What are the marks of spiritual maturity? How would one know they have arrived as a spiritually mature (yet still growing) Christian?
One could look at the fruit of the Spirit...
Galatians 5:22-26 - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
NIV
One could also look at being grounded or tied into Jesus. Jesus talks about being the vine and we are the branches. A mature Christian is one who is tied into Jesus.
John 15:1-8 - 1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 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. 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
NIV
What do you think?
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2 comments:
I think one way spiritual maturity is seen is how one acts when faced with a real problem. How do we handle problems in general. Do we rant, cuss, temper issues, or do we trust in the Lord with all our hearts, minds and spirit? Easier said than done of course, but rest assured that those who you/I have been witnessing to will be watching everything we say and do when a crisis arises in our lives.
Also how do we truly react to crisis in our lives when we are alone (God knows our heart). Some of us can put up a good face around others but where is our heart truly at during hard times? Again, easy to say things now when life is going smooth, but when we are given hard times and refining times, where do we look for our strength? In a bottle of booze, drugs, rely on others, self, or just ignore the problem and hope it just fixes itself? Or do we truly rely on the source of all our strength and go to the One who truly loves us? I stumble all the time when things go wrong (and these are just little things compared to what others are dealing with). I have a lot of growing to do spiritually!
I miss my Mount Oak family too!!!!
Mike
The subject of spiritual maturity is an interesting for me. It is almost viewed as an arrival destination which, once reached, only certain people can function or operate at. The Christian walk is not so much a journey to a location or advancement through a colored belt system until you reach the grade of sensai, but rather a journey with like minded people towards a common goal of serving the Lord ane rescuing His fallen creation.
Hence, spiritual maturity is an interesting concept. Was the apostle Paul more spiritually mature when he fell off his horse, looked up and said "Yes, Lord" or was he more spiritually mature when he wrote his letter to the Roman church? By our grading scale he was obviously more mature when he wrote to the Romans, yet was that really spiritual maturity or was that greater wisdom? I think we mis-label wisdom with maturity and because of this we look upon anyone younger than us as not being 'wise' enough, or 'old' enough to be mature.
For me when I hear someone who is referred to as being spiritually mature I look for a person who knows the gifts that God has placeed in them, has a vision clearly defined of what God has called them to do and has the purpose to fulfill the vision they have received using the gifting bestowed upon them.
We miss you too Mike. God bless,
Jason
http://jakephysio.blogspot.com/
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