Commentary7

The world defines maturity as a condition of completed development, having completed natural growth (mature). How does one define "maturity" in this life with Christ? Is there a clear biblical understanding of what it means to be mature in Christ? We are almost afraid to say that someone can actually be grown up, thinking that we are in fact arrogant and think more highly of ourselves than we ought. In Hebrews 5:12-14 we read:

¹²For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

¹³For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

¹⁴But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Emphasis mine)

Bob DeWaay, Pastor of Twin City Fellowship, wrote about the lack of spiritual growth affecting the Body of Christ, in his commentaries, "The Danger of Perpetual Infancy," Part 1 and Part 2. He begins by saying:

Babies are wonderful, so are baby Christians if one means those who have recently come to the faith. The author of Hebrews, however, is speaking of babes of a different variety. These "babes" are in a state of perpetual infancy. They lack the interest and ability to understand Biblical teaching of any complexity and consequently lack discernment. Geriatric spiritual babies love to be entertained and amused like their counterparts in the nursery, but balk at the notion of learning and understanding theology. (Emphasis mine)

Why would you ask, am I concerned with the maturity of the believer. Over the last few months, I have visited many churches in our local area and after observing and asking many questions, I found the majority of these brethren to be Word poor. If someone does not have a good grasp of the Scriptures then on what can he or she base any type of discernment with regard to recognizing false teachings and heresies. And how can I grow if I do not know the Scriptures sufficiently to apply them to life situations?

What has been really shocking to me are the numbers of pastors that I have talked to that are also lacking in the knowledge of the Scriptures. These same pastors seem to be rich in spiritual experiences, good, bad or indifferent. I do not consider myself to be scholarly or a theologian in any way, but I work hard to study the Word, not for the approval of men but to be able to defend and contend for the faith. I would hope that the "leadership" would be prepared to equip the brethren to grow into the fullness of Christ for the purpose of ministry. Ephesians 4:11-16 gives us insight into the responsibility of those called to function as equippers for the maturing of the saints:

I do not and am not endorsing the 5-fold ministries here, but I am looking at the call upon those that are in some leadership capacity as elders of the brethren, who have been given the important responsibility to equip the saints....to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ. We are not to remain as children, we are only to have the attitude of little children, as we approach Christ, accepting what He has for us, without reservation, as our little children receive from us without question. In 1 Corinthians 14:20, we see:

[Rom 1:13] Brethren, [Eph 4:14; Heb 5:12f] do not be children in understanding: howbeit in malice [Ps 131:2; Matt 18:3; Rom 16:19; 1 Pet 2:2] be ye children, but in understanding be men. (Emphasis mine)

If we think in the natural, of how our own children can be so easily led about by adults, whether with good intentions or with evil. That is why we begin to train our children at an early age concerning the evils of the world to help them see the traps that will come, to try to ensnare them. As believers we face the same evils, not only of the world but even in our church families where men or women wait for the most opportune time to draw us away from the safety of our relationship with Jesus Christ, to entice us through spiritual experiences, false teachings, "new moves" of God, profane worship and many other dangers that will be offered as being from God.

Over the last month I have spoken with many brethren about growth and maturity in the Body of Christ. I am saddened to say, that in almost every case, those that have been Christians for 20 to 30 years, have very little understanding of the Word of God but have a wealth of knowledge about every move of God that has come along, including the spiritual experiences which keeps them coming back for more.

I don't know if this is an indictment on the saints or the leadership. We have been taught, over the years, that it is good for us to remain where we are, as we are, trusting that we will be fed by our leadership, what we need to remain healthy and to continue our growth in the Lord. We are also responsible for our own walk with the Lord, with a call to examine ourselves, to see if we are of the faith, to see if we are growing up in Him:

⁵Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

I worked for many years with the mentally challenged community ranging in ages 21 through 80 years old, with most not reaching the mental abilities of more than young children. This is what I am seeing with the brethren in the churches today, with only a few exceptions. We are not supposed to remain as children forever but we must grow up into mature men and women of God.

How will we know if we are mature, if we are grown up in the Lord, if we are always told that we can never get there or that we are in a continual process that will only culminate when we come face to face with the Lord after we pass on from this life into the next? Paul gives us a true perspective when he addresses the Corinthians about the mysteries of the Holy Spirit:

⁶Howbeit we speak wisdom among those that are [Eph 4:13; Phil 3:15; Heb 5:14; 6:1] perfect; yet not the wisdom of [Matt 13:22; 1 Cor 1:20] this world, nor of the princes of [Matt 13:22; 1 Cor 1:20] this world, that come [1 Cor 1:28] to nought;

¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if anything be ye otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. (Emphasis mine)

Paul's expectation is that the Corinthian and the Philippian brethren would grow up to be mature men or women in the fullness of Christ Jesus. The writer of Hebrews exhorts the believers once again to grow up:

Hebrews 6

¹Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, (Emphasis mine)

We read previously in Hebrews 5:13-14, that we need to practice the principles of righteousness to grow to maturity. To study the principles of righteousness we must diligently study the Word of God. Paul exhorts his co-worker, Timothy to study the Word, to show himself approved not to men, but to God:

2 Timothy 2

¹⁵Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

If we are not willing to practice the righteousness of God by studying the Word, then how are we to grow up into Christ? What sport did you ever get involved with or what musical instrument did you ever pick up, or even simply, how did you ever learn to walk or talk, without practice? And practice means doing it over and over and over until you get it right, which is hard and tedious and sometimes dull and boring.

If we are practicing the principles of the Word that we are learning by studying and putting them to use in the situations of life that we face everyday, then we are going to grow up. When we do these things without even thinking about them, then we have become mature in the things of the Word. Does this mean that we will not continue to grow? Do I stop growing in the natural in age, knowledge and experience? I think and hope not.

2. Being caught up in every move of God. They put up their sails and are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. (Ephesians 4:14)

3. Still trying to walk in the elementary or foundational truths of the Scriptures (Hebrews 6:1-3)

4. They cannot or do not discern good from evil, accepting every teaching or experience, good or bad, without checking the Word of God to see if the teaching is of the Lord or testing the spirits to see if they are from God. (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1-3)

I want to encourage and exhort all who read this to please examine your own lives according to the Word of God, to see if you are growing to maturity, and if you are not, to begin to study the Word of God diligently, to be approved by God. Then and only then, will you be able to walk in the fullness of Christ, because of practice, you will have your senses trained to discern good and evil. We are to grow up into all aspects into Him, who is the head, Christ Jesus.