The Identification of Maturity

The idea of spiritual maturity seems to have many facets, we think. The depth of our love for God; our love for others, our unselfish service; our consistency in witnessing to the lost; our ability in prayer--lots of characteristics like these may find their way into our ideas of what constitutes spirityal maturity.

In Hebrews 5:14, the description is quite different. The verse reads like this: "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Do I read that right? The mark of spiritual maturity is being able to rightly determine between good and evil? Why? How is that?

Is it that God redeems a man, transforming his life, indwells him with His Holy Spirit, enabling him to make the right choices and follow Him? It seems to be that way. How did Jesus demonstrate that principle? At His time of temptation, early in His ministry, He responded to the Tempter's offerings by consistently choosing the good way, God's way. James writes of the pattern flow of temptation when he says we are tempted when we are drawn away by our own lusts and enticed. (James 1:14-15) Making the right choice at the right time would avoid the enticement and the ability to do that shows spiritual maturity.

By reason of use, or application, or experience, we learn to make those right choices--hopefully. The Apostle Paul writes of it in this way: "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus; therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this in mind, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you." (Philippians 3:14-15)

Go back to the time of creation, Genesis 2:16-17: And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Satan afterward tempts Eve on that issue of the tree--"...your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Interesting pattern, no? The desire for the knowledge of good and evil gets mankind in deep trouble, and God redeems him and equips him to know good and evil with the ability to choose between the two. If, then, we want to be like Jesus, we wiull want to make right choices between good and evil as we learn to discern between the two. There is our one-day-at-a-time experience.

Gene Lawley
January 28, 2008