Almost Perfect

‘Mature’ is one of those words that has a lot of different meanings depending on the context.   For example, while teaching at Florida Atlantic University I was asked to speak to the “Mature Student Association” and found out that the university defined ‘mature’ as over twenty-five.

Here in Florida we have a number of ‘Mature Residential Communities’ that feature swimming pools, athletic facilities, gated entrances and people that are all 55+ years old.

Sometimes a television show will come on with a warning, “Recommended for mature audiences”.  This typically means it is a movie that the spiritual mature probably have learned to avoid.

In the Bible maturity is considering something altogether different.  It really has nothing to do with age.  The writer of the New Testament Epistle entitled “To The Hebrews” wrote:

"Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment," (Heb. 6:1-2).

What I find interesting about these elementary teachings is that for many of us they aren’t elementary at all but things that theologians and even entire denominations have argued about for years.    Historically we know that the early church that received this letter called “To the Hebrews” also had questions with regard to some of these doctrinal  issues.  This leads us to the conclusion that being spiritually mature is not about having doctrinal certainty.

However what I find even more interesting is this encouragement to go on to ‘maturity’.  This word in the original Greek is teleiotes, which can be better translated as ‘perfection’.  Here is another example of the same word, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect (teleiotes) it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil 1:6)

So we are being told to become---perfect!  Likely you don’t consider yourself perfect.   While we may not be perfect, we all need to grow.   One of the ways to look at this is to look at what happens when we don’t grow spiritually.  

Perhaps you can relate to these common characteristics of the spiritually immature:

1. The spiritually immature is focused on themselves rather than others.  We all can relate.  These people believe prayer is their connection to their own lottery; they ask God to get them out of trouble and fix the problems that they themselves have created.   When they select a church its all about the church meeting their needs.
   
   
   
   
2. The spiritually immature is trying to hold on to the ‘old self’.  As a pastor I often end up talking with people that are still struggling with the old self. In Galatians Chapter 5 it mentions some or these struggles, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like”
   
   
   
   
3. The spiritually immature compares and measures themselves according to people rather than Christ.  While the Apostle Paul was able to say, “I urge you to imitate me” (1 Cor 4) for most of us we need to encourage others to look to “Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:2)

So, we may be able to spot the immature, but how do we go onto maturity, or better yet, “perfection”?  

Here are three nature steps:

1. Know God.  This includes the practice of prayer and worship and the knowledge of God’s Grace. 
   
2. Know His Word. The Bible says we need to study to be approved (2 Tim 2:5), and we are to keep God’s word in our heart (Psalm 119:11)
   
3. Know His Family.  We all need to be under some authority.  The same book of Hebrews says that we shouldn’t “forsake the assembling of yourselves (Hebrews 10:25), and then Acts 2:42 we see just how committed we can be: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers".

I have found that just as it takes years for us to grow to adulthood the journey to spiritual maturity often takes years as well.   The Bible often refers to mature Christians as fruit.   Fruit, like people, only becomes reproductive when it ripens….it takes time. 

However, like fruit, we don’t want to get too ripe, perhaps you’ve met some Christians that have matured but are a little too ripe…..ripe fruit is rotten and stinks.