Christian Growth and Maturity

This past week I read and re-read Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.  Reflecting on the letter in its entirety caused me to see some things that had never stood out before.  When taken as a whole, the letter reveals an extremely immature and dysfunctional church.  The Corinthians of course do not see themselves in this light.  In fact, they think of themselves in very high terms.  However, Paul writes to them like a father correcting an adolescent child who is still living in the terrible two's.  This becomes very clear in I Corinthians 3:1-4.  In this passage Paul tells them that he wishes he could talk to them like mature adults in the Christian faith.  Unfortunately they are like little children who still have to be nursed on the milk of the faith (see also Heb. 5:12-6:2).  By now Paul would have expected growth and maturity.  Instead the Corinthians are still acting like "mere men," going along with their natural and fleshly desires.  At this stage of the Christian life, Paul had hoped that they would be transformed into something more, but they are still walking in their old patterns of living.

As I reflected on the situation in the Corinthian church, I realized that the Corinthians have made a common mistake.  They have fallen into the trap of thinking that Christian growth and maturity automatically happen.  They have assumed that they are mature believers simply because they have been "going to church" for several years now.  However, real Christian growth requires conscious effort and attention.  It does not magically happen when we are not looking.  Christian growth is a lot like gardening.  The Christian life must be tilled, cultivated, weeded, watered, pruned, and fertilized.  If not, our faith will never grow into anything fruitful and productive.  This is what has happened to the Corinthians.  Instead of making an effort to leave their old sinful ways behind and submit to the will of God, they have brought all their rivalry, arrogance, pride, lust, selfishness, greed, and double-mindednes right into the church.

On Wednesday nights we have been reading from I Peter, and I think that Peter has something helpful to say to the Corinthians (and us if we will listen).  In I Peter 4:1, Peter tells his readers to "arm yourselves also with the same purpose [as Christ had]."  The purpose Christ had for his life was to do the will of God even if it lead to pain, suffering, and death.  We can see this time and time again when we look at the life of Christ.  He resolved to do what was right even if it hurt.  Peter says we need the same kind of purposeful intentionality in our lives.  We have to make a conscious choice to grow and put in arduous effort through self-denial and submission.  Otherwise, we fall back into our old patterns of living, thinking, and interacting.  Peter encourages Christians to leave behind this "futile way of life" we have been born into and press forward into the abundance of Christian living (I Pet. 1:18).

The question ultimately becomes, "Do I want to grow up?"  Like the Corinthians, I think many of us have fallen into the trap of thinking that Christian growth just happens.  When we do this, we end up being infants for life.  God is hoping for more, though.  God is hoping that we will grow to become something more than just comfortable and casual Christians.