Spiritual Maturity
Peter says that being ones who are "redeemed," "purified" and "begotten again" (1 Pet 1:18-23), we are "therefore" to put away "all wickedness...." and as "newborn babes" we are to "long for the spiritual milk ....that we may grow thereby unto salvation." (2:1-2) Paul explains the original organization of the church, saying that such an arrangement was "for the perfecting of the saints.... unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine....but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him....from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love." (Eph. 4:11-16) It was Paul also who wrote to those who were Christians saying: "Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men." (1 Cor. 14:20) The footnote on this text says that to be men means to be "of full age" or mature. (Cf. R.S.V.)
These statements of inspiration through Peter and Paul have to do with the growth and progress of Christians, and a reading of the New Testament reveals to one that much of its teaching is devoted to the need and process of children of God attaining spiritual maturity. That a like need exists in the church today is evident from at least two standpoints: the church is going to grow as individuals do, and spiritual immaturity is the source of much, if not most, of the discord that blights the church today. Seeing the vital nature of this subject, we pursue the thought further.
I. Begin As Babes In Christ
We understand that some Christians are necessarily in their spiritual childhood by reason of their recent spiritual birth. Each begins his life as a Christian as a "babe in Christ" (I Cor. 3:1) being "born anew," "born of water and the Spirit" (Jno. 3:3, 5), "having been begotten again ....through the word of God." (1 Pet. 1:23) "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature...." (2 Cor. 5:17) There is, therefore, nothing wrong with spiritual immaturity.... IF this is the state that one is in because of the recentcy of his obedience.
II. Then Are To Grow Thereafter
The scriptures enjoin upon each Christian the necessity of spiritual progress from their initial obedience to the first principles of the gospel. The writer of Hebrews stated to his readers: "when by reason of time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk and not of solid food. For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. But solid food is for full-grown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil." (Heb. 5:12-14) The Spirit commanded through Peter that Christians are to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. 3:17) And Peter said that the Christian having "escaped from the corruption that is in the world...." is then to add all diligence, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. (2 Pet. 1:4-7) Paul prayed for his readers that "the Lord make you to increase and abound in love...." (1 Thess. 3:12)
Concerning this growth the Bible instructs us that the Christian should grow downward, "being," as Paul states, "rooted and grounded in love." (Eph. 3:17) Someone has wisely suggested that "we cannot go farther until we go deeper." Jesus explained to his disciples the parable of the sower and said concerning the seed which fell on the rocky ground that it straightway sprang up "because it had no deepness of earth" (Mk.4:5) and further explained that these are those "when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy; and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble." (4:16, 17) Regrettably this describes many in the church today who stumble because of shallowness.
It is to be noted that the Christian should grow upward walking upon the earth in necessary affairs, but having his head and heart above the clouds. Our attitude should be that of Paul when he said: "For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens" (2 Cor. 5:1), "for our citizenship is in heaven...." (Phil. 1:20) He stated further: "If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above.... set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth." (Col. 3:1,2) We should grow upward in our hopes.
The Christian should, likewise, grow outwardly in the sense of living a shared life with others, going about "doing good" as the Lord did (Acts 10:38), working "that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10), practicing "pure religion and undefiled before God" in visiting "the fatherless and the widows in their affliction" (Jas. 1:27) and being "careful to maintain good works." (Tit. 3:8)
III. Immaturity
Speaking of those "who by reason of time" should not be spiritually immature, we have reference to those who are past the age of a "babe" and yet still possess the characteristics of a child. Some things normal for a child to do become abnormal for the adult to practice. Great has been the sorrow of some parents who have had to witness their child grow to maturity in body and yet retain the mind of a child. Likewise, God sees many of his children allow years to pass from the time of their obedience and they fail to progress from their initial faith. The actions and disposition of many Christians are nothing short of childishness!
Paul said that when he was "a child" he "spake as a child," he "felt as a child," he "thought as a child," but when he became "a man" he "put away childish things." (I Cor. 13:11) Some Christians continue to speak and act "as a child." Their vocabulary, their temperament, and their understanding are as those of an immature babe in Christ. They have failed to grow as they should have.
This unnatural immaturity sets the pattern of their reception and use of truth. When a child and an adult hear a concert, they might react differently; To the receptive adult it might be a majestic, moving piece of music. To the child it might be a conglomeration of noise! So with Bible study, prayer and other spiritual activities; to the mature it is satisfying food for a hungry soul; to the immature it is often boring, confused, difficult and legalistic.
The immature miss much of spiritual truth and good because of their inability to perceive. This was the writer's point in the passage in Hebrews 5. While speaking of Melchizedek, he says that he had many things to say about him but they were "dull of hearing." They could not receive the "meat" of the word. They had to be fed the "milk" of a babe. Such a lack of receptiveness and a misuse of truth characterized the Christians of whom Peter spoke when he said: "as also in all his (Paul, J.W.R.) epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unsteadfast wrest, as they do also other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2 Pet. 3:16) What spiritual wealth is never gained because of a lack of capacity to acquire it!!
Listing more faults of the immature, they are: easily provoked, ignorant of much truth, temperamental, unforgiving, discriminating, not peaceful, hypocritical, gullible, factious, contentious, and as a child they lack wisdom and judgment. It is not difficult to see why such members hinder the growth of any congregation and are the source of much disorder in the church.
IV. Maturity
Describing the mature we speak of those who are full grown, those who are fruit bearing, and those who are perfect in the sense that the Bible tells us that we are to be complete. The mature partakes of "solid food" for "full-grown men" and they have their "senses exercised to discern good and evil." (Heb. 5:14) Paul said that he spoke wisdom, "however, among them that are full-grown." (1 Cor. 2:6) He contrasted the mature and the immature as he said to the Corinthians, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ." (1 Cor. 3:1) To the Thessalonians he said that he was bound to give thanks to God...."for that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth." (2 Thess. 1:3)
The mature "walk after the Spirit," produce the "fruits of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22) and thus they are loving, joyful, peaceful, longsuffering, kind, good, faithful, meek and self-controlled. The mature take a firm stand on truth and "hate every false way." (Ps. 119:124) The mature are responsible and can be trusted to do their own thinking and study. The mature can he depended upon — in attendance at services, in support of the truth, and in participation in the work of the church. It is not surprising that a congregation of mature Christians grows, works, and worships in peace, harmony and progress.
God help each of us to "he no longer children" (Eph. 4:14), but to "be strong" (Eph. 6:10) and he "like men." (I Cor. 16:13, 14) The joy of spiritual maturity will be ours; the fruits of such a life will be God's.
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