What is a spiritual grown up?
How can we recognize a spiritually mature person?
“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.” – Hebrews 6:1-3
The foundation or the breast milk for a new born Christian according to this passage and others is the law. Why is that?
Because the law was created to get you to Christ! It was our guardian until we receive Christ and after that we no longer have a need for it.
Once your foundation is the solid rock you no longer have the need for the sand that your house was built on with the law and that is exactly how the law behaves – like sand. The more you try to follow it, even the part that you do follow the more you fail. The more you try to use the sand to climb to God the more you sink into the never ending abyss of human inability!
This is where Jesus and the magnificent gift of the cross come in. Grace true Grace is the road to a real relationship with the living God and that is NOT based on your performance of the law.
So what does Grace look like:
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:2-3
This doesn’t happen by our effort but by His process within us. This is a state of “Being” not an act of “doing” because if it was we could say we did it and it wouldn’t be completely Him.
Here is a contemplative prayer for you. One that I said many years ago and one that I believe took me through two counseling treatment centers to find what I believe to be God’s Grace. This Grace has radically transformed my relationship to God, me and the world around me.
Write this on a piece of paper if you need to and keep it someplace where you can see it. Take time throughout the day for the next few weeks to stop and pray this simple request:
“God whatever it takes, take me beyond Your elementary teachings and teach me to be mature in You!”
