42 Bible Verses about Maturity

till we all of us arrive at oneness in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and at mature manhood and the stature of full-grown men in Christ.

Such persons are mere babes. But solid food is for adults--that is, for those who through constant practice have their spiritual faculties carefully trained to distinguish good from evil.

Now I say that so long as an heir is a child, he in no respect differs from a slave, although he is the owner of everything,

Therefore let all of us who are mature believers cherish these thoughts; and if in any respect you think differently, that also God will make clear to you.

Him we preach, admonishing every one and instructing every one, with all possible wisdom, so that we may bring every one into God's presence, made perfect through Christ.

Therefore leaving elementary instruction about the Christ, let us advance to mature manhood and not be continually re-laying a foundation of repentance from lifeless works and of faith in God,

He ought not to be a new convert, for fear he should be blinded with pride and come under the same condemnation as the Devil.

For although, considering the long time you have been believers, you ought now to be teachers of others, you really need some one to teach you over again the very rudiments of the truths of God, and you have come to require milk instead of solid food.

Yet when we are among mature believers we do speak words of wisdom; a wisdom not belonging, however, to the present age nor to the leaders of the present age who are soon to pass away.

Only let endurance have perfect results so that you may become perfect and complete, deficient in nothing.

And as Jesus grew older He gained in both wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Epaphras, who is one of yourselves, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, sends greetings to you, always wrestling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand firm--Christians of ripe character and of clear conviction as to everything which is God's will.

Brethren, do not prove yourselves to be children in your minds. As regards evil, indeed, be utter babes, but as regards your minds prove yourselves to be men of ripe years.

For we often stumble and fall, all of us. If there is any one who never stumbles in speech, that man has reached maturity of character and is able to curb his whole nature.

Finally, brethren, be joyful, secure perfection of character, take courage, be of one mind, live in peace. And then God who gives love and peace will be with you.

Thirst, like newly-born infants, for pure milk for the soul, that by it you may grow up to salvation;

I fed you with milk and not with solid food, since for this you were not yet strong enough. And even now you are not strong enough:

Be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance.

and it is a joy to us when we are powerless, but you are strong. This we also pray for--the perfecting of your characters.

Then the passion conceives, and becomes the parent of sin; and sin, when fully matured, gives birth to death.

Of itself the land produces the crop-- first the blade, then the ear; afterwards the perfect grain is seen in the ear.

That which fell among the thorns means those who have heard, but as they go on their way, the Message is stifled by the anxieties, wealth and gaieties of time, and they yield nothing in perfection.

But we shall lovingly hold to the truth, and shall in all respects grow up into union with Him who is our Head, even Christ.

in order fully to equip His people for the work of serving--for the building up of Christ's body--

By people who live on milk I mean those who are imperfectly acquainted with the teaching concerning righteousness.

And advance we will, if God permits us to do so.

You however are to be complete in goodness, as your Heavenly Father is complete.

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has existed from the very beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and God's Message still has a place in your hearts, and you have overcome the Evil one.

And over all these put on love, which is the perfect bond of union;

so that you may not become half-hearted, but be imitators of those who through faith and patient endurance are now heirs to the promises.

And not only so: we also exult in our sufferings, knowing as we do, that suffering produces fortitude;

with my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the prize of God's heavenward call in Christ Jesus.

fortitude, ripeness of character; and ripeness of character, hope;

you for whom I am again, as it were, undergoing the pains of childbirth, until Christ is fully formed within you.

So we shall no longer be babes nor shall we resemble mariners tossed on the waves and carried about with every changing wind of doctrine according to men's cleverness and unscrupulous cunning, making use of every shifting device to mislead.

for the government of the world when the times are ripe for it--the purpose which He has cherished in His own mind of restoring the whole creation to find its one Head in Christ; yes, things in Heaven and things on earth, to find their one Head in Him.

That was why his parents said, "He is of full age: ask him himself."

I now pass to another subject. Receive as a friend a man whose faith is weak, but not for the purpose of deciding mere matters of opinion.

but in the Church I would rather speak five words with my understanding--so as to instruct others also--than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.