Ephesians 4:13: …until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. [HCSB]
Ephesians 4 explains that God gives to the church ministry gifts, pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets, and apostles. The mission of these gifts is to prepare God’s people for service so that the body of Christ may be built up. The outcomes expected are quite clear, we will reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of Jesus, and we will become “mature.”
The KJV translates that word, teleios (tel’-i-os) as perfect; the HCSB as mature. It means completeness as applied to labor, growth, mental and moral character.
God expects us to mature, not to remain as infants. Our goal is the whole measure of the fullness of Christ in our lives … not just a little bit, or a half measure, but the whole measure, all of Him.
It is so much easier to remain a baby. Infancy requires that others do everything for us. There is a time when being an infant is absolutely correct, but infancy is not supposed to characterize our entire spiritual walk. We are to mature and that requires work.
God provides the gifts of ministry to help us, to teach and guide us into maturity, but there is a work on our part also. We need to study, repent, pray, and practice spiritual disciplines. We are to grow mentally and morally. Our deeds and labors are to mature also. We begin to accept responsibility in our churches and assemblies to help others to achieve maturity.
To me there is nothing sadder than someone who has been a Christian for decades that is still lacking spiritual maturity. There are joys in maturity that will never be experienced, rewards in eternity that will never be achieved by remaining an infant.
