Immature Christians are much like immature children, who exhibit many beautiful characteristics, but they are still children and not ready for the responsibilities of adulthood. What does God think about immature Christians? As I wrote in the previous blog, God the Father loves all of His children and realizes that those who are new in the faith start out immature. God is patient with them and does everything needed to encourage their growth, of which they are participants. Jesus said to his followers In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you (Matthew 5:48 The Message).
As kingdom subjects these followers, many of whom are new, represent God to the world around them. Jesus challenged them to be who they were called to be. Naturally as new disciples they were spiritual children, but Jesus called on them to grow up. He set the bar high and established it as their goal. The more literal translations say: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. The goal is perfection. But as with human growth, time is a factor and so is health. All Christians are in the process of growing up spiritually. None achieve the perfection of God, but as Christians grow in spiritual maturity, they increasingly exhibit the characteristics of godliness, which Galatians 5:22-23 explains are the fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control).
However, some Christians get stuck in immaturity. In the first letter to the Christians at Corinth, Paul said to such people: You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings? (1 Corinthians 3:3-4)? These immature Christians in Corinth were typical of some, perhaps many, Christians today, whose thoughts and behaviors are no different than ordinary human thoughts and behaviors. These Christians portray an incomplete picture of Jesus and live in ways that are incompatible with Christ-like behaviors. Paul’s inspired comments to these Corinthian Christians give us insight into three outcomes of their immaturity: jealousy, quarreling, and division. Let’s consider the effect of each.
- Jealousy: envy and competitive in the relationship with other Christians, seeking to have what they perceive other Christians have. This is a problem of
the mind and is exposed in the attitude of an envious person. Christians whose thoughts are envious cannot be peaceful and loving towards those they envy, who might seem to be more prosperous, successful, blessed, exuberant and trouble-free and yet are less religiously dedicated. - Quarreling: this envious relationship leads to disagreements and contention that can erupt into accusations, criticisms, and disputes. Instead of
thinking of each other as well-loved family members, they (to “us”) become “them” and eventually enemies. Verbal warfare is too often the end result. - Division: eventually these deteriorating relationships result in splits, the opposite of oneness based on love. Splits in congregations may show up as
cliques and even escalate into two or more opposing congregations. Larger splits can occur among larger groupings of the spiritually immature with sectarianism the inevitable result.
To those who expect that being Christian is to be genuinely better than ordinary human beings or human organizations, these stunted Christians come up short as representatives of Christ and messengers of the Gospel. They even damage the reputation of Christianity (2 Peter 2:2). Why do some Christians get stuck in immaturity? Although immaturity is natural to new believers, in time, with increased knowledge and understanding, the immature grow more mature. But such growth in knowledge and understanding is not forced; it must be sought and pursued. In the same letter to the Corinthian Christians, Paul wrote Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults (1 Cor. 14:20). Each Christian is responsible to act upon the lead of the Holy Spirit to resist backward immature thinking in favor of pursuit of the mind of Christ. Peter similarly urged his readers to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Human effort cannot grow into spiritual maturity, but human cooperation is essential to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Immature Christians are those who by their attitudes and behaviors choose not to grow.
As young children are fed and nurtured, God provides spiritual nourishment for his children through ordained leaders and teachers in the Church. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11-12 Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Ministers of Christ have a crucial responsibility. The pulpit is an important element in individual and congregational spiritual growth. Thus, unsatisfactory preaching and teaching directly contributes to spiritual immaturity. Without this essential spiritual nourishment, Christians are subject to false teaching and easy to believe misrepresentations. From the early years of the Church to today, the persistent problem of failure in the pulpit has plagued the Church. The writers of the New Testament warned of it. The early Christian fathers fought against it. But it has never gone away.
In the next blog, we will investigate some of the remedies that the Triune God provides for the Church to enable Christians to emerge from immaturity, and even while immaturity persists, survive and thrive in unity.