Reflections on Christian Maturity
I returned today from a trip to Belgium to visit a good friend. It marks the beginning of the end of my Summer vacation. Sherri and I will spend Labor Day with her family, and then it will be time for me to get busy recording podcasts and, hopefully, preparing a book of Christmas devotionals. Meanwhile, my newest book, Philemon: Lessons in Christian Maturity, is scheduled for release in October.
In his letter of only twenty-seven verses, Paul appeals to his friend and brother in Christ, Philemon, to receive back a runaway slave by the name of Onesimus. Not only was Onesimus a runaway; he was also a thief.
The letter to Philemon is a mere mustard seed among the mighty redwoods that make up most of the New Testament. At the same time, this often overlooked letter sheds light on what it means to be a mature and godly follower of Jesus.
I thought I’d take time in my next few posts to share some of my thoughts on Christian maturity as found in this very personal letter - the only letter by Paul to an individual believer.
What does it mean to be a mature Christian?
First and foremost, Christian maturity is seen less in what we say we believe and more in our attitudes and lifestyles.
Doctrine is important. What we believe matters. But it’s easy to confuse doctrinal knowledge with godly living. Right doctrine does not always lead to right living. It should, but when knowledge becomes the end rather than the means to the end, the result is pride rather than the love of Christ. “Knowledge puffs up,” Paul tells us in I Corinthians 8:1, but love “builds up.”
Building up our churches, communities, nation, and world demands that Christians learn how to love even the most unlovely and unloving among us.
“What good is it,” asks Jesus, “if you love only those who are like you?” He continues, saying, “even the pagans do that.” If we can’t learn to love our enemies, we are no different and no better than them.
And let’s be honest about it and confront the elephant in the room: in a day and age when many evangelical Christians often appear more motivated by their opposition to and anger at a lost, perverted, and dying culture, those who demonstrate Christian maturity by refusing to engage in this kind of behavior will be treated as lepers by many in our ranks.
Mature followers of Jesus know better than to condemn those blinded by sin. The selfish ambition, worldly pride, and misplaced priorities seen by those on both the Left and the Right are just flip sides of the same coin. I’m reminded of Joshua’s question to the angel of the Lord - “Are you for us or our enemies?” To which the angel replied - “Neither.”
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17)
When our attitudes and lifestyles reflect God’s heart, we will see the changes we long for in our nations and our world.
I’ll share some more thoughts on Christian maturity in the days ahead.
In Christ,
Dan
Check out my podcasts from Church on the Edge and my books on Kindle.