7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered. 11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:7-8,1 1-14 NIV).
The Matter of Spiritual Maturity
When you check the above Bible verses very well, you will discover that the author was addressing the matter of spiritual maturity. From verse seven, the author of Hebrew analyzed what Jesus our role model and perfect example of a spiritually mature individual had to go through in order to give us the correct picture of what it means to be spiritually mature.
The peak of His spirituality was when He yielded to the will of His Father (God) for His life which included suffering in the flesh and the death on the cross. And this dimension to spirituality is what the author referred to as bones and not milk in verse 12,13 & 14.
It is coming to a point where you can accept whatever the Lord brings your way as a believer to bear for His sake. In Heb.12:2b the Bible says that Jesus had to bear the burden of the cross.
The proof of spiritual maturity is the readiness to stand for righteousness and in the defense of God’s principles everywhere you are found even if it will cost you.
It is insisting that the will,counsel and purposes of God prevail in and through your life.
This doesn’t go down well with the spiritually immature because they live on milk and need to be spoon fed always.
So hard matters as such as this can not be shared with them. They only want to hear about what God can do for them and how they can get things from God. They are ever ready to pay their tithes and give their offering since there’s a promise of increase in return on it. But they can’t stand the idea of your all belonging to God and that you should be ready to give Him your all when He needs it.
They are the “give me give me” Christians. They have no weight in the spirit and therefore cannot bear the purposes of God. When we talk about spiritual maturity most times, the minds of a lot of believers tend to think about been involved in spiritual activities like prayer, fasting, church attendance etc. Although all those can be found with the spiritually mature, but they do not describe the reality of the spiritual state of an individual Christian.
Spiritual maturity is actually coming to the point in your walk with the Lord where you have submitted your own will to the will of the Lord.
It is coming into conformity to the will and purposes of God for your life. It is coming to a place where you understand the Lordship of the Lord Jesus over your life. Mind you that there is a difference between Jesus as your savior and Jesus as your Lord.
When you accept His sacrifice for your salvation, then He becomes your savior but when He becomes your master and your owner, then He becomes your Lord. Until you understand the ownership of Jesus over your life and all your earthly possessions, you have not come to the place of spiritual maturity yet.
It is coming to the point where you can serve the Lord not because you want a reward or blessing in return but because you now know that you belong to Him and that He is your owner. This was illustrated in the parable of Jesus about a steward in
Luke 17:7-10
[7]“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’?
[8]No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’
[9]And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not.
[10]In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty”.
This is the mindset and response of a mature Christian. He is not out to use God but to please God at all cost.
It is coming to the point where you are not looking for what God can do for you but what He can do with your life and all your earthly possessions. It is that point when you understand that all you are and have belong to the Lord and that you are just a mere caretaker of them which include your time, money, certificate, lands, houses, children, positions and influence, cars, aircraft etc.
When God can command your obedience and submission, then you have become mature as a Christian.
Seeth thou that man who is still insisting on doing what he wants to do above what God wants him to do; though he may fast, pray, read the Bible and attend every Church program regular and even be a part of the church leadership, he is still not spiritually mature.
Written by,
Victor Ojechegbe
Leaders Tool Box 