There are many different opinions of what it means to be spiritually mature. Mine may differ from yours. The following are some of the spiritual activities that I’ve heard referenced in regards as proof of a person being spiritually mature:
- Born Again: This is essential isn’t it? It is the foundation of our Christian lives but is not a guarantee of spiritual maturity.
- Baptized in the Holy Spirit: This is an important part of our spiritual development. It does not guarantee spiritual maturity though!
- Prayer: We need to develop our prayer lives but there are a lot of people who pray and still are not spiritually mature. Jesus told His disciples that hypocrites love to pray (Matthew 6:5). How could a person be a hypocrite and spiritually mature?
- Faith: We cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). It is possible to have faith without being spiritually mature. Developing in faith though is an indication that a person is maturing in their spiritual life but it is not an indication they have arrived.
I served in the US Navy as an avionics technician. Shops in our squadron had several different toolboxes. Each would have a unique set of tools designed for a specific purpose unique to the work of the shop. Some of these would be for electrical work, some for airframe work, and some for safety systems. The tools were unique to each trade required to maintain aircraft assigned to our squadron.
The spiritual activities listed above are all tools to be used in our quest to become spiritually mature. Each has a specific role to play in our growth. Each one must be in our toolbox but will not enable us to properly maintain our spiritual life by itself.
I believe that the number one tool that many Christians are missing is the Word of God. This is the one tool in our toolbox that will unlock everything else. My goal is not to condemn anyone but the vast majority of Christians have little personal knowledge of the Word of God.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17
There are many frustrated Christians desiring miracles. They believe there is a God but are not seeing Him move in their lives. If asked what Scripture they are standing on would they even be able to provide one?
Paul tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. If we are believing God for healing we must ask ourselves what Scripture we are standing on. The vast majority of Christians who are believing to receive healing but do not have even one verse to base their faith on. They believe it is the will of God in their minds but have no revelation knowledge from Scripture for their faith to stand on.
Have you ever hung a picture on the wall of your home? Did you put a nail or screw in first to hold the picture or did you just put the frame against the wall? I know that this may seem like a strange question. The picture cannot stay on the wall without having something for it to attach to.
There are a lot of Christians who are believing to receive healing from sickness or disease. They have not laid a foundation and can be compared to a person who is trying to hang a picture without first putting a nail in the wall to hold it.
“I know that the Bible says that it was by Jesus stripes I am healed but am not sure where.”
This statement reflects the attitude of many Christians. They know what the Bible says from hearing others talk about it but have no personal experience to base their faith on. It is no wonder we are not seeing God move in greater measures today!
Our goal in this study is to learn how to become spiritually mature. This will require us to have much more interaction with God’s Word than what we have while sitting in a church service. It will require us to spend time meditating on its truths. This is the only way any of us will ever develop in our spiritual knowledge. If we do not have the right knowledge, we will never receive what we are believing for.
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:1
Did you know that there is enough revelation in this one verse to turn most people’s theology upside down?
“…to them that have obtained like precious faith”
The Greek text shows us that Peter is trying to convey the fact that we have identical faith. What does this mean? Peter is telling us that we have the same faith he walked! This is the person who saw sick people instantly healed when his shadow passed over them.
If you are a Christian, you have the same faith as Peter! Most people do not believe this. This is the reason that there are so many people who attend weekly services that are crying out to God for more faith. Christians do not need to pray for more. They have the same faith that saw people healed when Peter’s shadow passed over them and that raised Dorcas from the dead.
Every person who has received Jesus as their Lord has the same measure of faith as Peter. This faith was imparted to them at salvation.
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Romans 12:3
Christians do not need more faith. They have “the measure of faith” that was imparted to them at the moment of conversion. We do not need more faith but we do need a revelation of what we have and how it works.
That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
Philemon 1:6
The word “communication” could also be translated as “release” or “transferral”. Our ability to “release” the power of faith becomes effective only when we acknowledge the good things that God has deposited inside of our spirits. Most Christians do not have a revelation of their position in Christ Jesus and are completely ignorant of what God has placed inside of their spirit.
I have heard people say that there is no way they could have the same faith as Peter or any of the other disciples. These people need to either read what Peter wrote or tear the pages out of their Bibles that contain First and Second Peter. Both of those books were written to people with “like precious faith” and if they do not pertain to us then we need to receive Jesus as our Savior!
One of the major keys to spiritual maturity is humility. Some people will struggle with the thought of having the same faith Peter walked in. We need to be humble enough to admit our struggle with understanding the truths of Scripture. If we are willing to do this, the Holy Spirit will help us.
There are very few people who will allow the Bible to come between them and their beliefs. This is the reason so many people struggle to understand its truths. I’ve heard people come up with all sorts of reasons why healing is not for today. They are essentially saying that it does not matter to them what the Bible says! I don’t want to be one of these people, do you?
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