The coming-of-age movie is a film genre in which the main character goes through a maturing event that results in the protagonist becoming enlightened, entering adulthood, and beginning a new stage of life. They include films like The Tree of Life and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. These films are meaningful to us because growth is good and beautiful, and in fact, these stories are worth sharing and experiencing together.
But what is a Christian’s coming of age? How does someone grow spiritually? Is it tied to an event like baptism or communion? Does it take place at a retreat or on a short-term missions trip? What makes someone mature as a Christian?
1. Right Thinking
Growth begins with right thinking. We must know and understand God and his goodness.
Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. (1 Corinthians 14:20).
Notice the connection between thinking and maturity. The thinking of a mature Christian correlates with God and his goodness, while there is a type of evil thinking that is a mark of immaturity. The mature Christian has right and correct thinking that is righteous and holy.
But how can we confirm this correct thinking? It starts by learning what is good and true. Paul says so himself in Colossians 1:28: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
The Bible has the ability to make us mature in Christ. What was known and revealed about Jesus is now contained in Holy Scripture. Therefore, our thinking must match what God has taught us in the Bible. And when he speaks to us through Scripture, we connect our thinking with understanding and knowing the Bible.
2. Wise Living
It’s not enough to think and know. True understanding results in wise living.
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14)
Wisdom is the ability to apply Scripture in your life. In other words, we must practice, train, and discern—action words—in order to mature. The mature Christian eats the solid food of Scripture, digests it, and is able to distinguish good from evil. You know the difference between right and wrong, and you are able to live in a way that pleases God.
In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul tells the younger Timothy: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Paul sees Timothy as a mature Christian because others can imitate his speech, his conduct, and his behavior. He is a young yet mature Christian, and he sets an example with his wise living.
The Big Idea
The mature Christian understands and applies the Bible in every stage and station of life. To understand means to know, and to apply means to do. Both are present in the life of a mature Christian.
For instance, there is the life stage of high school, the life stage of college. Those are followed by young adulthood, dating, marriage, having kids and becoming parents. We need to think and act wisely in each stage of our lives.
In terms of stations of life, we will all have unique situations and circumstances within each stage. For instance, health starts to decline at old age — but there are some who get sick when they are younger. In that same vein, wealth and poverty count as different stations of life. The mature Christian understands and applies the Bible in every stage and station of life.
Implications
There are several implications that come with what makes a mature believer. To start, it is possible to regress in your spiritual maturity. You can come to the correct knowledge and understanding of the truth, apply it for a season—and then for some reason you don’t think that anymore, or you don’t live your life according to it anymore. Regression is not only bad, but it’s ugly. Nobody wants to see an adult regress back into childhood, but that’s an effect of sin.
Next, serving does not equal spiritual maturity. We’ve all seen examples of people who serve but don’t know anything about Scripture and the deep things of God. We’ve seen leaders who are elevated and platformed while being spiritually immature or even evil in their private life. We can convince ourselves that we are spiritually mature because of our public serving, and then go home and live a separate life of private sin. The mature Christian is the same inside and outside, privately and publicly. Let this be a warning for us who lead and serve in the church.
Finally, there is no such thing as “arriving” as a spiritually mature Christian. We are always thinking, continually practicing, constantly discerning. Like Paul himself, we must press on towards the upward call and the goal of Christ Jesus. Once you said you’ve “made it,” you reveal that there’s still more room to improve. We will never be done applying the Bible in every stage and station of life until death. Even in our dying, we are challenged to trust God.
Your Story of Sanctification
But be encouraged. While regression is possible, progression will prevail. While serving does not equal maturity, a correct assessment will assure. And while we may never “arrive,” we can enjoy the journey.
Christian maturity is not linked to an event or a place, but to your heart and mind. Coming-of-age movies are meaningful to us because growth leads to better and greater things. Christians can trust and treasure that God is sanctifying us—a story worth sharing and experiencing together.
Editor’s Note: This article has been adapted from a Sunday School lesson at FCBC Walnut: https://youtu.be/FgaBWnf6UYs