The Goal? Maturity!



Ephesians 4:11-16
11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

For the most part, being a parent is a fantastic experience. Sure, there are times when it is extremely difficult. But the rewards are magnificent and all-in-all it is a worth doing. But what if those children never grew up? What if they remained an infant for their entire lives? There are, of course, people for whom that is true and their lives are a challenge. But the vast majority of people grow up and become adults. The same hold true for us spiritually as well. Our faith is not meant to be a static thing. Our faith is supposed to be growing, maturing and dynamic!
 
There are millions of Christians throughout the Church for whom growth is an anathema. They know that Jesus died for their sins and probably name Him as their Savior. And that’s where it ends. They have ceased to grow in the faith, in their understanding of the God’s Word and in their love for Him. They have chosen to remain spiritual infants. You can see the problems this creates. An infant needs constant care themselves. They are not equipped to be of service to anyone else. They are in constant need of a clean diaper or someone to feed them. It’s an easy life. But it negates our calling as Christians.

God has made a way for us to grow up in the faith. He has provided those equipped to lead others to Christ and then to teach them the faith. God has provided us with the Holy Spirit who binds us together with other Christians, challenging us to be strengthened in our understanding of the Lord and His ways. But we have to avail ourselves of that “advanced” education. Coming out of infancy is our choice. Physically, a child naturally develops into and adult. But spiritual, we have to put ourselves into situations that cause our faith to grow.

What intentional choices have you made (besides reading this Blog? :) ) that move you from spiritual infancy into maturity? It doesn't require tough choices, just intentional ones.

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