Stott: Christian Maturity

Following are some excerpts on Christian growth and maturity from John Stott’s book Radical Disciple that Truth For Life is offering this month.

Growth without Depth

"There is no doubt of the phenomenal growth of the church in many parts of the world. The statistics of church growth are amazing. Explosion is no too dramatic a word to describe it. For example, the church in China has grown at least a hundredfold since the middle of the twentieth century. More Christian believers now worship God every Sunday in China than in all the churches of Western Europe put together.

At the same time we should not indulge in triumphalism, for it is often growth without depth. There is superficiality of disciples everywhere, and church leaders bemoan this situation…This situation is serious because it is displeasing to God. We dare to say this because the apostles whose letters we find in the New Testament rebuke their readers for their immaturity and urge them to grow up. Consider for example Paul’s critique of the Corinthian Church:

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere human beings? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

What is Christian Maturity

The fact is that maturity is rather hard to pin down. Most of us suffer from lingering immaturities. Even in the grown adult the little child is still hiding somewhere.

Besides, there are different types of maturity. There is physical maturity (having a healthy, well-developed body), intellectual maturity (having a trained mind and a coherent worldview), moral maturity (referring to people ‘who have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil,’ Hebrews 5:14), and emotional maturity (having a balanced personality, able to establish relationships and assume responsibilities). But above all, there is spiritual maturity. What is that? Well, the apostle calls it maturity ‘in Christ,’ that is, having a mature relationship with Christ.

…To be ‘in Christ’ is to be personally, vitally, organically related to him. In this sense, to be mature is to have a mature relationship with Christ in which we worship, trust, love and obey him.

How Do Christians Become Mature?

…If we want to develop truly Christian maturity, we need above all a fresh and true vision of Jesus Christ—not least in his absolute supremacy, which Paul sets out in Colossians 1:15-20, one of the most sublime Christological passages in the whole New Testament.

…This is how Paul proclaimed Christ as Lord—as Lord of creation (the one through whom all things were made) and as Lord of the church (the one through whom all things have been reconciled). Because of who he is (the image and fullness of God) and because of what he has done (the one who brought about creation and reconciliation), Jesus Christ has a double supremacy. He is head of the universe and head of the church. He is the Lord of both creations. This is the apostle’s masterful portrait of Jesus Christ. Where should we be but on our faces before him? Away then with our petty, puny, pygmy Jesuses! Away with our Jesus clowns and pop stars! Away too with our political Messiahs and revolutionaries! For these are caricatures. If this is how we think of him, then no wonder immaturity exists."

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