Mark of the Spiritually Mature

When I was younger I tried desperately to understand what it meant to be a mature Christian. I wanted to be a spiritually mature person. The first sermon I ever preached even dealt with the subject of Christian maturity.

I had all kinds of ideas about what made a person spiritually mature but was never really able to convince myself that I had it figured out. At one point I thought it had only to do with faith. Those who had much faith were mature Christians. Then I considered love. Those Christians who loved God and others much were mature. Now certainly faith and love are characteristics of any Christian who is in Christ and they are indicators of spiritual growth.

Spiritual maturity really isn’t something that can be described definitively because really we are talking about the work of God in a person — something that is spiritual and not tangible in the way we would like. However, there are ways of identifying spiritual growth. In fact the Bible gives them to us and tells us to test ourselves by them. Faith and love would definitely be included in this. Does a person rely more upon Christ and trust him more readily and steadfastly than they did before? Does a person have a growing love and zeal for Jesus Christ. Does a person find themselves more and more troubled that their neighbors and friends may be going to hell because they have not accepted God’s provision for the punishment and consequences of sin? Is there a greater longing for Biblical fellowship?

Here is another identifying factors of spiritual growth. The closer a person grows to God the more God will enlighten them to the wickedness of their own heart. The apostle Paul is a good example of this. He lived with the constant mentality and spiritual understanding that except it be for Christ—off to hell he would be. Paul saw the wretchedness of the heart and the rebellion in his soul against God. Only maturing Christians will experience this. When you are saved you see something of your sin but when you have walked close with God it’s a whole new world. You begin to dread sin as though it’s a plague (and it is). You become more and more thankful for God’s great provision because you see that except for His grace you would be destined for the pit of hell. Like Paul you genuinely see yourself as the worst of sinners because God has revealed to you the true nature of your heart. Such a person will no longer pretend to be the nice, perfect Christian person but they will become truthful and honest with themselves, God and others about who they really are—the greatest of all sinners saved by the Grace of God.

I have come to see this mark as the greatest mark or measurement of a spiritually mature person. A person that sees clearly who they are before God and are honest with him and others about it. This all goes hand in hand with an immensely growing attitude of thankfulness and worship to the one who opens your eyes and saves your wretched soul - Jesus Christ!

God Owes Me Nothing!

We are all called to be obedient to God but our obedience gains us nothing except a certain relational harmony with God and a good witness before men. Morality and obedience are not salvation nor do they lead to salvation. If one thinks they have power over God or certain rights under God because of their morality or obedience they are severely mistaken. God owes us nothing. I don't care how perfect a person is, God owes them nothing. He owes me nothing. For all my passion, zeal and labors of prayer and reading the Bible - for all my devotion, preaching, and seeking Him, God owes me nothing - not a thing, zip, zilch.

How I pray that my obedience stems only from a motivation of love for my maker and no other reason. I throw myself upon God's grace that if perhaps my motivation behind my morality and obedience has been other than love for Him, that He will forgive me. I cannot earn anything from God, not his approval, not his love, not his pleasure or His glory. God owes me nothing and He never will.

What will make all of my religion a sweet odor unto God - only love. But pathetic man that I am, I have no love to give. I cannot conjure love up within my heart. I cannot birth love deep in my soul. I am helpless to love you God. Oh praise Jesus Christ from which my salvation comes! Wretched does not describe me well enough apart from that Grace of God.

And how beautiful it is yet why do I still try to earn it. Why do I think that if I am good that somehow God will owe me a blessing? Will my children be healthier or my marriage stronger; will my prosperity increase or my honor intensify because I obey the Word of God? I should think not for if I obey God for that purpose I am more vile than the man who squanders away his life in rebellion against God.

In God's eyes the world is not divided into moral and immoral people. Rather the World is divided into those who recognize their need for the Grace of God and those who don't. How greatly I need His grace. I need it as much and more so than the man who never set foot in a church or opened His Bible. I will return to the grace of God that first brought me to Him. For me there is no other choice.

Listen, I did not see that I needed the grace of God by my own power. I could not have for I was dead in my sins, I was far from God and born far from Him. I was born dead in sin so how could I ever have seen my own need for God's grace. Can a dead man see anything? Can a dead man save himself or have the knowledge to save himself? Do you see that I am nothing without God? No one is anything without God. Without God none of us are any better than the vilest of men upon the earth. So you see it is the redeemed who will truly rejoice. They have been saved by a God who owes them nothing. Not being able to give back anything we must trust God's salvation and know that in Him we rest.

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.