Assessing Spiritual Maturity and Discipleship in Churches
Spiritual maturity in Christian thought is often understood as the process of growing into the "fullness of Christ" [1, 8]. This concept is articulated in Ephesians 4:13, which speaks of believers reaching "a mature man, to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ" [1]. The ultimate goal of ministry, therefore, is for the entire Christian community to deepen its understanding and experience of the Christian faith, leading to a profound knowledge of God's Son [8]. This transformation, making believers fully like Christ, is attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit [8].
The New Testament distinguishes between different stages of spiritual development. For instance, 1 John 2:12-14 categorizes believers into "God's children," "the young in the faith," and "the mature in the faith" [9]. The "mature" are those who are able to digest "strong meat," a metaphor for deeper theological understanding, in contrast to those who still require "milk" [10]. This maturity is not a perfection of justification, as even new believers are perfectly justified, nor is it a perfection of sanctification, as all believers remain imperfect in this life [10]. Rather, it refers to a greater capacity for spiritual discernment and understanding [10].
A key aspect of assessing spiritual maturity involves understanding the nature of sin and its role in a believer's life. All human beings are born with a sinful nature [2]. While the wicked indulge this nature, the godly actively fight against it [2]. Sin is not merely an action but can stem from an insolent or arrogant attitude, with rebellion being considered a "great sin" [5]. The apostle Paul emphasizes the universal sinfulness of humanity, stating that both Gentiles and Jews are under sin's power and cannot earn God's favor through their own actions [6]. God's anger is depicted not as an emotional outburst, but as a necessary response to sin from a holy God [6].
Even after conversion, believers may still commit actual sins [7]. To claim "we have not sinned" is to make God a liar [7]. However, there is a distinction between committing sin and being "of the devil." As Augustine noted, one becomes a child of the devil by imitating him, not by birth [3]. The first sin, as described in Genesis, was not merely an act but involved self-love, dishonor to God, ingratitude, and a preference for the creature over the Creator [4]. Therefore, assessing spiritual maturity involves observing a believer's ongoing struggle against sin and their pursuit of Christ-likeness, recognizing that growth is a continuous process.
Sources
- Ephesians “Ephesians 4:13 (LEB) — until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ,”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 58:3: 58:3 All human beings are born sinners (see 51:5); however, whereas the wicked indulge their sinful nature, the godly fight against it (Rom 7:19-23; Jas 4:1-10).”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 3:8: He that committeth sin is of the devil--in contrast to "He that doeth righteousness," Jo1 3:7. He is a son of the devil (Jo1 3:10; Joh 8:44). John does not, however, say, "born of the devil." as he does "born of God," for "the devil begets none, nor does he create any; but whoever imitates the devil becomes a child of the devil by imitating him, not by proper birth" [AUGUSTINE, Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 4.10]. From the devil there is not generation, but corruption [BENGEL]. sinneth from the beginning--from the time that any beg”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 3:13: beguiled--cajoled by flattering lies. This sin of the first pair was heinous and aggravated--it was not simply eating an apple, but a love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude to a benefactor, disobedience to the best of Masters--a preference of the creature to the Creator.”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 19:13: 19:13 An individual who commits deliberate sins does so with an insolent (86:14) or arrogant (119:21, 69) attitude. • The great sin is rebellion (see 32:1).”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 1:18: 1:18–3:20 Paul delays exploring the theme of righteousness through faith (see 3:21) until after he first teaches about universal sinfulness. Gentiles (1:18-32) and Jews (2:1–3:8) are equally under sin’s power and cannot find favor with God by any action of their own (3:9-20). 1:18 God’s anger is not a spontaneous emotional outburst, but the holy God’s necessary response to sin. The Old Testament often depicts God’s anger (Exod 32:10-12; Num 11:1; Jer 21:3-7) and predicts a decisive outpouring of God’s wrath on human sin at the end of history. While Paul usually de”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 1:10: Parallel to Jo1 1:8. we have not sinned--referring to the commission of actual sins, even after regeneration and conversion; whereas in Jo1 1:8, "we have no sin," refers to the present GUILT remaining (until cleansed) from the actual sins committed, and to the SIN of our corrupt old nature still adhering to us. The perfect "have . . . sinned" brings down the commission of sins to the present time, not merely sins committed before, but since, conversion. we make him a liar--a gradation; Jo1 1:6, "we lie"; Jo1 1:8, "we deceive ourselves"; worst of al”
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 4:13: 4:13 The goal of ministry is for the whole Christian community to understand and experience the Christian faith more deeply and gain a deeper knowledge of God’s Son. In this way, believers will be mature in the Lord (see 1 Cor 2:6; 14:20; Phil 3:15; Col 1:28; 4:12; cp. Heb 5:14; Jas 1:4; 3:2). The standard of maturity is Christ himself; the Spirit’s transforming work is to make people fully like Christ (Rom 8:29).”
- 1 John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 John 2:12: 2:12-14 John gives three classes of believers at various stages of spiritual maturity: God’s children, the young in the faith (literally young people), and the mature in the faith (literally fathers).”
- Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 5:13: But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age,.... Or perfect; see Co1 2:6. This does not intend a perfection of justification; for though some have a greater degree of faith than others, and a clearer discovery of their justification, yet babes in Christ are as perfectly justified as more grown and experienced believers; nor a perfection of sanctification, for there is no perfection of holiness but in Christ; and though the work of sanctification may be in greater perfection in one saint than in another, yet all are imperfect in this life; and as to a perfe”