Note these verses with my emphasis:
"[U]ntil we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13, ESV).
"'When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways" (1 Cor. 13:11, ESV).
"[So] that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Eph. 4:14, ESV).
"Mark the perfect [mature] man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace" (Ps. 37:37, ESV).
We are not only to grow up as people, but as Christians, and, since there is metaphorical language here, I suppose there are similarities too. We are to grow up, but that's iffy! A mature person has learned to fend for himself or fight his own battles in the dog-eat-dog world, so to speak, and realizes the responsibility for his time, talents, resources, gifts, choices, money, and opportunities. He usually has his passions and emotions under restraint and otherwise also has a certain degree of self-control and virtue. Likewise: Believing in Christ is only the first step to walking worthy of our Lord; a mature person is a good example and so a mature Christian is a good witness and has a consistent testimony, even though his actions may sometimes speak louder than his words; a mature Christian has learned to go to Scripture for guidance and has a one-on-one relationship with God (i.e., not second-hand) and is like David, who "strengthened himself in the LORD his God." Note: We do get encouraged from others (even Paul did!) and benefit from the "assembly together of ourselves," but we learn to walk with Christ and to stay in fellowship with Him, as we keep short accounts of our sins and confess them, and "practice the presence of God" as Brother Lawrence (the 17th-century Carmelite, French monk) penned it.
We are always to strive towards obedience to the Word and apply what we do learn in Scripture to ourselves (cf. Job 5:27) the more we know, the more responsibility we have to apply what we know. Paul says in Eph. 4:15 that we are "to grow up in all aspects into Him" and this means bearing the image of Christ to the world while we partake of the divine nature (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4). You could make many analogies between mature people and mature believers, but one thing to note: Even Paul declared that he had arrived and had "laid hold of it yet" as he said in Phil. 3:12, where he denied being "perfect." Note: Perfection is indeed the goal for all of us, but the direction is the test as we are to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect [or mature] (cf. Matt. 5:48).
Now, the ironic thing is that we are striving for perfection but we will never get there! (The words for perfect and mature are similar or the same.) "... Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God' (Gen. 6:9, KJV). There are so-called mature believers who fall into sin just like others because no one is exempt from temptation--even David was out of fellowship about a year after his adulterous affair. We are mature when we know who we are in the Lord and realize how God uses us and what His will is. We all have a calling to fulfill in Christ. Now, I realize that being used by God is no proof of maturity, because God can use a donkey if He chooses, and God does use immature believers as well. However, only believers are vessels of honor. But the major difference is to "fulfill your calling" and to "complete your ministry" in Christ with FAITHFULNESS. Note these verses in caution: "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Tim. 1:5, ESV); "... The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (Gal. 5:6, NIV); "... [A]nd if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Cor. 13:2, NIV).
Realize these important criteria: First, we will be judged according to our faithfulness, not our maturity! Nowhere do I read, "Well done, thou good and mature servant!" We are commended for our faith and not our maturity it seems. What we have to look forward to is Jesus saying to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant [cf. Matt. 25:21, italics mine]! Enter thou into the joy of the Lord!" Nowhere do I hear Jesus commending us for our maturity; it's assumed that, if you are faithful, you probably are also mature enough to do God's will for your life. Secondly, we are rewarded according to our deeds done in the Spirit (cf. Romans 2:6).
An immature believer is usually seen as one who is: Ignorant of the Word (cf. Matt. 22:29 where Jesus equated knowing the power of God with knowing Scripture); isn't sure of his salvation; doesn't know the basics of fellowship or even basic doctrine prayer, and witnessing; and especially one who stumbles and keeps falling into sin and needs constant repentance or confession (cf. Gal. 6:1; James 5:16) because he is largely "carnal" like the Corinthians were, and hasn't leaned lordship and how to walk in the Spirit--note that it may be easier to delineate immaturity than maturity. Concerning lordship: You cannot become a Christian without bowing and acknowledging the lordship of Christ (I'm referring to lordship salvation as opposed to easy-believism), but we get more than we bargained for, and it takes a while before we realize the implications, cost, and ramifications of our decision--easier said than done!
I've met plenty of immature Christians and most of them are not "spiritual" (however, anyone in the Spirit is spiritual in a biblical sense) but carnal in the sense that it's hard to get a spiritual thought out of them--they seem to limit their spiritual times and thoughts to church or irregular encounters with believers who seem to drag it out of them. When I meet a believer I do not feel content talking about the local sports teams or the weather, or anything that I could find fellowship with from a nonbeliever, but I expect to get some spiritual fellowship. Christians aren't just "nice" and "social" they're spiritual and godly.
Another thing I have noticed: Baby or infant believers have a real love for the Lord that they tend to lose over time (for some "have left their first love"), and mature believers maintain it and abide in Christ; one measure is that they love the Word and are faithful in it, while the immature believer neglects it and doesn't see it's a necessity to a faithful walk in the Spirit. Remember that the goal of our life is faithfulness, and we will be rewarded according to our measure of faithfulness in what God has assigned us and meted out to us in gifts, choices, talents, time, opportunity, and resources. As Jesus said, "He who is faithful in little, shall be faithful in much" (cf. Matt. 25:21).
A good measure of maturity is fruit, and this means we are fruit inspectors, but of our own fruit! We are not to go around accusing others of being immature, but to examine ourselves as to how far we still have to go. The mature believer knows what and why he believes--is settled in the faith, not tossed to and fro. The more mature we become the more likeness to Christ we gain in our character and become more godlike the ultimate goal. Just like most people eventually grow up, so most Christians do too; it just takes some longer than others, but God is at work in all believers and won't ever give up: "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13, NASB); For I am confident of the very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6, NASB). The goal is Christlikeness (cf. Gal. 4:19, ESV), "until Christ is formed in you!"
And so, as we grow up we become more Christlike and mature in Christ, but most of us eventually do grow up. Being mature as a person doesn't guarantee to be a mature disciple of Christ either. Some Christian can be more mature than you as a person, but not as a believer! Maturity isn't the criterion or measure of faith, but obedience is. "And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him" (Heb. 5:9,, ESV). The true measure of faith and faithfulness (which can be distinguished but never separated) is, therefore, obedience (cf. Heb. 3:18-19; John 3:36). Maturity, in short, is when Christ is revealed in you and you reflect His glory in doing His will (cf. Gal. 1:16). It was said of David that he did all of God's will and was a man after God's heart, and this is the epitome of obedience, for "after he had served the purpose of God" (cf. Acts 13:36) he was taken to glory!
There's no one-size-fits-all description of maturity no more than a formula to follow for salvation or right way to worship God (except in the Spirit and in truth). Paul expresses the goal of the preacher: in Phil. 1:28, ESV, emphasis added: "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ." NOTE: The biblical definition of maturity is found in Hebrews 5:14: "But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good and evil."
Finally, our reward is according to our deeds done in the Spirit, not how mature we are: "He will render to each one according to his works" (Romans 2:6, ESV). A word to the wise: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thess. 4:3, ESV, emphasis mine). Soli Deo Gloria!
"[U]ntil we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13, ESV).
"'When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways" (1 Cor. 13:11, ESV).
"[So] that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Eph. 4:14, ESV).
"Mark the perfect [mature] man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace" (Ps. 37:37, ESV).
We are not only to grow up as people, but as Christians, and, since there is metaphorical language here, I suppose there are similarities too. We are to grow up, but that's iffy! A mature person has learned to fend for himself or fight his own battles in the dog-eat-dog world, so to speak, and realizes the responsibility for his time, talents, resources, gifts, choices, money, and opportunities. He usually has his passions and emotions under restraint and otherwise also has a certain degree of self-control and virtue. Likewise: Believing in Christ is only the first step to walking worthy of our Lord; a mature person is a good example and so a mature Christian is a good witness and has a consistent testimony, even though his actions may sometimes speak louder than his words; a mature Christian has learned to go to Scripture for guidance and has a one-on-one relationship with God (i.e., not second-hand) and is like David, who "strengthened himself in the LORD his God." Note: We do get encouraged from others (even Paul did!) and benefit from the "assembly together of ourselves," but we learn to walk with Christ and to stay in fellowship with Him, as we keep short accounts of our sins and confess them, and "practice the presence of God" as Brother Lawrence (the 17th-century Carmelite, French monk) penned it.
We are always to strive towards obedience to the Word and apply what we do learn in Scripture to ourselves (cf. Job 5:27) the more we know, the more responsibility we have to apply what we know. Paul says in Eph. 4:15 that we are "to grow up in all aspects into Him" and this means bearing the image of Christ to the world while we partake of the divine nature (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4). You could make many analogies between mature people and mature believers, but one thing to note: Even Paul declared that he had arrived and had "laid hold of it yet" as he said in Phil. 3:12, where he denied being "perfect." Note: Perfection is indeed the goal for all of us, but the direction is the test as we are to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect [or mature] (cf. Matt. 5:48).
Now, the ironic thing is that we are striving for perfection but we will never get there! (The words for perfect and mature are similar or the same.) "... Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God' (Gen. 6:9, KJV). There are so-called mature believers who fall into sin just like others because no one is exempt from temptation--even David was out of fellowship about a year after his adulterous affair. We are mature when we know who we are in the Lord and realize how God uses us and what His will is. We all have a calling to fulfill in Christ. Now, I realize that being used by God is no proof of maturity, because God can use a donkey if He chooses, and God does use immature believers as well. However, only believers are vessels of honor. But the major difference is to "fulfill your calling" and to "complete your ministry" in Christ with FAITHFULNESS. Note these verses in caution: "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Tim. 1:5, ESV); "... The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (Gal. 5:6, NIV); "... [A]nd if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Cor. 13:2, NIV).
Realize these important criteria: First, we will be judged according to our faithfulness, not our maturity! Nowhere do I read, "Well done, thou good and mature servant!" We are commended for our faith and not our maturity it seems. What we have to look forward to is Jesus saying to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant [cf. Matt. 25:21, italics mine]! Enter thou into the joy of the Lord!" Nowhere do I hear Jesus commending us for our maturity; it's assumed that, if you are faithful, you probably are also mature enough to do God's will for your life. Secondly, we are rewarded according to our deeds done in the Spirit (cf. Romans 2:6).
An immature believer is usually seen as one who is: Ignorant of the Word (cf. Matt. 22:29 where Jesus equated knowing the power of God with knowing Scripture); isn't sure of his salvation; doesn't know the basics of fellowship or even basic doctrine prayer, and witnessing; and especially one who stumbles and keeps falling into sin and needs constant repentance or confession (cf. Gal. 6:1; James 5:16) because he is largely "carnal" like the Corinthians were, and hasn't leaned lordship and how to walk in the Spirit--note that it may be easier to delineate immaturity than maturity. Concerning lordship: You cannot become a Christian without bowing and acknowledging the lordship of Christ (I'm referring to lordship salvation as opposed to easy-believism), but we get more than we bargained for, and it takes a while before we realize the implications, cost, and ramifications of our decision--easier said than done!
I've met plenty of immature Christians and most of them are not "spiritual" (however, anyone in the Spirit is spiritual in a biblical sense) but carnal in the sense that it's hard to get a spiritual thought out of them--they seem to limit their spiritual times and thoughts to church or irregular encounters with believers who seem to drag it out of them. When I meet a believer I do not feel content talking about the local sports teams or the weather, or anything that I could find fellowship with from a nonbeliever, but I expect to get some spiritual fellowship. Christians aren't just "nice" and "social" they're spiritual and godly.
Another thing I have noticed: Baby or infant believers have a real love for the Lord that they tend to lose over time (for some "have left their first love"), and mature believers maintain it and abide in Christ; one measure is that they love the Word and are faithful in it, while the immature believer neglects it and doesn't see it's a necessity to a faithful walk in the Spirit. Remember that the goal of our life is faithfulness, and we will be rewarded according to our measure of faithfulness in what God has assigned us and meted out to us in gifts, choices, talents, time, opportunity, and resources. As Jesus said, "He who is faithful in little, shall be faithful in much" (cf. Matt. 25:21).
A good measure of maturity is fruit, and this means we are fruit inspectors, but of our own fruit! We are not to go around accusing others of being immature, but to examine ourselves as to how far we still have to go. The mature believer knows what and why he believes--is settled in the faith, not tossed to and fro. The more mature we become the more likeness to Christ we gain in our character and become more godlike the ultimate goal. Just like most people eventually grow up, so most Christians do too; it just takes some longer than others, but God is at work in all believers and won't ever give up: "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13, NASB); For I am confident of the very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6, NASB). The goal is Christlikeness (cf. Gal. 4:19, ESV), "until Christ is formed in you!"
And so, as we grow up we become more Christlike and mature in Christ, but most of us eventually do grow up. Being mature as a person doesn't guarantee to be a mature disciple of Christ either. Some Christian can be more mature than you as a person, but not as a believer! Maturity isn't the criterion or measure of faith, but obedience is. "And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him" (Heb. 5:9,, ESV). The true measure of faith and faithfulness (which can be distinguished but never separated) is, therefore, obedience (cf. Heb. 3:18-19; John 3:36). Maturity, in short, is when Christ is revealed in you and you reflect His glory in doing His will (cf. Gal. 1:16). It was said of David that he did all of God's will and was a man after God's heart, and this is the epitome of obedience, for "after he had served the purpose of God" (cf. Acts 13:36) he was taken to glory!
There's no one-size-fits-all description of maturity no more than a formula to follow for salvation or right way to worship God (except in the Spirit and in truth). Paul expresses the goal of the preacher: in Phil. 1:28, ESV, emphasis added: "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ." NOTE: The biblical definition of maturity is found in Hebrews 5:14: "But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good and evil."
Finally, our reward is according to our deeds done in the Spirit, not how mature we are: "He will render to each one according to his works" (Romans 2:6, ESV). A word to the wise: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thess. 4:3, ESV, emphasis mine). Soli Deo Gloria!
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