thing is being obedient to God's direction and purposes in their life.
Scripture And Spiritual Maturity
Below are several verses that help shape our understanding of spiritual maturity.
Ephesians 4:13
"until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
Hebrews 6:1
"Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God."
James 1:2-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
1 Corinthians 13:11
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."
1 Peter 2:2
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."
2 Peter 3:18
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."
Philippians 3:12-14
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Today's Questions:
Additional Resources:
Book: Spiritual Maturity: Principles of Spiritual Growth for Every Believer - Oswald Sanders: Click Here
Verse Of The Day:
Colossians 1:28
"He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ."
