On Being Mature

DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS

ON BEING MATURE

Phil 3:15-16

15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

NIV

Paul has been discussing being found in Christ, not having a righteousness that comes from the law, but that which is found through faith. He has been telling the Philippian's righteousness comes from God and is by faith. That he wants to know, as we should want to know, the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. He goes on about forgetting the past and pressing on to the goal, to that which God has taken hold of us. He then makes it clear we all should have the same view. Well, at least those of us who are mature. It may well be true those who are still babies in the Lord may not be able to understand these truths of God. Either being an infant or mature in the Lord may not have anything to do with the number of years a person is a believer, but rather how they live out their relationship with the Lord. Some can only handle milk while others are ready for the meat. Some may live on the milk all their lives, while others want the meat right from the start. So if we are among the mature then we need to see this truth and take the same view of things. We should know without a doubt the only righteousness we have is in Christ. We should know unquestionably we need to forget about our past mistakes and move on with our life in Christ, pressing on, keep on keeping on, not giving in to guilt or shame over past sins. If for some reason we do not fully understand or grasp this view or thinking differently about any of these truths, God will make it clear to us. The key is that we are listening to God, that we understand his voice. Again, an infant may hear his voice, but what he is saying may well be unintelligible, as a newborn hearing its mother’s voice. But as an infant begins to mature, slowly it begins to understand the words and then the meaning of those words. Once completely mature those words are fully understood and the meaning of the word of our language is known. This is how we become mature in the Lord, listening, learning his words, their meaning, and making them our language, our native tongue. God will both reveal himself to us and his will for our lives. He will clearly show us how we are to walk, the path we are to walk. He will give us the light to follow and we will indeed follow in his footsteps. However, if for some reason we have not fully attained maturity, we can at least live up to what we know at this time, what knowledge and understanding we have already attained. However, in that position, we should also know we have much to learn and understand, we have a way to go before we are mature. Still, that does not mean we should abandon what we already know in search of more. We need to live up to what truths we already are understanding, then gain more and more. It would seem this is a lifelong project that we will never be over, learning more about Christ, and living in him. The maturation process never ends, until the day of our death and resurrection, then we will truly be with him and like him. Even that we still do not fully grasp, but someday we will. For now, we live up to however mature we are, looking to become more mature.