“And the Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you.” (Deut. 7:22 NAS)
Spiritual maturity is a process; we take possession of our souls “little by little”. This is not the way we prefer; we would rather experience immediate transformation. When we accept Christ by faith, we are immediately justified before God, but our soul is transformed gradually by the renewing of the mind (Rom. 12:1,2).
When the Israelites conquered the promised land, they had to populate it or else the wild animals would take it over. They also had to drive out the inhabitants, or “those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land in which you live.” (Nu. 33:55). The same is true for our souls. When we destroy the enemy’s hold in any area of our lives, we must fill that area with Christ. We cannot compromise by allowing known sinful patterns to exist. This is not a problem when we are living in the experience of our first love with Christ, but what if we become satisfied with the progress we have already made? Consider what the Lord said through the prophet Hosea, “As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, and being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore, they forgot Me.” (Hos. 13:6). The result of becoming satisfied with our progress, is that pride sets in; we become self-sufficient.
The main reason for spiritual growth is fruitfulness. God’s blessing for mankind, after He created them in His image, was: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen. 1:27-28). “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…” (Jn. 15:16). The spiritual fruit He is referring to is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We are to “become partakers of the divine nature” (2Pe. 1:4). If we become “satisfied” and allow pride to set in, the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches will cause us to be unfruitful (Matt. 13:22).
It is God’s will that we become spiritually mature. He gave ministers to equip and build the Body of Christ “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:13). The maturity He is developing in us is both individual (“until we all attain”) and corporate (“to a mature man”). Christ is preparing the Church to be His Bride, “having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.” (Eph. 5:27). Before the return of Christ, Paul tells us there will be a great falling away of believers (2Thess. 2:3). For the Body to achieve the maturity required of the Bride, individual believers may fall away as those who remain form a corporate “mature man”. This “falling away” refers to our position in Christ; it is not necessarily referring to salvation.
In the parable of the Sower, Jesus referred to seed that was lost, and seed that produced a good crop. There may even be areas that are neither lost, nor very fruitful. Unless we pursue spiritual maturity, we will remain “children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind and doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Eph. 4:14). Jesus warned His disciples that “false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” (Matt. 24:24). If we truly love the Lord, we are not likely to be among those who fall away, but at the very least, our fruitfulness will be affected.
Growing spiritually takes effort. “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” (Heb. 5:14). We learn by practice to distinguish between good and evil. As we rely on the Holy Spirit, we can discern between true prophets and false prophets; we can discern between good spirits and evil spirits; and we can discern the thoughts and intentions of our heart (Heb. 4:12). Exercising discernment is different than walking in fear. Walking with discernment is moving carefully in the right direction; walking in fear is moving away from something, but not in the right direction. To walk with discernment is to walk in wisdom. “A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless.” (Prov. 14:16).
Discerning between good and evil requires a few spiritual skills. First, we need to maintain a clear and sensitive conscience. The Holy Spirit will convince us regarding what is right and what is wrong. (Jn. 16:8). Next, we need a strong sensitivity to the presence of the Holy Spirit. “And as for you, the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” (1Jn. 2:27). Thirdly, we need to pay attention to our thoughts and feelings. When we walk in the Spirit, we manifest the fruit of the Spirit. If we find a different fruit expressing itself in us, we must be humble enough to recognize that it is a work of the flesh. Even with these skills, there may be occasions when we need to accept correction from others. “He who regards reproof will be honored.” (Prov. 13:18b).
“Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.” (2Pe. 1:10).
Highway in the Wilderness 