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Benjamin Franklin quipped that most men die from the neck up by
the age of 25 because they stop dreaming. Spiritual maturity is somewhat like that. Some Christians never reach their full potential because they stop growing soon after committing their life to Christ.
Scripture addresses those that should
be further along the spiritual journey
but still crave milk instead of solid
food (Hebrews 5:12). How do babes
in Christ mature into fully functioning
adults? The answer is found in a proper
understanding of what it means to be
spiritually mature.
By
Ryan Mason
A Deeper Walk
Follow Me
Jesus paired the invitation to discipleship with the call to follow Him. He
beckoned His disciples to take up their
cross daily and follow Him (Luke
9:23). The road to spiritual maturity
begins with this first step.
This is evident as Jesus began His earthly ministry. He asked two fishermen,
Simon and Andrew, to leave behind everything that was familiar and follow
Him. They responded by walking away
from their livelihood and immediately
following Jesus (Matthew 4:18-20).
Spiritual maturity begins with accepting the call to genuine discipleship. A
disciple is much more than just a student. The title describes someone who
is fully committed to the teachings of
another; a follower. Jesus said, So
therefore, any one of you who does not
renounce all that he has cannot be my
disciple (Luke 14:33).
Jesus never used the term Christian
to describe His followers. The name
Christian was likely invented by those
Spiritual On-Ramps
People intent on growing in their relationship with Christ will begin their
journey at different places much like interstate on-ramps. Some disciples will
experience a greater degree of maturity
in a shorter period of time due to Gods
supernatural enabling, life experiences,
or commitment to the faith. The destination of spiritual maturity is the same
for every disciple but the journey is
unique and personal.
Ultimately, spiritual maturity is a gift
from God. The good news is that believers are given everything needed
to make the journey. As Peter wrote,
Gods divine power has given us all
things that pertain to life and godliness
(2 Peter 1:3).
How do we leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity
Personal Holiness
A disciple that desires to become godly
must develop godly habits. The call
is to follow Jesus. The apostle Paul
cautioned that we should not be conformed to this current age, but should
be transformed by the renewal of our
mind (Romans 12:2).
Personal holiness has never had mass
appeal but it is non-negotiable for a
follower of Christ. The word holiness
means to be set apart or distinct
from the world. It means to follow
Gods standards rather than blending
in with the world. Peter strongly admonished believers in this area when
he called on his readers to avoid conforming to the passions of their former
ignorance. He wanted his listeners to be
holy in their conduct and to model their
holiness after Christ (1 Peter 1:14-16).
The issue is further complicated today
because we have fewer godly examples
to emulate. Young adults often come
lesson, I read several verses of Scripture dealing with our eyes and
what we should not allow ourselves to see (like these):
* Wicked ThingsPsalm 101:3 (I will set nothing wicked before
my eyes.)
* Worthless ThingsPsalm 119:37 (Turn away my eyes from
looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.)
* The Opposite Sex for the Purpose of LustingMatthew 5:28
(But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for
her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.)
And, Job 31:1 (I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why
then should I look upon a young woman?)
Then I said, As we can tell from these verses, it is obvious that
there are things that the Lord doesnt want our eyes to see, and
were going to take a look at them tonight!
-Curt Gwartney
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