The Path to Spiritual Maturity

In commenting on another post, this thought crossed my mind. What contributes to spiritual maturity? How is it obtained? I know the KJV uses words like perfect or complete to mean mature. I wonder if we could compile a list of scriptures here that tell us how we grow to spiritual maturity. I will start with this one.

Eph. 4:11-15 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

We can receive ministry from the gifts that God has given the body so that we can learn truth. We can submit ourselves to anointed leadership and to a body so that God can use where we are at to cause us to grow up.

2Pe 1:2
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2Pe 1:3
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 5 13&14-
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Spiritual maturity comes by continuous discernemt of good and evil. They have their senses trained for spiritual discernment.

1Jo 2:12
I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

1Jo 2:13
I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.

1Jo 2:14
I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.

As children our sins are forgiven. As young men, for those who have grown strong and the word of God abides, these have overcome the devil. And finally, for those who have walked with Jesus for a long time, these have become fathers amongst the congregation.

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen."

The path to Spiritual Maturity is growing in Grace and this is accomplished by growing in our knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

1 ¶ If I speak human or”„angelic languages but do not have”„love, I am a sounding gong or”„a”„clanging”„cymbal.
2 ¶ If I have the gift of”„prophecy and understand all”„mysteries and all”„knowledge, and if I have all”„faith so that I”„can move”„mountains but do not have love, I”„am”„nothing.
3 ¶ And if I donate all”„my”„goods to”„feed the”„poor, and if I give my”„body in”„order to”„boast[fn] but do not have love, I”„gain”„nothing.
4 ¶ Love is patient, love”„is”„kind. Love does not”„envy, is not boastful, is”„not”„conceited,
5 ¶ does not act”„improperly, is not selfish, is not”„provoked, and does not keep a”„record of”„wrongs.
6 ¶ Love finds no joy in”„unrighteousness but rejoices in”„the”„truth.
7 ¶ It bears all things, believes all”„things, hopes all things, endures all”„things.
8 ¶ Love never ends. But as for”„prophecies, they will come to”„an”„end; as for languages, they”„will”„cease; as for knowledge, it”„will”„come to”„an”„end.
9 ¶ For we know in”„part, and we prophesy in”„part.
10 ¶ But when the”„perfect”„comes, the partial will”„come to”„an”„end.
11 ¶ When I was a”„child, I spoke like”„a”„child, I thought like a”„child, I reasoned like”„a”„child. When I became a”„man, I put aside childish”„things.
12 ¶ For now we see indistinctly,[fn] as in”„a”„mirror,[fn] but then face”„to”„face. Now I know in”„part, but then I will know”„fully, as I am fully”„known.
13 ¶ Now these”„three”„remain: faith, hope,”„and”„love. But the greatest of”„these is”„love.

Learning to lay ourselves down for love... sacrificial love/perfection
Being totally dependent on God,... maturity/perfection
Learning obedience thru suffering.... perseverance/perfection

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

I loveit! Gives me something to meditate on today. More?

John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

We are matured or made perfect through intimacy with Him. The Father in Christ, Christ in us, and unity between us. Being one with Him.

Faith in God, obedience to His Word, and submission to the discipline of the Lord, His pruning and chastisement are all a vital part of our spiritual growth.

as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation; (1 Peter 2:2).

"Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4).

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." (2 Peter 3:18).

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." (Ephesians 4:15).

Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how. 28All by itself the earth produces a crop ”” first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within. 29And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.”… (Mark 4:27-29).

"And those sown on good ground are they that hear the word, and receive it, and bear fruits, by thirties, and by sixties, and by hundreds. " (Mark 4:20).

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." (John 15:2)

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

By the way, have you realized what a blessing it is that we can post here scriptures freely?! May His word be in our hearts and minds... think on these things!\t
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John 15 has become one of my favorite chapters in all of the NT. Abiding in Him is where it is at. It is really the one key to unlock it all spiritually. His presence is everything.

Sister Esther,

Quote:"By the way, have you realized what a blessing it is that we can post here scriptures freely?! May His word be in our hearts and minds... think on these things!\t
"

Amen to that! What a privilege! These discussions cause us to dive deeper into the Word and really seek things out and dig for the treasures contained therein.

One big bible study group! Different points of view, challenging but edifying at the same time.

For example, the recent posts about the baptism of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit stirred me in a fresh way to once again put into practice what I believe and desire a new working of the Spirit in and through my life!

Blessings,

This scripture is the first step "in my opinion" to begin a real spiritual maturity walk. Get past this and you're on your way.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”“Galatians 1:10

I have couple of questions, and I think they are not off-topic.

1. Bro Travis, I've realized few years ago the difference between John's epistle and all other epistles. Have you any idea why did John get such revelation of God - and I do not mean the book of Revelation - but why did He get hold of those words of Christ, those discussion with the Jews, the fellowship on the Lord's supper? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Does it have something to do with his personal desire to know the Lord, with his character? Cause I think that Peter or James could have as well leaned on Jesus's breast - but they didn't. Or at least it is not recorded. Hope you understand my thoughts.

2. Is it possible to have all our doctrine right? I yesterday talked with some people from the church and I said something like "I don't think we will ever know all things." But as I thought of it today - I think I was wrong.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12, 13)

"Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27)

The other verse that seems to be somewhat in contrast to that is: "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." (and we know that speaks of the time when we will see God face to face).

I know that a Christian should never stop to grow. S. Wigglesworth has said: "To live two days in succession on the same spiritual plane is a tragedy." And I know that we should always run, fight and strive like Paul. But isn't there a fullness that God want us to receive / arrive at. Christ said that the Holy Spirit would guide us into "all truth" - so I think it should be possible to have all doctrine and practice right. I think, it is the will of God.

1. Bro Travis, I've realized few years ago the difference between John's epistle and all other epistles. Have you any idea why did John get such revelation of God - and I do not mean the book of Revelation - but why did He get hold of those words of Christ, those discussion with the Jews, the fellowship on the Lord's supper? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Does it have something to do with his personal desire to know the Lord, with his character? Cause I think that Peter or James could have as well leaned on Jesus's breast - but they didn't. Or at least it is not recorded. Hope you understand my thoughts.

I believe you are right. There seems to be a revelation that John received, or at least was able to communicate, that somehow seems to go a step beyond that what is communicated by the writers of the other gospels. And John says of himself that he was the disciple that Jesus loved.

I think there is something to that. Paul tells us in Ephesians 3 that comprehending the love of God for us is the key to being filled with all the fullness of God. In fact, it implies that apart from this revelation we will only be partially filled with what God has for us.

I think that most of us have not been able to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of His love for us. That revelation of His love passes knowledge, meaning we cannot in our own intellectual understanding even begin to approach an understanding of His love for us. It takes the revelation of the Holy Spirit to have this kind of understanding.

John had this revelation. And I believe it opened the door in His life for a greater revelation of who God is and who Christ is. I agree with you. I think we all have this level of revelation of His love available to us. But will we reach out and receive it? Most of us would say yes, yet we cannot receive it with our hands filled with other things, and I think most of us are not yet willing to let go of those other things. Those things might be sinful things, but that is not what I am talking about here. Those things are usually our own ideas of what this walk with God should look like.

For example, I have seen many people get somewhat offended at (meaning to stumble at) certain things the Bible has to say about believers. We might read that we have received His righteousness and stand before God just as righteous as Jesus is. But we see our own flesh and have been taught that we are, praise God, going to heaven, but it is almost as if God has to look the other way for us to get there and we think it blasphemous to think we are as righteous as Jesus. We are focused on man's teaching and our own flesh, which can never be perfect, thus the reason for glorification at the end of it all. Yet there are lists of scriptures that speak to the righteousness we have received from Him, and not our own righteousness. We must let go of our own in order to have His if that makes sense.

2. Is it possible to have all our doctrine right? I yesterday talked with some people from the church and I said something like "I don't think we will ever know all things." But as I thought of it today - I think I was wrong.

In totality, I think no. But I do believe we will in ever increasing measure. I love the scriptures you quoted. I would also add 1 Cor. chapter 2. At one time eye had not seen and ear had not heard. But we have been given that knowledge and that revelation through the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit we have been given the mind of Christ. I love the way one singer put it. The song says, "I'm out of my mind and into the mind of Christ."

But again, I think the rate and depth of growth into maturity is directly proportional to the level of relationship. If you abide in Me (first) and my words abide in you (second), then shall you ask what you will.... Revelation knowledge comes through time and relationship. Abiding is the key to understanding. Look at how Paul's teaching that we have revelation of the love of God brings the fullness of God. Look at how John tells us to abide in Him and His word in us brings answered prayer. This should be, I think, one of the major things that we teach believers. Intimacy and relationship lead to maturity and fruit.

In 1 Cor. 1:10, Paul expresses His desire for unity in the church. But the same thing that Paul wants them to speak only comes as they all receive revelation from God and this happens only when they all are in close communion with Him. I do believe it is His will that we have all of our doctrine and practice right. We are the ones that keep His will from coming to pass in this area.

Spiritual maturity is all about becoming fruitful, bearing fruit, and this was mentioned on another thread that the only way that we are going to be fruitful is to abide in Christ, and have His word abiding in us.

"He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for apart from Me ye can do nothing." (John 15: 5).

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7).

Spiritual growth will only come about if we are true disciples of the Lord.

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed;" (John 8:31).

Thanks, bro Travis! I would have some follow-up questions but will probably post them later...

Christianity may mean nothing more than a religious system. The Christian life may mean nothing more than an earnest and honest attempt to follow and imitate Christ. The Christ life is more than these and expresses our actual union with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is actually in us as the life and source of all our experience and work. This conception of the highest Christian life is at once simpler and more sublime than any other. We do not teach that the purpose of Christ's redemption is to restore us to Adamic perfection, for if we had it we should lose it tomorrow. Rather, it is to unite us with the second Adam, and to lift us up to a higher plane than our first parents ever knew. This is the only thing that can reconcile the warring elements of diverse schools of teaching with respect to Christian life. The Spirit of God will lead us to have no controversy respecting mere theories. Rather, we are simply to hold to the person and life of Jesus Christ Himself and the privilege of being united to Him through living in constant dependence upon His keeping power and grace.

A.B.Simpson

"This thread is wonderful! Thank you so much for all the scriptures and feedback. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have more discussions like this? To encourage, build up the body, edify."

Amen Sister!

"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:13).