Am I There Yet? What Is Spiritual Maturity?

This month marks my fifteenth year as a member of God’s adoptive family, wow…time does fly. I was reminded of my anniversary, while thinking through this particular post. Which is mainly a result of timely encouragement by a brother in the faith. As is typical with anniversaries I was prompted to reflect on the beginnings, introspect my present state, and hopefully in so doing, chart new course(s) for the future. With the hope that future projections don’t die the death of a thousand New Years resolutions or at the alter of procrastination, laziness, or just hard-heartedness. Which brings me to the matter at hand - my maturity in Christ. What is it? And how or can we gauge where we are on the spectrum?

My How You’ve Grown!

May I assume we all know what maturity means, there is the “state of being mature,” where someone transitions in their thinking, understanding, self-awareness in and about the world, while demonstrating the ability to prioritise that which is most important to self-sustain; and “the period of being mature” which I assume speaks to someone being considered mature based on age and physical growth. 

Similarly in my experience as a Christian, the term Spiritual Maturity was often presented as more than a spiritual coming-of-age, but a mark of arrival or completion. This is not uncommon, there are Christians who believe that perfection is attainable in this life (we’ll explore this later). I came to understand spiritual maturity however, by understanding the Spirit’s role in a Christian’s growth or manufacturing - namely the process of (Sanctification), where Christians are made into the likeness of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). In this process spiritual maturity is a stage or station on, lets call it, the Christ-like conveyor-belt. At each station we are fitted with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the world we live in. We transition form the early stages of conversion where: some sin(s) are immediately overcome while others aren’t, and the basics are learned; to a time when good and evil are more easily discerned, the fruits of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) are more pronounced, and more knowledge is received, applied, and even taught to others (Hebrews 5:12).

Dog Years 

“Sanctification is a process not an event” C.J. Mahaney 

When viewing spiritual maturity in the larger context of sanctification, the first reality we run into, that confronts any notion of perfection taking place in this life, is that of sanctification being a lifelong process that concludes only at death (1 Cor. 15:47-54, Phil. 3:12-16, 1 Jn. 1:8). Unlike Justification which is an event - a state that does not increase nor decrease throughout our lifespan, we do grow however in maturity whilst being sanctified. And we all experience this growth at different rates. At times I feel as if I’m growing in reverse dog-years, which, if you’re paying attention, would make me just over two years old. 

Justification (occurring at conversion) - an instantaneous once-and-for-all legal act of God, in which he forgives us of our sins and applies Jesus’ righteousness to us, so that we are seen as righteous in his sight. 

The sometimes slow progression notwithstanding, a growth chart for a Christian should show a steady increase over that Christian’s life with some dips and plateaus, but always trending upwards. I’ve been experiencing over the last two years a bit of both. But praise be to God, that he is faithful when we’re not! How have you been doing?

Not All On Your Own

Speaking of Gods faithfulness. We must spend some time on what Wayne Grudem calls “the cooperation of God and man in sanctification.” Wow, right then, just writing that made all my young reformed sensibilities flare up. Why? God receiving the maximum amount of glory in our thinking and worship is always a concern of mine. And the use of the word “cooperation” can, in some hearts, be susceptible to the thinking that man is the primary agent in sanctification, relegating God to a back-seat passenger. This isn’t true of course. As God who is creator of all and author of salvation, rules over and intercedes for us the creature and recipients of that salvation (Jon. 2:9, Ps. 27:1, Rom. 1:16). God the Spirit as primary orchestrator in sanctification, disciplines (Pro. 3:11-12, 1 Cor. 11:31-32), and produces within us the will (causing us to want his will) and the ability in the sanctification process.   

“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

We play a “passive as well as an active” role in our sanctification. We depend on God to sanctify us “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely…” (1 Thess. 5:23 also Jn. 17:17) and we are called to respond and carry out the imperatives made possible by Jesus’ work “…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires (Ep. 4:17-32 also Rom. 6:19). Adding to the list of paradoxes in the Christian life - to experience growth, it is important that we grow both in our passive dependence on God to sanctify us, while, simultaneously, being active in pursuing holiness and self-control. 

No One Thing 

Early in my walk I used to mark  spiritual growth in the accomplishing of certain acts. You know, the certain things I heard or saw other Christians do: reading the Bible cover to cover (including the genealogies!); waking up consistently at 5am to pray and read the bible; memorising scripture; recalling scripture at computer-like rate; praying eloquently, and on and on. All these things are good things, very good things. 

And while the list above does demonstrate a level of discipline, faithfulness and self-control, they are the possible effects of spiritual maturity and not maturity itself. In being sanctified our whole being goes through a transformation: our intellect (Prov. 1:7, 2 Cor. 8:6-7, Phil. 1:9,Rom. 12:2); emotions (1 Thess. 1:9, 2 Thess. 1:3, 1 Jn 2:15); body and spirit (1 Thess. 5:23, 2 Cor. 7:1). No one act graduates you into spiritual maturity, however we know it when we see it even in ourselves. I once heard that spiritual maturity “was the ability to engage/respond with love in every situation.” This is a state we all should aspire to reach in our lives. What’s more, growing more responsive, sensitive, and sharing in the sentiments of He who is tasked with the sanctification of those purchased with the blood of Christ, the Holy Spirit, is a more encompassing and apt, pursuit leading to spiritual maturity. For growth in “love” will naturally stem from being in communion with God, who is love.

I really can’t say where I am as it pertains to my maturity in Christ. I think part of that maturity is not wanting to say, but instead echoing the apostle when he said: 

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect… But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:12-14

Grace and peace.

Referenced: ESV Study Bible, Biblical Doctrines by Wayne Grudem  

h/o: Loren Holland