How to Mature in Christ
How can we mature in Christ? Are there things we can do to progress in our walk with the Lord? Today I want to cover how we can grow up in God so we don’t remain spiritual babies all our lives.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby I Peter 2 (NKJV)
New believers start their new life like new humans start their physical life- as babies. In this state, we begin by drinking the milk of the Word, or learning the basics. We have to be established on foundational truths first.(Hebrews 6:1-2). Once we do this, we can go from milk to the meat of God’s Word (Hebrews 5:14). The more we learn and do God’s Word, the more we grow up spiritually. As we experience the Word for ourselves through revelation of God’s Word, we mature.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? I Corinthians 3:1-3 (NKJV)
As we keep God’s Word by living it, God’s love is perfected in us, or His love matures us. Thus, we become able to overcome strife, jealousy, carnality, envy, division, etc.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit…. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing…. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:2, 4-5, 7-8 (NKJV)
As we remain in God and His Word remains in us, we will bear fruit, then more fruit, and then much fruit. In so doing, we will glorify God.
We also gain maturity by sitting under a good pastor and good teachers who can teach us from the Word of God. Many will give you a message that encourages you and makes you feel good, but to grow we need to sit under people who will teach us the Bible and how to apply it to our lives. We need to be exposed to all five of the fivefold ministry offices noted in Ephesians 4:11 in order to have a balanced diet of the Word. If your church does not bring in apostles, evangelists, prophets and teachers to complement what you are learning from your pastor, you can seek out these ministries on your own by looking online, watching them on Christian television, or reading their books.
The infilling of the Holy Spirit, which is evidence by the ability to speak in tongues, also supports our ability to grow and mature. As we pray in tongues and rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us, and mature us, we progress in our spiritual walk.
Maturity is a lifelong process in which we become more and more like Christ in our attitudes, mindsets, words, and behaviors- where we decrease and Jesus increases. More and more we seek God’s will over our own. This brings God pleasure. After all, according to Colossians 1:16, all things were created by God for God.
