“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught” (Col. 2:6–7, NKJV). 

What does adulthood look like? Likely most of us would agree on certain standards like physical development that comes with age, becoming responsible members of society, and establishment of a household of our own. 

But what about spiritual adulthood, where we are no longer children? What are the hallmarks of that maturity? 

Paul describes maturity as a goal under the shepherding supervision of pastors. Notice the flow of ministry he lays out for pastor/teachers: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph, 4:12–13, ESV). 

The measures of spiritual adulthood are unity of the one faith, knowledge of Jesus, and Christ being formed in us. 

How do achieve that outcome or at least strive toward it? Peter focuses on the nutritious and unadulterated milk of God’s word. “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Pet. 2:2). The writer of Hebrews emphasizes solid food (Heb. 5:12-14), not that we are ever weaned of the milk of God’s word but that we grow to understand and embrace the deep truths of the faith. 

As is the case physically, so we should expect to grow spiritually. Paul put it this way: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 2:6-7). In other words, if have been brought into the kingdom of God and bowed the knee before Jesus Christ as our Lord, we are to conform our will to His, to follow His directives, and be grounded and growing in Him. 

Paul emphasizes being “taught.” That is reminiscent of our Lord’s call to make disciples (Mt. 28:18-20). Disciples are more than learners but they are not less. 

One of the best syllabi for instruction in the faith is found in the Apostles’ Creed. The Creed is Trinitarian in structure but it doesn’t so much teach the Trinity as it does that salvation is Trinitarian. And the focus of that salvation is the person and work of Jesus Christ. That’s why the bulk of the Creed declares what we are to believe about Jesus. 

Children can be naïve and easily led astray. That is the case spiritually as well. Paul describes it as being tossed about by the waves if we are not grounded on sound doctrine (Eph. 4:14) and therefore susceptible to spiritual harm (Col. 2:8). 

How would you assess your spiritual maturity? 

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This course will involve self-paced study under the direction of a mentor. Each lesson will feature a video interview related to a book I have written and will include a study guide. Links to books and supporting materials will be provided. 

The course is free. Watch for an announcement about the availability of Thy Kingdom Come later this summer. 

The featured books for this session of Kingdom Disciplines are The Christian’s Creed: Embracing the Apostolic Faith (Stanley D. Gale, Reformation Heritage Books, 2018) and The Christian’s Creed Workbook (Stanley D. Gale, Waxed Tablet Publications, 2019).

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).