Most of us want to mature as Christians. I would venture to guess that the vast majority of believers do not want to stay immature and “baby-ish” in their walk with the Lord. And clearly the scripture gives us instruction about growing up in Christ. Paul, James and Peter exhort us over and over to be mature in our walk with Jesus.
So, here’s the question: What are the indicators of maturity in my walk with Christ? How do I know that I’ve grown? There has to be some measurable results which will tell me that I have progressed in the things of God. Over the next few weeks, we are going to be covering things that I like to call “marks” of maturity in the believer’s life. The New Testament has a lot to say on the subject, so let’s dive in…
The first concept that I would like for us to get into is perhaps one of the most important things that we can learn as Christians. Yet it is one that is either ignored or poorly taught on a wide scale in the Church world today. That is, being led by the Spirit of God. Of all the marks of maturity in our lives as Christians, this issue must have a high priority. As believers, we MUST be able to hear from God and allow what we hear to be the thing which guides and directs our decisions and lifestyles. In this is true maturity. Often times we place emphasis on things which are carnal as indicators of our walk with God. For example, we say things like “I haven’t missed a Sunday service in two years. My walk with God must be on point.” Yet when the scripture deals with our maturity in God, it always addresses internal things. Things like our love walk, or our ability to control anger and our sensitivity to God’s Spirit. Funny, how it never deals with our church attendance, or even (as ministers) our ability to preach a good sermon, or how many people we got saved last month. The scriptures indicate that internal aspects of our life are the things that are the most important. The book of Romans illustrates this for us perfectly.
Romans 8:14 states: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”
Now there are two things to notice here. The first is the word “led” and the second is the word “son.” Both are critical to defining the meaning of this scripture and to understanding our discussion regarding maturity. The word “led” means: “To lead, by accompanying into a place; To conduct or bring.” So firstly we need to see that it’s God’s desire to lead us into His will and purpose for our lives through the working of the Holy Spirit. That means that the Holy Spirit can and will take you deeper into God’s heart if you’re willing to follow. The scripture says in 1 Corinthians 2 that “…The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God…” So The Holy Spirit is always exploring the depths of God’s will and if we’re willing to follow Him, He’ll take us with Him on that journey. He’ll literally lead us into the will of God.
There are so many practical applications in our lives when it comes to being led. For example, it’s possible for us to have a working knowledge of God’s will regarding our future and then make choices based on that knowledge. If you’re sensitive to God’s Spirit and to His leading, than He can give you insight about the future, He can tell you where to be or where not to be. So often, we blame the devil for causing things to go wrong in our lives, when in reality a simple obedience to a word from the Lord would have spared us the trouble. God’s heart is always good and loving. He wants to lead us into His plan for us which is perfect. It’s ALWAYS up to us whether or not we follow.
Secondly, the scripture uses the word “son.” Now this is an interesting Greek word, because it is not the same as the word in the scripture which describes us as God’s children. This word for “son” is not trying to tell us that we’re God’s kids. In fact, Paul already assumes that we know that we’re God’s offspring, so he uses this word “son” instead of “child.” The reason that this word is so awesome is because it denotes maturity. Everywhere else in scripture where you see the word “child” or “children” the Bible is reminding us that we’re God’s kids. We’re His offspring, we’re in His family. But this word “son” is special because it indicates maturity. And as we all know, not every Christian is mature.
You see, the minute we get saved, we become God’s “child.” But unfortunately, not everyone grows from a child to a mature “son.” Think of it in natural terms for a moment. When you’re a baby, everything is done for you. Mommy and Daddy have to feed you, and clothe you. They have to bathe you and help you learn to walk. But as you grow, the responsibility of life begins to shift from your parents over onto you. When you’re 35 years old, no one is changing your diaper anymore (hopefully). You now have the authority and ability to be trusted with things in your life. Like the ability to drive a car or own a home. But these were things that you never could do as a child. Right?
It’s the same in the Kingdom of God. We must develop and grow in the things of God and move beyond spiritual babyhood into maturity as a “son” of God. And one of the first ways in which we do that is by learning to be led by God’s Spirit. The way that we know that we’re mature is when we can follow God into uncharted waters based on what He has spoken to us, with no fear or concern for our surroundings. This is a mark of maturity. Sonship, not babyhood. Being one of God’s sons enables you to be entrusted with heavenly wisdom and foreknowledge of things to come. Babies always live in the moment, but sons always know what is on their Father’s mind and walk in a confident understanding of His will.
In order for you and I to grow in our relationship with the Father, we must learn to be led by His Spirit. Maturity is found in your ability to hear God and then execute what you’ve heard. Notice that it’s not just in the hearing that we are matured. The scripture doesn’t say that all who hear God are the sons of God. It says, all who are led by Him are His sons. We must be willing to take instruction from God’s Spirit and then do what we’ve heard! This is maturity my friend. It’s not whether or not you attended every Bible study in the month of June last year or the fact that your family has attended the same church for 150 years. Those things are of little relevance when it comes to maturity. The question is: Can you hear God? And: When you’ve heard him, are you willing to do what He’s said? Those are the issues that truly indicate where you’re walk with the Lord is really at.
Are you hungry to be a mature son of God, or are you comfortable with having your spiritual diapers changed?