31 Days toward Spiritual Maturity in Christ

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Parents sometimes use this to encourage children. When Tim was small, he wanted to drink milk because Bill Buckner Cubs' first baseman advertised it. Some seem to like being spiritual babies. They don't want to grow. It's easy to be a baby - no responsibility. Others feed you, clothe you, change your diaper.

In the church, you don't have to teach, rebuke sin, or do work. It's a free ride! But being a baby is not the goal of life. We are born babies so we can grow up and be productive and useful. Likewise, we are born again, so we can become mature Christians, actively serving the Lord. This will lead us to grow and improve in God's work. Otherwise, we have not accomplished our purpose for becoming children of God. We should ask ourselves, "Don't I want to grow up to be spiritually strong like Jesus?

They may start off on fire for the Lord, but lose their zeal. They develop a spirit of indifference or negligence. Others develop a level of maturity and stagnate. They are satisfied, thinking no more growth is needed. He forgot past achievements and failures and pressed on to greater accomplishments. But that very night he denied Him three times. Christians never reach the point we are so mature that we cannot fall. They have no desire to work and serve to the full extent of their ability. When people develop a burning hunger and thirst to work for the Lord, then they will develop the other steps they need to grow.

Do you have that burning desire to accomplish more for the Lord? Have you set specific goals of work you want to accomplish for God, improvements to make, new levels to reach? Good parents are concerned about proper nutrition. They want children to eat what is good, not bad for them. We are touched by pictures of children starving due to poverty. Most children WANT nourishment. Babies cry for food. Once as a child I got so hungry I cried, and my mother felt really bad. Even adults know we need food, and don't like to go long without it.

We want it every day, regularly, several times a day. Time and again members fall away or are spiritual midgets because they do not eat properly. Children and adults need physical food regularly, and get very upset without it. But are we content to go for days at a time without feeding on God's word? Do we make use of the opportunities the church provides for nourishment?

I never ceased to be amazed when the church provides a spiritual feast, and members choose to do other things. How often do we miss the regular meals provided for our bellies? How much time did you spend on some hobby or outside interest, that may not be immoral but is not necessary? How many services of the church did you attend? How many did you miss that you could have attended?

Steps to Spiritual Maturity: Growing up in Christ

Which do you nourish the best: Are you feeding your mind on God's word or pleasures? Developing skills requires continual repetition: Athletes run, lift weights, and practice hour after hour in order to grow strong and develop endurance. A man once had an apartment next to a professional cello player. He thought it must be exciting to play in an orchestra.

Then he listened as the man practiced the scales, exercises, and songs endlessly.

II. NOURISHMENT

Children learning to walk try again and again. They are proud to learn a new word, then they use it till they drive you crazy! They want to play the same thing over and over: Parents encourage children to repeat what they must learn: They get tired, but we encourage them because that's how they learn. Growth requires exercise as well as nourishment.

Like children, athletes, and musicians, we must work again and again at applying Bible principles to become effective in the Lord's work. Get in and dig. Kids may not be good at activities at first, but parents encourage them to do it over and over. Likewise, older members must encourage the newer ones to use their talents.

They may not be skilled at first, but they learn by doing. When can I go and meet with God? Paul said this about Christ: David was desperate to know God and so was Paul.

Paul wanted to suffer and die like Christ. He wanted the power and sufferings of Christ in his life. This is a characteristic of mature believers. They are constantly seeking to know God more, and this knowledge allows them to discern what is best. To fear God is to know the Holy One and to have wisdom is to have insight. The more we know God, the more we will be able to discern what is best and to make wise decisions.

Mature Christians are growing in the knowledge of God. In order to discern what is best for my daughter, not only do I need to know what Scripture says and need to know God more, but I also need to know the way God made my daughter. Is she gifted in athletics?

Is she very talented in music? It can also be translated this way: This means that in order to best train my daughter, I not only need to teach her Scripture, but I also need to help her discern the way God made her—the way she is wired. I am not here to conform her into my image. God may have made her different than me. God already has a plan for my daughter. I need to know her and understand her.

That is the only way I can serve her best and also help her discern what is best. Similarly, mature church members are constantly trying to get to know one another more. They are seeking to know one another so they can better serve and encourage others in the way God uniquely created them. How is God calling you to get to know others in your church, school, or work place better?

Maybe, he is calling you to ask someone out to lunch, dinner, or coffee? Maybe, he is calling you to ask someone questions and just listen. Are you growing in the knowledge of the Word of God? Are you growing in the knowledge of God—growing in intimacy with him? Are you growing in the knowledge of others? What strategies do you believe God is calling you to implement to increase your knowledge?

The next mark of a mature Christian is spiritual discernment. This is emphasized twice in verses 9 and Discernment is again mentioned in verse A person who possesses love but lacks discernment may reveal a great deal of eagerness and enthusiasm. He may donate to all kinds of causes. His motives may be worthy and his intentions honorable, yet he may be doing more harm than good. Also, such an individual may at times be misled doctrinally. You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky.

How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time? Maybe Paul was emphasizing discernment because of the false teaching that was happening in the church. It seems that Judaizers were in the church calling the Christians back to circumcision and the law Philippians 3: There also was division happening in the church Philippians 4: They needed discernment which is a sign of spiritual maturity.

Everything she ate was tea. However, as she got older she learned to discern the differences.

Spiritual Maturity: Steps to Growing as a Disciple of Christ

This is better than tea. Paul says one of the reasons that God gave pastors and teachers to the church was to help the congregation grow into maturity so they would no longer be like children tossed to and fro with every form of doctrine Ephesians 4: They often will accept teaching that does not line up with Scripture, and therefore, they are often prey for cults or self-help Christianity.

But, those who are mature can not only discern between good and bad but also between what is good and what is best. The spiritually mature are marked by testing everything and choosing what is best—choosing what is best for others and choosing what is best for their spiritual lives.

When a young Christian will listen to just about any music, watch just about any TV show, hang out with just about any people, the spiritually mature instead practices discernment in order to do what is best for his spiritual life and others. He prayed that their love would grow in knowledge so they could choose what is excellent. Paul will say the same thing later on in the book. Listen to what he says in Philippians 4: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Did you see what he said? He commands them to think on what is excellent and praiseworthy. He also commands them to practice what they have heard or seen in Paul and then the God of peace would be with them.

Mature Christians practice this discernment in their entertainment, their relationships, their church activities, etc. This is what marked Moses, David, Paul, and other great saints—choosing what is best and excellent. Do you practice discernment in your hobbies, your career ambitions, your friendships, and even your meditations in order to live in the presence of God?

Are you a mature Christian? Or do you watch things, listen to things, go to certain places, and hang out with certain people that would not be what is best for your life or others? Mature Christians are discerners who test everything to hold onto what is good and best for their spiritual life and others. They put everything into the fire—to see if it is excellent. How can we practice this type of discernment in order to choose what is best?

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. And, because of this, they develop the ability to distinguish. The Christian that can go long periods of time without having a daily quiet time is going to have a very hard time distinguishing not only between good and evil but the good and the best. It has often been said the enemy of the best is often the good.

Young Christians often have many good things in their lives, but these good things keep them from what is best. Are you constantly using the Word of God in order to develop spiritual discernment? Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5: Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. The other necessity of developing spiritual discernment is a willingness to avoid every kind of evil. It is too limiting. Many Christians are unwilling to do that, and therefore, they remain in a state of immaturity.

Satan continues to have a door into their lives. Mature Christians test everything through the Word of God, and they are willing to abstain from all appearance of evil. What are some areas in your life in which you are prone to accept or practice things that are not best? Next, Paul prays for the Philippians to be sincere and blameless which refers first to the inner attitudes and then to the outward behavior. In general he is praying for spiritual integrity. Integrity really is the practice of honesty and morality no matter the situation—even when nobody is looking.

When Paul was praying for the Christians to be sincere, he was not praying for perfection. He knows they will not be perfect until Christ comes. He was praying for them to be free of hypocrisy—to not cover the flaws in their life with wax. One of the problems in the church today is wax—pretense.

We put on the wax of church attendance. We would rather act like everything is perfect than admit our flaws before one another and even God. There is a lot of hypocrisy in the church. One of the consequences of sin in the Garden of Eden was that man began to hide from both God and man. Adam and Eve ate of the tree and then hid from one another and from God. There was no transparency. That is how the world is. They hide their insecurities and pain behind nice cars, nice clothes, nice jobs, etc. The counseling industry has become large primarily because people need a place to share the issues they are hiding and not telling anybody.

That is what the church is supposed to do. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James called for the church to confess their sins to one another and pray for one another so they could be healed. When this happens, there is healing. God heals individuals, churches, and nations. It is not by being perfect.

It is by being willing to confess our sins to others and before God. I need mercy and encouragement from the community to help me grow in Christ. And God, I need your forgiveness and grace because I continually fall into sin. This is the mark of mature Christians. They are humble and open about their continual struggles with sin. In First Timothy 1: When we act like we are perfect, we turn into Pharisees. We are full of pride and anger. We are judgmental and unforgiving. Judgmentalism is a characteristic of someone who is not sincere with themselves, others, or God.

Paul was praying for this church to be free of hypocrisy. When Christ gave the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the purpose was not to condemn the son who came home but to condemn the older brother. In the beginning of Luke 15, the Pharisees were mocking Christ because he was a friend of sinners. They were the older brothers who judged others and yet could not see their evil attitudes. They mocked and condemned those who sinned outwardly, but it was their sin of pride and self-righteousness that was keeping them out of the presence of God and would ultimately condemn them to hell.

They were not sincere. They were full of hypocrisy. Who do you confess your struggles to in the church? Who do you ask for prayer so that you may be healed? The next aspect of spiritual integrity is being blameless. What does it mean to be blameless? This means that there must not be any areas of clear rebellion in their lives or any areas that could cause others to stumble.

They are seeking to live a life that is blameless. Being blameless does not only have to do with clear areas of sin, it also has to do with areas of freedom that could potentially cause a weaker or less mature brother to sin. Paul said this in Romans In talking about eating meat and drinking wine, he was talking about areas that were not sin.

Scripture in no place forbids eating meat or drinking alcohol; however, Paul says he would not do it if it caused a weaker brother to stumble. This demonstrates the fact that Paul was spiritually mature and seeking to live a blameless life—one that was above approach. This is commonly a problem with young Christians. What am I allowed to do according to the Scripture? I am a pretty disciplined person. However, I know that some things I might choose to partake in might actually destroy another believer. This is what marks the mature in Christ.

They are seeking to be blameless. Are you seeking to live a life that is sincere and blameless before God and others? Are you willing to give up your freedoms and rights in order to be blameless before God and others? In what ways can we, as individual believers and the church, practice being more sincere and blameless in our Christian walk? The next mark of a mature Christian is being filled with the fruit of righteousness.

This is a mark of mature Christians. In fact, it is the one of the reasons that God created us. We were created for good works. Each one of us has been given different spiritual gifts and different experiences so that we can minister for God and bear fruit in a unique way. Mature Christians are bearing fruits that God prepared in advanced for them. We get a picture of the process of God preparing works for us in advance as we look at Jeremiah.

He said to Jeremiah that before he was even in the womb, he knew him and called him to be a prophet to the nations Jeremiah 1: Fruit always bears the mark of the tree it came from.

I. A DESIRE TO GROW

An apple tree bears apples and an orange tree bears oranges. In the same way, mature Christians demonstrate the fruit of Christ. They demonstrate his character, and people can tell that they are his disciples John However, immature Christians are not filled with fruits of righteousness. Because they are true Christians, they will bear some fruits. But in many ways, they will resemble the world instead of God.

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?

Are you not acting like mere men? These Christians were not yet mature, and you could tell by their fruits. They were prone to jealousy and quarreling. Many Christians are like this. Immature Christians are like children—as mentioned before, they lack discernment. This leads to having the wrong friendships and the wrong dating relationships. They are prone to discord—they are always in a fight with somebody. Because they are not choosing what is best, it leads them further away from God. From personal experience, I spent a large part of my Christian life living as a worldly Christian.

Cursing, a fruit of the world, still marked my life until I was freshman in college. I had ungodly language and ungodly relationships. However, even though I resembled the world in many ways, God still used me by his grace. I missed out on the abundant fruits that God wanted to bear in me. With cursing specifically, during my freshman year while reading James 1: This really convicted me and from that day, I never struggled with that specific sin again.

I knew I had to grow up and mature. God wants believers to grow up, to bear fruit, and to walk in his specific calling for their lives. Against such things there is no law. Are you growing in these godly attitudes? Are you growing in patience, joy, peace, gentleness, and self-control? Be careful of being a complainer instead of a worshiper. That is a fruit of the world. Paul describes unbelievers as having this fruit in Romans 1: Are you growing in your worship? Are you praising him throughout the day? Or are you a complainer and arguer?

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you but have been prevented from doing so until now in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. He seems to primarily be referring to the Gentiles coming to Christ and growing in him—discipleship. Are you growing in the areas of evangelism and discipleship? Mature Christians produce these fruit by an abiding relationship with Christ. Again, look at what Paul says: If we are not abiding in him, we cannot produce fruits.

It is by living a life in his presence, abiding in his Word, praying, and fellowshipping with his people that these fruits will naturally blossom in our lives.

Look at what Christ said in John Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. Are you abiding in the vine? This marks a mature believer. This enables them to produce fruit.

When Christ returns, Paul wants the Philippians to be like fruit trees at harvest, their branches hung low, laden with the good deeds that Christ has worked in and through them. God is using them greatly because they are abiding in his Son. They are like trees planted by the river, their leaves never fade. Recently, what type of fruits has God been bearing in your life?

What type of fruits do you feel like you are missing or desire more of? How is God calling you to pursue them?

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