Maturity is an important concept in the Bible. The translation of the Greek word in the King James Version is perfect. Some versions use the word mature, as does the New King James Version for Philippians 3:15. It is, in the biblical meaning of the word, to be grown up or to be in the process of growing (advancing) toward perfection (ideal) in character and conduct. The Apostle Paul pressed the point. He was entirely aware that there were many Christians who were not maturing (not growing). They were infants, perhaps children/youths, but there was a full manhood and womanhood to be gained that is eventuality to lives in an improving (upward) application. Many passages of Scripture are devoted to the cultivation of maturity, human and spiritual, for persons committed to faith in God, with some similar ideals for those who do not believe in God.
What is Christian maturity for human experience? Some characteristics are: 1) – conviction that God leads one’s total life (so to seek knowledge in truth and commit to prayer); 2) – belief that Scripture is the constitution for Christian life (so to develop a way of life and work that is clarified and directed by Scripture); 3) – effort to practice the out-working of those beliefs within the boundaries of righteousness in an imperfect world (so to cultivate the virtues modeled in Jesus, the first of which is to become a loving person); 4) – approach to life and culture practically as perceptive of the natural world and common rights (so to work empathetically with secular forces, often bullied by sin, for any social and physical management looking toward improvements for equity and propriety); and, 5) – ability to live well in the paradoxes/contradictions of society and theology (so to respect learning to counter ignorance and discover nature’s truth as well as God’s).
What is human maturity? Some characteristics are: 1) – desire that others be served and do well (so to be generous); 2) – willingness to trust and cooperate in the good will of others (so to take responsibility); 3) – recognition that no one holds all the truth or all the fiction (so to understand before evaluating); 4) – balance that does not distort the acts of God or persons (so to acknowledge limitations); 5) – sense of humor that assists in not taking one’s self too seriously (so to empathize with the emotions of the human race); 6) – resistance to rationalizing (so to differentiate truth from prejudice and lies); 7) – determination not to yield to desperation (so to put time and events in balance); 8) – opposition to exploitation of others without their permission (so to recognize the freedom of every individual); 9) – control of oneself, especially when personal opposition arises (so to remind ourselves of the possibility that more needs to be done in us for improvement); 10) – concern for understanding of human good and evil (so to manage conflict and disparagement); 11) – commitment to problem solving (so to bring honor to God and ourselves in human creative purposes); and, 12) – learn to live a cerebral life (so to seek truth and manage emotions without losing them).
Scripture teaches further that: 1) -maturity goes beyond rudimentary understanding (Hebrews 6:1-3); 2) -maturity accrues with the practice of spiritual gifts and the Fruit of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:11-16); 3) -maturity relates to a way of thinking (Philippians 3:15-16); and, 4) -maturity ought to identify Christians (Colossians 1:28-29). All this growth takes a lifetime for fullness. God bestows blessing on those persons moving in the right direction – which is another way of saying going toward him, and not away from him. To these he offers sanctification which aids in the process of spiritual growth, providing assurance as well as insurance for the seeking believer. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020