Spiritual Maturity

One of the most critical situations in the church world today is its lack of spiritual maturity. The vast majority of believers are babes who constantly demand personal attention, hanker after blessings or are obsessed with entertainment. Their leaders are satisfied to minister little more than a light elementary gospel to keep the crowds happy, the coffers full and the many human programs functioning. The general mentality of the average believer today is, "I am saved, blessed and going to heaven."

God's commandment and charge to the church could never be clearer than that stated in Hebrews 6:1-2. There we find, "Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, (the A.B.C's of the gospel) let us go on to perfection (maturity or completeness in Christ);not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of the laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." These fundamental experiences and doctrines, like training, instruction and discipline in the natural life, should become incorporated in the believer's life in preparation for 'adult living'.

Revelation of the Father's Heart
Any normal parent desires his child to grow and develop into a responsible adult. How much more does our Heavenly Father yearn for His children to come unto maturity. This yearning of the Father heart is revealed in a number of scripture passages, most significantly in the following excerpts from Ephesians 4:11-15:

"And he gave some apostles,...prophets,...evangelists,... pastors and teachers for the perfecting (maturing and equipping) of the saints...till we all come...unto a perfect (full-grown) man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more (no longer) children (babes)..."

The vision incorporated in this passage can only become a reality as the church is exposed to the diversified 'five-fold ministry', quality preaching and teaching characterized by the 'meat of the word' and an environment conducive to the rearing of stable and responsible spiritual adults. The church is not to be a nursery for babes nor an entertainment center for children, but an institution for the development of spiritual vision, purpose and maturity.

The 'Corn of Wheat'
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12:24)
"It was right and proper that in bringing many sons to glory, God should make the Leader of their salvation a Perfect Leader through the fact that He suffered..." (Hebrews 2:10, Phillips)

It would be consistent with the true Father heart that, having obtained one Son (Jesus) made perfect through sufferings, He would desire a vast family of sons just like Him. In fact, according to Romans 8:29, this is the chief purpose for our being called: "For whom He did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."

In the passage from John 12:24, it is clear that Jesus was speaking about Himself. He was the corn of wheat that would fall into the ground and die for the purpose of bringing much fruit unto the Father. Consistent with the law of sowing and reaping, every seed brings forth after its kind. If we sow corn, we expect to reap corn. If we sow wheat, we reap wheat, and so on. Jesus was not a babe or a child when He died, but a full-grown, mature son. He had successfully passed through every human experience and testing designed to bring Him unto perfection. Thus, what God expects in the ultimate harvest is not millions of crying babies, but a family of full-grown sons in the image and stature of Jesus, God's firstborn.

The Rich Young Ruler
In Matthew 19:16-22 is given the account of a rich young man who came to Jesus with a seeking heart. He asked, "Good master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" It is evident that, though he sought for something high and noble, he was seeking for himself.

Jesus explained what he needed to do to have eternal life; then added a challenge. Would he be willing to go further than have something for himself? "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast..."

Becoming 'perfect' (spiritually mature) would represent something higher than merely having eternal life in that it would provide something (a mature son) for the Heavenly Father. (It would also be costly; there would be a price attached.) Redemption has been presented as providing something totally for man, but it is first a means of providing something for God, that is, a vast family of full-grown sons in the image and likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul's Second Travail
"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." (Galatians 4:19) We could call this Paul's 'second travail'.

It is clear from both this passage and several others, that the burden of the Apostle Paul underwent a change in his later years. In the first years of his ministry, this man traveled to many parts of the civilized world to reach both Jew and Gentile with the gospel of grace unto salvation. God used him to convert many to the faith and to establish churches in many places. This period of his life could be summed up by the passage in 1 Corinthians 9:22, "... I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

But in the above passage from Galatians, another burden is seen to have taken over the Apostle's heart. He is now in a second travail, not for new converts, but for those who have believed. He is yearning for the complete formation of the Christ-life in the believers, that is, their spiritual development unto maturity.

This 'second travail' is also seen in Paul's writing to the Colossians 1:26-29. Here he declares the mystery of 'Christ in you' and explains its full meaning in verse 28: "Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect (full grown or mature) in Christ Jesus." Then in verse 29, when he says, "Whereunto I also labor..." he reveals the ultimate objective for his preaching the gospel is indeed the 'perfecting or maturing of the saints'.