Lesson 15

Lesson 15

Measuring Your Maturity

I Peter 3:8-12

It's called growing up. While we are doing it, we still spill our milk, we still say things we shouldn't and we don't always act our age. At times we have the temper tantrum of a two-year old. At other times we pout like a child. Sometimes we go through sweeping mood swings like an awkward adjusting teenager. The process is called growing up.

Growing up is also something that is supposed to happen spiritually for a Christian. Unfortunately, it's possible to grow older in the faith but still not grow up. The writer of Hebrews expressed this in 5:12- 6:1a. When they should have been teachers, they were still in kindergarten reciting their ABC's. When they should have had the skill to use a knife and slice off a hunk of steak they were still being bottle fed milk. They were babies when they should have reached a level of spiritual maturity. These were "slow-growers".

So how do you measure spiritual maturity? Is there is some yardstick, some tangible set of checkpoints we can all use to measure our maturity?

A good place to start such an examination might be I Peter 3:8-12, our text for today's message. Actually, this text is a list. There are nine items on this list to look for in terms of your own maturity. We are going to make our way down this list, one by one, item by item today. But before we consider this checklist individually, you need to know that there is something that these things have in common. That is, they are primarily attitudes. That's right. Spiritual maturity is not mostly measured by how much you know or by what all you can do. Spiritual maturity is measured mostly by the attitudes that you display. So you are going to be asked today to examine your attitude.

So let's see what the text says.

"Finally" - this is not signaling the end of the epistle. We are only half way through I Peter. It introduces the conclusion of a particular section of the letter. This section began in 2:11. It was a section dealing with an attitude of submission.

Here, Peter shifts from writing to particular groups to addressing them "all." There had been some specific instructions to citizens in a secular society, to workers for a secular boss, to wives who had secular husbands as well as to husbands, but now, Peter addresses them all - "be ye all."

He doesn't do a lot of elaboration in this section. He just rattles off a rapid fire list of attitudes to develop in your life.

Here they are ...

Unity

"of one mind"

The first checkpoint is an attitude of harmony and unity among the people of God. The Bible urges God's people to be of one mind. Romans 15:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God ... II Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be of one mind ... Philippians 1:27 ... that I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel ... Philippians 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Psalm 133:1 - Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

But just what is unity? It is not the same as union. Union is affiliation but not necessarily a common bond of oneness of heart and mind. It is not the same as uniformity where is similarity in appearance but not necessarily a oneness of mind and heart. It is not the same as unanimity where there is 100% agreement but not necessarily oneness of mind and heart. Unity - "the state of being one."

The secret of unity is not to focus on the petty, peripheral differences, but to focus on what we have in common in Christ Jesus.

Compassion

"having compassion one of another"

The Greek word used here is the word from which we get our English word "sympathy". It literally means "to feel with". Romans 12:15 - 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. This is compassion. And when you feel with someone like this, it carries with it the absence of competition or jealousy or envy. Having the right attitude helps to eliminate wrong attitudes.

Affection

"love as brethren"

The word for love used here is not "agape" but "philadelphos" - brotherly love. It has to do with affection and friendship and fondness. Make it a point to like each other, to like other Christians, to build friendship with them. Friendship, someone has said, is like a sheltering tree. When you have this quality, your branches reach out over the lives of others to give them shelter and shade.

Sympathy

"be pitiful"

Some of us, don't have any trouble being pitiful. But the word used here has to do with being full of pity or sympathetic. It is similar to the idea of compassion, in fact, this same word is translated "moved with compassion" in Matthew 9 and "tender-hearted" in Ephesians 4:32.

Courteous

"be courteous"

The courtesy being spoken does not have so much to do with having good manners, as much as it has to do with being kind, the opposite of rude. Ephesians 4:32 tells us to "be kind one to another."

The first five on our list of checkpoints for measuring maturity, all found in verse 8, have to do with how we think or feel. In verses 9-11, Peter transitions to what we should do or say, rounding out our checklist with the actions that come from the proper attitude.

Forgiveness

"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing."

Verse 9 touches all the important bases regarding forgiveness: refusing to retaliate, restraining from ugly insults, returning such with a blessing (which could be a kind word or a action). Peter reminds us that we are called to endure harsh treatment, (remember 2:20-21).

Whenever the urge to get even comes over you, remember that retaliation is a sign of adolescence, while restraint is a mark of maturity.

The last three on Peter's list are in the form of a quotation from Psalm 34:12-16. Again, there is an attitude, a frame of mind being expressed here. He whose will or desire it is to love life and to see good days - the phrase captures a certain optimism and joy. This would be especially significant for the people to whom Peter was writing. They were experiencing difficult times of persecution, yet they still should love life and look for good days. How?

A Controlled Tongue

"let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile"

James says that the person who bridles his tongue is mature and able to control every other part of his life. So put a bridle on your tongue and hold it back from galloping headlong into evil. This is a major way of accomplishing the goal of loving life and seeing good days. Those who have learned to restrain from gossip (which Christians often call concerns and prayer requests), those who have learned not be talebearers (which is often of unverified information), those who have learned to not vent their anger and frustration right out through their mouth, those who have learned to keep confidences, those who have learned not to be so critical of others are maturing spiritually as well as enhancing the quality of their lives.

Purity

"Let him eschew evil, and do good"

We are reminded here to depart from evil, to avoid it, to shun. Paul said to avoid every appearance of evil. Instead, do what is good. The purity of your life comes, not from seeing how close to the line that you can walk, but from seeing how far from evil you can stay! Purity is a measurement of your spiritual maturity.

Peace

"let him seek peace, and ensue it"

Jesus said, "(Matthew 5:9) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Peter tells us to seek peace, to pursue it. Paul said, "And be at peace among yourselves." Spiritual maturity is not stirring up trouble. It is pursuing peace.

Peter ends the passage with a wonderful quotation and promise of God's providential care. God sees the righteous. He hears our prayers. But he is against those who do evil. That's quite a checklist isn't it? Nine noticeable notches to measure our Christian maturity.