Spiritual Maturity
Be ye therefore perfect… (Matthew 5:48). Let us therefore, as many as be perfect… (Philippians 3:15). But let patience have her perfect work, that YE MAY BE PERFECT… (James 1:4).
We can translate the word for perfect as complete or mature. The context of Philippians 3:15 relates to becoming like Christ. It indicates that it is an ongoing process, never ending in this life. It is God’s desire that we mature in the faith by growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18).
So what does spiritual maturity look like? Certainly there are many answers though I would not try to guess on God’s exact measurement in the believer’s life. We know that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). This is important because the just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38; Habakkuk 2:4). In other words, faith involves far more than just trusting Christ for salvation. It involves a lifestyle characterized by faith and faithfulness to God in obedience to His Word.
Moreover, there is more because it is the responsibility of the believer to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity (II Peter 1:5-7). And even more: These things are to abound in the life of the believer (II Peter 1:8).
The author of Hebrews wrote, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus is the AUTHOR of our faith and the PERFECTOR of our faith and the more we are like Him, the greater will be our spiritual maturity.
Spiritual growth is an ongoing process that never ends until we stand before Christ and see Him face to face. It is in that moment that we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is (I John 3:2). There are some people that we imagine to be super saints — really mature in Christ. I would think the Apostle Paul would fit that description and yet even he said that he had not yet attained, that he was still progressing (Philippians 3:12-15). He was still striving towards a fuller knowledge of Jesus Christ. However, he was careful to forget the past, his old pre-Christian life and the many growing pains as a babe in Christ, in order that he might give his full attention to striving towards the finish line when he would finally be like Christ, the ultimate state of maturity (perfection).
There are so many ways to measure spiritual growth. Try this one on for size today: Are you striving more to please God or self? Are you striving to follow the spiritual disciplines that will draw your life closer to God and assist you in becoming more like Christ? Ephesians 4:13 provides our goal: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We cannot be full grown in Christ as long as our faith in Christ is imperfect.
Thomas O. Chisholm wrote,
O to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer.
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus,
Thy perfect likeness to wear.
O to be like Thee! Make that your constant longing and prayer.
George Stiekes held successful pastorates in churches in Michigan and Washington among other places. He currently resides in North Carolina and blogs at Reverent Reflections. We recommend his ministry and republish his material by permission.