This week’s passage concluded the previous section, urging those who are spiritually mature to continue to press on.

Take a look at this week’s passage in Philippians 3:15-16:

This is perhaps one of the strongest exhortation in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul is encouraging all those who are spiritually mature to share his dedication. But not all who will read this are necessarily mature. He encourages those individuals to seek such a maturity.

Paul views spiritual maturity as a lifestyle. This is not just intellectually knowing the tenets of the faith. This means living them out in everyday circumstances and situations.

The second half of this statement provides some confusion in interpretation. This is probably not just a matter of doctrinal differences, but lifestyle. The spiritually immature are simply not prepared to live the same level of lifestyle and faith that Paul demonstrates, or that the more spiritually mature display.

Paul’s firm belief is that God will continue to reveal truth to those who are growing, and will bring them up into greater maturity. Believers are all at different stages in their maturity, and God leads each of us as we need, and as we are ready.

And even though believers are all at different stages in their walk with Christ, we should be consistent with where we are. We cannot expect Christian behavior of non-Christians, or even new Christians. But as believers grow, their behavior and maturity change as they do. We should be living consistently with what we have already attained.

If we understand this, and live by this, many of the problems and divisions that the church has faced and continues to face would be non-issues. That is one of the greatest results of living in such maturity.

The caveat here, of course, is that none of us, Paul included, have reached perfection. There is always room to grow.

Let us seek to accomplish that growth in our own spiritual maturity.

Question: How are you growing in your faith right now? What is God doing in your life to bring you to a deeper spiritual maturity? You can leave a comment by clicking here.