Spiritual Maturity.

MATURITY.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT SPIRITUAL MATURITY?

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 7:1-26

KEY BIBLE VERSE: The LORD your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, for if you did, the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you. (Deuteronomy 7:22)

SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS A GRADUAL PROCESS.

Moses told the Israelites that God would destroy Israel's enemies, but not all at once. God had the power to destroy those nations instantly, but he chose to do it in stages. In the same way and with the same power, God could miraculously and instantaneously change your life. Usually, however, he chooses to help you gradually, teaching you one lesson at a time. Rather than expecting instant spiritual maturity and solutions to all your problems, slow down and work one step at a time, trusting God to make up the difference between where you should be and where you are now. You'll soon look back and see that a miraculous transformation has occurred.

Everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. (Colossians 1:28)

THE GOAL OF EVERY BELIEVER IS SPIRITUAL MATURITY.

The word perfect means mature or complete, not flawless. Paul wanted to see each believer mature spiritually. Like Paul, we must work as wholeheartedly as an athlete, but we should not strive in our own strength alone. We have the power of his Spirit working in us. We can learn and grow daily, motivated by love, not by fear or pride, knowing that God gives the energy to become mature.

THE FIRST STEP TOWARD SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS FAITH IN CHRIST.

Christ's message is for everyone; so everywhere Paul and Timothy went they brought the Good News to all who would listen. An effective presentation of the gospel includes warning and teaching. The warning is that without Christ, people are doomed to eternal separation from God. The teaching is that salvation is available through faith in Christ. As Christ works in you, tell others about him, warning and teaching them in love. Who do you know that needs to hear this message?

Let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. (Hebrews 6:1)

SPIRITUAL MATURITY BEGINS WITH THE BASICS OF THE FAITH.

Certain elementary teachings are essential for all believers to understand. Those basics include the importance of faith, the foolishness of trying to be saved by good deeds, the meaning of baptism and spiritual gifts, and the facts of resurrection and eternal life. To go on to maturity in our understanding, we need to move beyond (but not away from) the elementary teachings to a more complete understanding of the faith. And this is what the author intends for them to do (6:3). Mature Christians should be teaching new Christians the basics. Then, acting on what they know, the mature will learn even more from God's Word.

May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20)

JESUS CHRIST IS THE BASIS AND GOAL OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY.

The letter to the Hebrews is a call to Christian maturity. It was addressed to first-century Jewish Christians, but it applies to Christians of any age or background. Christian maturity means making Christ the beginning and end of our faith. To grow in maturity, we must center our lives on him, not depending on religious ritual, not falling back into sin, not trusting in ourselves, and not letting anything come between us and Christ. Christ is sufficient and superior.