Some Signs of Spiritual Maturity
“And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can determine what really matters and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that [comes] through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11 HCSB
When Paul prays the above prayer for the Christian community in Philippi he is praying for their spiritual fitness.
You know you are spiritually fit when:
1) Your love keeps on growing.
The more mature your love is the more spiritually fit you are. In this passage Paul uses the word “agape” for love. This is the love God has for us. It is self - denying, self – sacrificing. It is unconditional and unlimited.. It was clearly demonstrated on the cross when Jesus spent Himself for us who do not deserve it. He sacrificed Himself for people who do not even love Him and may never love Him. When we love other people that way we are not far from being spiritually mature. That is why Jesus explained, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it,” Luke 9:23-24 HCSB When you are willing to lose yourself in living your life for Jesus, not for yourself or for anyone else, you carry your cross. Do this every day, Jesus says. When that kind of love keeps on growing, you are on the thresh hold of spiritual maturity.
2) Your love keeps on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment.
When your love for God continues to grow as you get to know Him better and better through a closer, more personal relationship with Him that comes only through spending ample quality time with Him, you are getting closer to spiritual fitness. When your love for people continues to grow as you gain more insight into each person’s individuality and uniqueness, you are getting closer to spiritual maturity. A sign of this growing love is a greater appreciation for God and for each person He has brought into your life.
3) You determine what really matters.
When you major in majors not in minors; when you spend your time on what God knows to be priorities not on what you think is important you are close to the thresh hold of spiritual maturity. This discernment and its ensuing behavior come from your close connection with God and respectful relationship with people.
4) You are pure and blameless when Jesus returns.
The question is: are you becoming more and more like Jesus? He is pure and blameless. When people see you, do they see you or do they see Jesus in you? Is the image of Jesus you show becoming clearer? Do you treat the Father the way Jesus treated His Father? Do you treat people the way He did?
Because our thoughts lead to our attitudes and our attitudes lead to our actions and feelings which lead to our habits which lead to our character, the more we think like Jesus keeping our focus on what is true, honorable, right, pure, reputable, excellent, praise - worthy (Phil. 4:8) by letting Jesus keep our thoughts captive (2 Cor.10:5) not letting them escape from obedient thinking, the more we become like Him.
5) You are filled with the Fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus.
This is the fruit that is produced when you abide in Jesus like a branch abides in a vine. When you stay intimately connected to Christ you live a productive life for Him. (John 15:1-17)The questions are: How productive are you for Jesus? What exactly are you producing for Him? How effective are you at using your abilities, gifts, skills, talents for Him in the various opportunities He presents?
The more you produce for Jesus the more spiritually mature you are.
6) God gets the glory and praise.
When you live the way just described, God gets honored and praised.
Does the way you live; the way you treat God and people bring honor and praise to God? Does the way you think, the attitudes, actions, habits, character you have bring honor and praise to God? The more they do the closer you are to spiritual fitness.
I know I still have a lot of growing to do. I plan to give a lot of consideration to my maturing spiritually and press forward like Paul. (Philippians 3:12-16) How about you?
“And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can determine what really matters and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that [comes] through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11 HCSB
When Paul prays the above prayer for the Christian community in Philippi he is praying for their spiritual fitness.
You know you are spiritually fit when:
1) Your love keeps on growing.
The more mature your love is the more spiritually fit you are. In this passage Paul uses the word “agape” for love. This is the love God has for us. It is self - denying, self – sacrificing. It is unconditional and unlimited.. It was clearly demonstrated on the cross when Jesus spent Himself for us who do not deserve it. He sacrificed Himself for people who do not even love Him and may never love Him. When we love other people that way we are not far from being spiritually mature. That is why Jesus explained, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it,” Luke 9:23-24 HCSB When you are willing to lose yourself in living your life for Jesus, not for yourself or for anyone else, you carry your cross. Do this every day, Jesus says. When that kind of love keeps on growing, you are on the thresh hold of spiritual maturity.
2) Your love keeps on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment.
When your love for God continues to grow as you get to know Him better and better through a closer, more personal relationship with Him that comes only through spending ample quality time with Him, you are getting closer to spiritual fitness. When your love for people continues to grow as you gain more insight into each person’s individuality and uniqueness, you are getting closer to spiritual maturity. A sign of this growing love is a greater appreciation for God and for each person He has brought into your life.
3) You determine what really matters.
When you major in majors not in minors; when you spend your time on what God knows to be priorities not on what you think is important you are close to the thresh hold of spiritual maturity. This discernment and its ensuing behavior come from your close connection with God and respectful relationship with people.
4) You are pure and blameless when Jesus returns.
The question is: are you becoming more and more like Jesus? He is pure and blameless. When people see you, do they see you or do they see Jesus in you? Is the image of Jesus you show becoming clearer? Do you treat the Father the way Jesus treated His Father? Do you treat people the way He did?
Because our thoughts lead to our attitudes and our attitudes lead to our actions and feelings which lead to our habits which lead to our character, the more we think like Jesus keeping our focus on what is true, honorable, right, pure, reputable, excellent, praise - worthy (Phil. 4:8) by letting Jesus keep our thoughts captive (2 Cor.10:5) not letting them escape from obedient thinking, the more we become like Him.
5) You are filled with the Fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus.
This is the fruit that is produced when you abide in Jesus like a branch abides in a vine. When you stay intimately connected to Christ you live a productive life for Him. (John 15:1-17)The questions are: How productive are you for Jesus? What exactly are you producing for Him? How effective are you at using your abilities, gifts, skills, talents for Him in the various opportunities He presents?
The more you produce for Jesus the more spiritually mature you are.
6) God gets the glory and praise.
When you live the way just described, God gets honored and praised.
Does the way you live; the way you treat God and people bring honor and praise to God? Does the way you think, the attitudes, actions, habits, character you have bring honor and praise to God? The more they do the closer you are to spiritual fitness.
I know I still have a lot of growing to do. I plan to give a lot of consideration to my maturing spiritually and press forward like Paul. (Philippians 3:12-16) How about you?