What is spiritual maturity, and how does a person become spiritually mature? This is a post for Christians, and for seekers who wonder what life will be like after they become Christians. If you want to become a Christian but don’t know how, you’ll find the essential Bible verses in the right margin of this page, or scroll down if using your phone.
That said, becoming spiritually mature involves five things. Their order and details can vary, but if any one of them is missing your progress will likely be delayed or stopped altogether.
- You must be a true born-again Christian (required)
- Get fed somehow from the Bible every day (when possible)
- “Abide in Christ” continually (grows with practice)
- Get up when you fall down (expect many falls)
- Find and join a true Christian church (recommended)
You must be born again
Point number one? You MUST be what Jesus called “born-again”. In order to be spiritually mature, you must first become a spiritual person. The Bible says that God is a spirit, and his kingdom is a spiritual kingdom. Jesus said that in order to even SEE the Kingdom of God, we must all first become born-again, or born into his kingdom. When we’re born-again, the Holy Spirit of God is imparted to us. That is, our bodies become “Temples of the Holy Spirit”! That can happen with a simple prayer while you’re alone with God, or maybe another Christian leads you in that prayer. Sometimes it happens at a Christian meeting of some kind.
How it happens isn’t important. What is important is that we acknowledge our sins to God and ask to receive the gift of forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. When we accept that gift by faith, the Holy Spirit enters our bodies, and the maturing process can begin.
Get fed from the Bible every day
Point number two is that Christians need to be spiritually fed from God’s word – ideally every day. The Bible refers to two kinds of spiritual food: Milk, and meat. Milk refers to basic concepts that are easy to understand and apply, even for the newest believers. Meat on the other hand, are ideas and passages that require some experience in God to apply correctly.
Some new Christians might resist the idea of feeding on milk, thinking that their age and accomplishments in the world put them in a more advanced category in the Kingdom of God. If that describes you, then here’s a verse that you can memorize and meditate on starting today: “God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.” It’s a Kingdom of God principle that can make or break your walk with the Lord, depending on how you relate to it. It’s hard to feel like a beginner in life, especially for older folks.
Humility isn’t optional in anybody’s walk with God, and pretending definitely doesn’t cut it. Proverbs 16.18 is another good one. In my life it may be the single most quoted scripture of the entire Bible. By me? No, by the Holy Spirit in me. Trust me when I say that our heavenly father is EXPERT at dealing with pride in his kids’ lives!
Do you enjoy letting someone else do the cooking by eating out at a restaurant sometimes? The same thing happens spiritually when we enjoy a good sermon Sunday mornings, or when we tune in to a Christian radio message. Sometimes I think of the current health advice to avoid salt and other additives by eating raw unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Again, there’s a spiritual parallel there as well. Sermons can be inspirational and important to our health as Christians. Keep in mind though, that God’s word spoken by any person can contain that person’s ideas and preferences, which may or may not be scriptural. Getting fed directly from the Bible on the other hand, requires more work, but at least you know that the food is pure and safe.
When I let other activities take me away from my Bible reading for a few days, I feel weak and begin to lose interest in my walk with the Lord. Memorization can be a help here. When the Word of God is written on your heart, it can be there when your Bible is not, giving you energy and help wherever you go.
Abide in Christ continually
The third key to becoming mature in Christ is to abide in him continually. Every Christian should read and memorize John 15.5, then repeat it every day until it becomes a deeply rooted habit. It describes the normal Christian life, with two assurances that should interest any Christian: One is that while abiding in Christ you’ll bear fruit in God’s eyes, and Two that there’s no other path that you should be following where God is concerned.
What does it mean to abide in Christ? It means that he directs every aspect of your life through the Holy Spirit, not some list of rules. The problem with rules is that even unbelievers can read and follow rules. Only a true Christian can abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ might be called a “faith-walk” where we continually choose to trust the Holy Spirit for guidance in every moment of the day. Every decision, every word, and every thought. Will you stumble? Of course you will! Only Jesus never failed.
What abiding in Christ is NOT, is permission to do whatever you want. The Holy Spirit will never tempt you to sin. In fact, the Holy Spirit in us is the power that God has given us to resist and overcome sin, but that’s for another post.
Get up when you fall down
Forgetting the fourth point can put an end to your walk toward spiritual maturity all by itself if you’re not careful. Be sure to get back up when you fall down.
Have you ever watched a baby try to learn to walk? It’s a trial and error process that includes a lot of stumbles, falls and crying. New Christians are no different.
Our salvation is a finished work. Jesus accomplished it for us when he died on the cross, and we can’t add anything to it. When it comes to our spiritual maturity however, the work is not finished the moment we become Christians. In fact, it’s only begun. Often new Christians fail to understand that, and quickly become discouraged when their old behaviors don’t match those of their new spiritually mature Christian friends.
When God delivered the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage, he kept them in the wilderness for forty years before entering the promised land. Why forty years? Because it took forty years for all of the Egyptian-born Hebrews to die with their worldly ways. The Hebrews who fought giants in the land of Canaan were those who grew up knowing only God’s ways. That’s a metaphor of what happens in each Christian who understands the importance of attaining spiritual maturity. And who stays the course until God calls him to battle.
Find a Christian church that values spiritual maturity
Finally, point five is the decision to find and join a true Christian church. Making a good decision here can be more important than you think to your spiritual maturity. You can be a Christian without being associated with any local church. But if you do consider one, it really should be a collection of true born-again believers who are actively seeking God’s will for their lives. Otherwise that church can become more of a substitute for God in your life. And a hindrance, rather than a help.
Drive the extra distance to find an active group of true believers if you need to. There are no perfect churches, so don’t expect to find one. Just narrowing the list down to one that believes that the Bible is the Word of God shortens the list down quite a bit these days. Of course ask for God’s help in your search. Ask him to open and close doors along the way. Then be willing to walk through those doors when opened, or to change direction when closed.
Growing up in God is an adventure to be sure! Our checklist can be helpful, but you’ll still face challenges that you didn’t anticipate. Keep in mind that there’s a real devil operating in the world. His goal is to make sure that you never grow up to take your place in the fields harvesting new believers. Grown-up Christians know how to handle him easily. Our job is to grow up as soon as we can. And then to stay strong for whatever work God has for us in this short time on earth.
So…If you’re not a true born-again Christian, then become one now. Get fed daily. Abide in Christ at all times. Get up when you fall, and don’t try to go it alone.