Colossians Introduction • Devotion #2: Mature in Christ
Dr. Randy T. Johnson
“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” Colossians 1:28
Maturity is an interesting topic. The passing of years makes one older but not necessarily more mature. Maturity takes intentional growth. Oswald Chambers states it this way, “Spiritual maturity is not reached by the passing of the years, but by obedience to the will of God.”
Paul wrote to combat legalism (yesterday’s topic), but another topic was to “present everyone mature in Christ.” Paul focused on “warning everyone and teaching everyone.” He proclaimed Christ and they needed to be humble, teachable, and willing to change. I like how Billy Graham described it, “The goal of a child’s life is maturity – and the goal of a Christian’s life is spiritual maturity.”
It is a lengthy quote, but I like how preacher and theologian Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) describes maturity, “We shall, as we ripen in grace, have greater sweetness towards our fellow Christians. Bitter-spirited Christians may know a great deal, but they are immature. Those who are quick to censure may be very acute in judgment, but they are as yet very immature in heart. He who grows in grace remembers that he is but dust, and he therefore does not expect his fellow Christians to be anything more; he overlooks ten thousand of their faults, because he knows his God overlooks twenty thousand in his own case. He does not expect perfection in the creature, and, therefore, he is not disappointed when he does not find it… I know we who are young beginners in grace think ourselves qualified to reform the whole Christian church. We drag her before us, and condemn her straightway; but when our virtues become more mature, I trust we shall not be more tolerant of evil, but we shall be more tolerant of infirmity, more hopeful for the people of God, and certainly less arrogant in our criticisms.”
Paul also addresses maturity in Colossians 2:6-7, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” These words describe the effort by the teacher and student. I like how Paul adds thanksgiving to the list of walking, rooted, built up, and established. It is the proper response. Again, maturity and growth must be intentional.
Max Lucado closes this section well, “God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile.”