1 Corinthians 14:20

20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

We know now that God commands us to grow to spiritual maturity. We saw yesterday that a big part of that is for us to develop good habits related to the Word of God. Look at this passage:

Ephesians 4:11-14

11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

This speaks of the spiritual gifts that God gave for the purpose of communication. Notice these are teaching gifts. So what was the purpose of these teaching gifts?

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Is it the pastor’s job to do all the service? No, it’s his job to equip the saints (remember, that’s YOU) for the work of service.

The building up of the body of Christ refers to building a spiritual structure inside believers’ souls.

When the body of Christ is built up, and growing spiritually, what is the result?

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

The gifts of teacher were given to build up Christians to maturity! You have to learn the word of God to grow to maturity. When you grow to maturity, what’s one thing that happens to you?

14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

No longer are you tossed around, fooled by tricky or deceitful people. You’re not wishy-washy about what you believe. You are grown up, or mature, confident in your relationship with God.

Paul talks about the same principle in his letter to the Colossians:

Colossians 1:25-28

25 Of this church I was made a minister (that’s DIAKONOS, or Christian teacher) according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, (that was his main function, to communicate the word of God, so that…)

26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, (principle of mystery is a whole ‘nother subject!)

27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete (or mature) in Christ.

You have to study the Word of God under a teacher to grow to maturity! Paul says that was his main function, the preaching of the Word of God. As you learn this Word, you will naturally grow up and be mature.

Believe me; that is one thing you want to strive for! As we get into more of a description of what spiritual maturity is, you will understand.