How does one's faith mature over time? How may a Christian's faith develop over time?
Paul was overjoyed to hear that the Christians in Thessalonica were maturing in their faith. He exclaimed, "We ought to always offer thanks to God for you, brothers, as is appropriate, for your faith is expanding abundantly, and the love that each of you has for one another is developing" (2 Thessalonians 1:3). What exactly does it mean to develop one's faith further?
To put it another way, spiritual growth is synonymous with growing in one's faith. It is to develop one's understanding of God as well as one's ability to live a godly life; finally, it is to become more like Christ. In the same way as a person develops physically from an infant to an adult, the life of a Christian is intended to facilitate spiritual development from an infant to an adult Christian. 1 Peter 2:2-3 says, "Long for the pure spiritual milk, as though you were newborn infants, so that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." This is a reference to the fact that those who have experienced salvation are aware of the goodness of the Lord.
The passage in Hebrews 5:12-13 is directed against believers who had failed to mature in their faith: "Even though by this point you ought to be teaching others, you still have a need for someone to refresh your memory on the fundamental tenants of the oracles of God. You are going to need milk rather than solid food because a person who subsists solely on milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness because he is still a child." A deeper understanding of God's Word and how to put it into practice is necessary for spiritual maturation.
Paul also used very similar language to denounce some acts that were being carried out by Christians at Corinth: "But I could not speak to you as spiritual persons, brothers; rather, I could only speak to you as people of the flesh and as infants in Christ. Because you were not mature enough to consume solid food, I breastfed you until you were old enough. Even at this late hour, you are not yet prepared since you still have a physical body. Because while there is competition and strife among you, ask yourselves: Are you not of the flesh, and are you not acting in a merely human manner?" (First Corinthians 3:1-5) Paul explains that he started off by giving them spiritual "milk," which is equivalent to spiritual fundamentals. Despite this, they were not yet mature enough to consume solid food because they were not yet ready for it.
Jealousy and internal strife were the outward manifestations of this immaturity in the spiritual realm. As a result, we are able to recognize that the development of our faith not only reveals itself in our relationship with God, but also in the interactions we have with other people. As we seek to grow in our faith, rather than being envious of one another or trying to set ourselves apart as better than others, as was happening in the church in Corinth, we should have the mindset that Paul mentions in this passage: "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." [S]ince neither the person who plants nor the person who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:7). When our entire existence is devoted to serving God and bringing glory to Him, we are well on our way to maturing in our faith and being spiritually self-sufficient.
Scripture reveals that reaching a given level of spiritual maturity takes a specific period of time, which is a fascinating fact in and of itself. After having spent more than three years with Jesus, the apostles finally reached the required level of maturity to begin ministering to other people. Paul also issued a command that the leaders of the church should not be recent converts, saying that such a person "may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil" (1 Timothy 3:6).
Developing one's faith takes not only time but also work. Even while God is the one who ultimately causes growth, He still expects us to follow His methods and aim to mature into mature followers of Jesus who may help make disciples of others (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2).
To put it another way, spiritual growth is synonymous with growing in one's faith. It is to develop one's understanding of God as well as one's ability to live a godly life; finally, it is to become more like Christ. In the same way as a person develops physically from an infant to an adult, the life of a Christian is intended to facilitate spiritual development from an infant to an adult Christian. 1 Peter 2:2-3 says, "Long for the pure spiritual milk, as though you were newborn infants, so that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." This is a reference to the fact that those who have experienced salvation are aware of the goodness of the Lord.
The passage in Hebrews 5:12-13 is directed against believers who had failed to mature in their faith: "Even though by this point you ought to be teaching others, you still have a need for someone to refresh your memory on the fundamental tenants of the oracles of God. You are going to need milk rather than solid food because a person who subsists solely on milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness because he is still a child." A deeper understanding of God's Word and how to put it into practice is necessary for spiritual maturation.
Paul also used very similar language to denounce some acts that were being carried out by Christians at Corinth: "But I could not speak to you as spiritual persons, brothers; rather, I could only speak to you as people of the flesh and as infants in Christ. Because you were not mature enough to consume solid food, I breastfed you until you were old enough. Even at this late hour, you are not yet prepared since you still have a physical body. Because while there is competition and strife among you, ask yourselves: Are you not of the flesh, and are you not acting in a merely human manner?" (First Corinthians 3:1-5) Paul explains that he started off by giving them spiritual "milk," which is equivalent to spiritual fundamentals. Despite this, they were not yet mature enough to consume solid food because they were not yet ready for it.
Jealousy and internal strife were the outward manifestations of this immaturity in the spiritual realm. As a result, we are able to recognize that the development of our faith not only reveals itself in our relationship with God, but also in the interactions we have with other people. As we seek to grow in our faith, rather than being envious of one another or trying to set ourselves apart as better than others, as was happening in the church in Corinth, we should have the mindset that Paul mentions in this passage: "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." [S]ince neither the person who plants nor the person who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:7). When our entire existence is devoted to serving God and bringing glory to Him, we are well on our way to maturing in our faith and being spiritually self-sufficient.
Scripture reveals that reaching a given level of spiritual maturity takes a specific period of time, which is a fascinating fact in and of itself. After having spent more than three years with Jesus, the apostles finally reached the required level of maturity to begin ministering to other people. Paul also issued a command that the leaders of the church should not be recent converts, saying that such a person "may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil" (1 Timothy 3:6).
Developing one's faith takes not only time but also work. Even while God is the one who ultimately causes growth, He still expects us to follow His methods and aim to mature into mature followers of Jesus who may help make disciples of others (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2).
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