The Biblical Barometer for Maturation

By Mark W. Christy, PhD

The Bible offers multiple ways for believers to gauge their success in the maturation process where the ultimate goal is full-on Christlikeness when the unification with Christ occurs in heaven after death. This article will consider five separate measurements that are provided in Scripture to determine one’s spiritual growth.

First, growing Christians exhibit an increasingly developed understanding of God’s Word (cf. Col 3:16). This is hardly surprising since Jesus Himself said that those who are “[b]lessed…hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt 5:6).[i] To obtain this knowledge, these Christians are studying the Bible in their private capacity (Ps 1:1-2), among their peers (Col 3:16), and under the direction of a spiritually equipped pastor who is gifted in the teaching and preaching of the Word (Eph 4:11-12).

Second, maturing believers demonstrate ever increasing confidence in the Lord (cf. Eph 3:12). This quality of boldness was on full display in Paul’s life as he repeatedly proclaimed God’s Word despite his many ordeals. As Christians encounters trials, tribulations, and testing, they will learn endurance (James 1:4). Throughout the Scripture, many examples of faith struggles are put on full exhibit as examples for God’s people to likewise grow in their confidence in His faithfulness. Job, for instance, struggled to understand why God allowed such overwhelming misfortune to pervade his life, but in the end his questions gave way to a simple faith (Job). In the same way, Jeremiah at one point allowed himself to be overwhelmed with the sorrows of his time and chose to fill himself with self-pity while also bemoaning his very existence (Jer 15:10, 15-18). Like Job, Jeremiah responded to God’s command to repent and the result was still further growth as God’s command to repent came with an accompanying promise to supply Jeremiah with the strength he needed. Specifically, the Lord said to Jeremiah, “You will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, [b]ut as for you, you must not turn to them. Then I will make you to this people [a] fortified wall of bronze; [a]nd though they fight against you, [t]hey will not prevail over you” (Jer 15:19-20).

Third, the zealously faithful develop increasing trust in the sovereign control of God (cf. Job 42:2). In Lamentations 3:1-18, Jeremiah lists many worldly hopes which God had sovereignly allowed to prove faulty and unhelpful as he struggled to cling to them, so much so that he declares in v.18: “My strength has perished, [a]nd so has my hope from the Lord.” In the midst of his apparent utter hopelessness, he is drawn to the One True Hope that is the Lord Himself and grows in his assurance that God is sovereignly in control of every aspect of his life (Lam 3:19-24).

Fourth, developing saints demonstrate more and more discipline in their lives as they learn to walk faithfully in obedience to the Lord’s commands (cf. Deut 17:19-20). The writer of Hebrews admonishes Christians that the Lord’s disciple falls upon all of the chosen people and “yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (12:11). In other words, the sin of the faithful will be addressed by God in such a way that increased righteousness will be exhibited in their lives.

Finally, the Lord’s people who commit themselves to pursue Christlikeness will find themselves filled with joy as they endure the many difficulties of this life (cf. James 1:2-3). During times of discipline this joy may be elusive, but it will spring back as believers hold to the faith and complete the testing of their faith (Heb 12:11). Such testing can occur in many forms but it will nevertheless involve some form of suffering. In the case of the Macedonians, they suffered many afflictions including extreme poverty and yet remained faithful (2 Cor 8:2; lit., ‘in much testing of affliction’). Their faithfulness, Paul records, led to a harvest of joy (2 Cor 8:2).

[i]All Scripture references are taken from NASB1995.