Four Things Immature Christians Have in Common (That Means All of Us)

Here’s a list for you: four things I have found, over the years, to be common among immature Christians. These serve as good reminders for all of us, regardless of our level of maturity.

(The fourth one is on grace and forgiveness; read it first if you are the guilty, self-condemning type. Seriously.)

1. Immature Christians focus on others’ sins more than their own.

In God’s economy, our own sins are both greater and worse than those of others. “Economy” comes straight from the Greek and is a compound word, made up of “house” and “law” or “rules.” So, the rule in God’s household is to “think of others as better than yourselves” (Php 2:3). This is why Paul considers himself to be the “chief of sinners” — he’s following the house rules (1 Tim 1:15). This is why Jesus says there is a mere splinter in your friend’s eye, but a plank in yours (Mt 7:3). Stop blaming others; you’re confused and breaking God’s house rules.

2. Immature Christians don’t realize they operate on God’s schedule.

Your life is not yours. Ever get irritated when you’re interrupted or your plans are derailed? “For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist (1 Cor 8:6). You were “bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:20). At that time you died and now your life is hidden with Christ (Col 3:3).  Remember, your time isn’t yours: it’s God’s. Let Him do with it what He wants.

3. Immature Christians are more focused on information than formation.

God is more concerned that you know Him than that you know about Him. People in union with Christ will come to increasingly sound doctrine; but people primarily concerned with doctrine may never come to union with Christ. The Lord’s complaint through Jeremiah regarding the priesthood is, “those who handle the law did not know me” (2:8). He doesn’t say they didn’t know the law, they just didn’t know Him. The problem with lots of busy Marthas in the Church is Jesus will one day say to them, “I never knew you; depart from me” (Mt 7:23). The Psalmist is constantly yearning for God Himself, not simply the things of God (63:1-8; 42:1-2; 130:6). And throughout Psalm 119, the reason David loves God’s law is because he loves God (v. 10 and throughout).

4. Immature Christians confuse the law and the gospel.

Most importantly, there is an ongoing confusion of faith and ethics in the Church. Many well-meaning people who feel the weight of their sin are seeking to be, in themselves, that which Jesus alone was and is; namely, morally excellent. They will argue that the Bible exhorts us to this, in teaching us to follow Him and imitate His way of life. What they have forgotten is only one thing was required of them: to believe. This is not ethics (conduct); this is faith (belief). The way a Christian gains access to the status of moral excellence is not by doing excellent things, but by believing. Jesus alone was capable of being what we long to be. When we humbly accept this, and believe in his death and resurrection as the Son of God, our “work” is done. What follows is the rest, peace, and stability of soul you have long sought.