On Christian Maturity

Sixty-seven years old (fifty-five years saved). Seven years a junior doctor and psychiatrist in the NHS, eighteen years in Christian counselling, eight of those teaching in a Bible college, eighteen years a pastor, now retired. I’ve been round a few corners.

It has long been my ambition to be a mature, godly old man. You see, I knew men who were when I was a young Christian and it was such a blessing to spend time in their company, but men like that are hard to find these days and that’s a great pity, so I would love to be one.

By most standards I’m on the threshold of the old man bit — some might say I’ve crossed it — but mature and godly? Hmm.

Reading through Paul’s letter to the Colossians the other day I came across this:

“Him [Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

Colossians 1:28

And it got me wondering. What does “mature in Christ” look like anyway? How does Christian maturity come about? Does it just happen with the passage of time, like the maturing of a full-bodied cheddar or a fine wine, or is there more to it? If my ambition is to be a mature Christian, what should I be aiming at? Are there things I need to do?

In chapter 2:2 – 5, Paul, it seems to me, expands on his idea of Christian maturity.

“…hearts… encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”

Colossians 2:2 – 5

Here are some of the thoughts that has triggered for me.

Mature Christians heart’s are encouraged. Comforted and made strong, that’s the idea. The world is broken. Bad stuff happens all the time and Christians aren’t exempt from any of it but their hearts have been comforted and made strong. In other words, when the bad stuff happens it hurts — of course it does — but they’re not thrown off course. They keep going. Comforted they look beyond it, made strong they persevere and get through it. The heart, when the Bible says heart, is the whole person, the inner person, the real person: emotions, thoughts, will, attitudes, ways of going. At the deepest level, in every way a mature Christian is strong in the face of suffering.

Mature Christians are knit together in love. Jesus said it would be the mark of His followers that they would love one another (John 13:35). He said their love would be so obvious that even those who aren’t Christians would remark on it. And He wasn’t talking about some mere sentimental kind of bond. He was talking about solid commitment to put the other first, each serving the other’s interests in preference to his or her own. Self-denying, self-sacrificing commitment. That’s what God’s kind of love is. A bond like that can only grow deeper and stronger with the passage of time, so you would expect it to be especially obvious among mature Christians.

Mature Christians have “reached all the riches of full assurance of understanding of God's mystery.” That’s quite a mouthful. Suffice to say — I want to be brief — they have acquired a depth of understanding of what God is up to in the world, and in particular what He has done and is doing through Jesus, that is richly rewarding and confidence inspiring. Mature Christians know who they are, they know what life’s about, they know where they’re going, they’re steady and confident: unflappable.

Mature Christians draw on all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ. They’re wise: they know the best way to get to the best result, not because they’ve been round some corners and had some experience, because they draw on Jesus’ wisdom. They’ve walked with Jesus, they’ve been steeped in His word, and it shows.

Mature Christians are not easily deceived by “plausible arguments.“

Mature Christians have achieved and progressed beyond “good order and firm faith.” Paul says the Christians he’s writing to already have that in the bag so what he wants for them now must go beyond it. Alas, how many of us, saved as we have been for years and years, are still content with lives that fall far short of God’s standard of goodness. How many of us, saved as we have been for years and years, still struggle to trust Him.

Just some thoughts those verses triggered for me, maybe they’ll trigger more for you, but clearly, age alone is no guarantee of maturity.

May I challenge you with a question? Given the length of time you’ve been saved, are you maturing like you should be?