Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.  Genesis 19:14

We’ve been talking about mileposts on the journey of Christian maturity. Milestones like childlike-ness, the highs and lows of life don’t impact the quality of our walk with God, faith, self respect, worship… I need to point out that all these attributes are Christian-character traits. They are things that we as Christians ought to live out. But they aren’t a checklist. They aren’t things that we do to be mature Christians. Just the other way around: they are life-attributes of mature Christians. The difference? One flows out of our efforts, the other flows out of our character. These often take some time to establish. (more…)

Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Spiritual maturity is not about appearance. There are people who “look the part.” This is sometimes called “passing the eye test.” In basketball, for example, that means being exceptionally tall with big hands. But many who pass the eye test aren’t good basketball players. Some who are shorter are exceptional at the game.

In the same way, when it comes to Christian maturity, there are many Christians who “pass the eye test”—they look the part, but that’s all. Last time we mentioned age, or even the appearance of age. But looks aren’t a very good indication of spiritual maturity. (more…)