Colossians 1:28 which says,
"We Proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
This raises the question what does a mature believer look like? Ultimately a mature Christian looks like Jesus. We are all being continually conformed into the image of Christ though the power of the Holy Spirit. But here are 12 characteristics that show Christian maturity, understanding that Christian maturity is a journey, not a destination until we are in a glorified state.
1. There is an intangible yet obvious inner strength, peace and confidence through union with Christ that is nourished only by deep, sincere, joyful faith, and manifests itself in gentleness and firsthand knowledge of what it means to rest in the LORD. (Philippians 4:4-7)
2. There is a long-standing track record of endurance, stability, and consistency of trusting in Christ through all conditions of life- in good times and in times of suffering. (2 Timothy 2:8-10)
3. Not prone to rejection, does not fall out of fellowship or withdraw from people for extended periods of time. Can maintain long-standing friendships. (Genesis 1:27; 2 Timothy 4:10)
4. An active member of a local church body, faithful to service- displays the heart of a servant. (Mark 10:45)
5. An example of one with deep ever growing biblical convictions that are reflected by life responses and actions, ethics and character. These qualities are displayed in their marriage, family, financial generosity, time commitments, and in all avenues of life. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
6. An example of one who has allowed perfect love to cast out fear of man. (1 John 4:18) As a result, their life displays love, acceptance and tolerance for broken, dysfunctional people. They are without prejudice-only wanting others to receive healing and freedom in Christ. (Proverbs 29:25)
7. Not self-promoting, does not build relationships for self-gain or personal status. Not trying to work their way to the head of the table- able to freely love people without expecting anything in return. (Luke 14:12)
8. No stranger to confession, repentance and a loving approach to confrontation. Does not practice denial of a sinful heart. (Matthew 18:15-35)
9. Understands the character and nature of God and his story of redemption, can easily communicate the gospel to others. (Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:8)
10. Displays a strong belief in the power of prayer, and praying for others is a natural response of that belief- sensitive to the compassion of Jesus and able to respond with that compassion. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
11. Able to discern good from, evil. (Galatians 5:19-21)
12. A life that outwardly displays the values of worship, community, and mission:
- Devotion to the Word
- Devotion to Prayer and Spiritual Disciplines
- The gifts (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) & fruits (Galatians 5:22-23) of the Spirit
- The reproduction of their faith (evangelism) and reproduction of their ministry
- A love for Christ's church, the universal and local community of believers.
I recently read a book that suggested it takes 10,000 hours of doing one task to master it. How many hours do you suppose it would take one to master all of these charatics?
No comments:
Post a Comment