7 Seven Keys to Spiritual Maturity

Text: 2 Corinthians 3:1

What Is Spiritual Maturity?

Spiritual maturity is the sign of a Christian becoming more like Jesus.

2 Corinthians 3:1” So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.
And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious
image”.

Key Takeaway: You see, spiritual maturity is simply how much Christ is reflected through our lifestyle.

It begins with our minds and the way we think.

Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Spiritual maturity is becoming less like the world and more like Jesus Christ.

Why Is Spiritual Maturity Important?

The Bible tells us that Jesus wants every Christian to grow in their knowledge of Him. 2 Peter 3:18.

Growing in spiritual maturity is part of God’s plan of sanctification.

It’s the process of growing away from the old sinful man and becoming more like Jesus.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should never become stagnant but always desire more of Him.

Growing in Maturity Helps Us Make Better Decisions

Ecclesiastes 2:26 “For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to
the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God.
This also is vanity and a striving after wind”.

1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

As Paul described; as he grew, he gave up immature ways and was better as a result.

Characteristics of Spiritual Maturity

Spiritual maturity requires effort.

With the busyness of life, It gets very easy to forget the simple things that help us grow such as:

Daily reading of the Bible & Prayer

Jesus makes a great deal about this in John 15:2

John 15:2 “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear
fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit”.

it’s either you bear fruit or you don’t, and if you do, He’s going to prune you so that you bear even more.
But what is the fruit that Jesus is talking about? These are the characteristics of spiritual maturity.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law”.

These are the characteristics of spiritual maturity:

 Love
 Joy
 Peace
 Patience
 Kindness
 Goodness
 Faithfulness
 Gentleness
 Self-Control

Bearing Fruit of The Holy Spirit

As Christians, bearing good fruit resembles our relationship with God. it’s vital to the health of our spirit
man to bear the fruit of the Spirit. For us to gain these characteristics, we have to apply the following:

 Repent of sin
 Seek God through prayer,
 Learn how to worship Him
 Read the Bible.

Key Takeaway: Bearing the fruit of the spirit shows us if we are maturing spiritually, which resembles
our relationship with God.

Scriptures on Spiritual Maturity

Now that we understand spiritual maturity a little bit more. I want to give you some of my favorite Bible
verses on maturity in Christ.
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now
and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Hebrews 6:1
Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a
foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
1 Peter 2:2-3
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if
indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
1 Corinthians 14:20
Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
Hebrews 5:14
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant
practice to distinguish good from evil.
Here are 7 Powerful Keys to Spiritual Maturity

Now that you understand what spiritual maturity, let’s talk about how to achieve it.
Here are the 7 keys

 DEDICATE TIME TO STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD - 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of
eternity. Amen. This verse should make us want to study our bibles as it says to grow in the
grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For us to do that, we need to scratch
beneath the surface. Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly"
Key Takeaway: Devote time to reading your bible and graduate from reading to studying.
 SPEND TIME IN PRAYER AND FASTING
There’s no avoiding this. If you want to mature spiritually, you absolutely have to pray and fast.
I’m not just talking about praying for your food, your day at work, or for great weather to go to
the beach. No, I’m talking about dedicating quality time to pray, fast, and intercede. Now for our
prayers to be effective, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to align us to God’s perfect will.
1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything
according to his will, he hears us.
We also need to go the extra mile and deny our flesh in fasting so we can pray more effectively.
Key Take away: We need to dedicate quality time to prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to align us
with God’s will.
 BE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH BELIEVERS
Fellowship and unity are an important aid in our growth. We need to be in a Spirit-filled church.
Unfortunately, many people believe that not going to church and fellowshipping with other
Christians is okay. That’s not what the Bible says.
Proverbs 11:14 “Where there is no guidance, a people fall, but in an abundance of counselors
there is safety”.
1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Key Takeaway: Being part of a Spirit-filled church is essential to our spiritual health.
 LEARN TO BECOME A SERVANT
Learn to Value Servanthood
if you want to be an effective Christian, you have to learn to become a servant. This is not
anything that the Lord himself did not teach.
Matthew 20:28 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give
his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 23:11 “The greatest among you must be a servant”.
These are the very words of Jesus Himself. Spiritual growth and maturity are shown when you
are willing to serve others above yourself. This is what love is. To put others’ needs and desires
above our own.
Key Takeaway: Spiritual maturity is evident when you are willing to serve others.
 LEARN TO WORSHIP GOD FOR WHO HE IS
Spiritual maturity also requires an understanding of what the Bible says worship is.
God is worthy to be worshiped just for who He is. We also can’t forget how much God has
provided for us. Take a minute to reflect on the Lord’s goodness in your life. Would you be here
today if it were not for God?
 Psalm 86:9-10 “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and
shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God”.
This just reminds us that there is no one like our God. When we learn to seek God’s face and not
just HIs hands, we will then start to understand what it is to mature spiritually.
Key Takeaway: Learning to seek God’s face over His hands is a true sign of spiritual maturity.
 Examine yourself and repent of sin
If there is anything that will paralyze our walk with God, its sin. Temptation itself is not a sin.
Giving into it is. When we accept Jesus, He gives us a new nature. A holy nature. The problem is,
we still have sin living within us and we wrestle with it daily. We need to recognize this on-going
war within ourselves and learn how to overcome temptation.
1 John 1:10 “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us”.
2 Corinthians 13:5 “"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" ... Or do
you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you? -- unless you fail the test."
Key Takeaway: Examine yourself daily according to the scriptures.
 Walk with the Holy Spirit Daily
Reaching spiritual maturity is only guided by the Holy Spirit and can’t be reached apart from a
relationship with him. He is the one who reveals God’s word to us and transforms us.
Romans 8:14 “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”.
The more we grow spiritually, the more likely our lives will be full of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
We need to build a stronger relationship with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to sanctify us and
make us more like Jesus.
We need a sensitive ear to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He speaks beyond words and we need to
be able to hear Him. The way we do that is by Praying. Seeking Him & Reading the bible.
Key Takeaway: Seek to build a stronger relationship with the Holy Spirit
CONCLUSION
Putting The 7 Keys into Practice
All of these 7 keys are great for your spiritual maturity but they are nothing without your
application.
So here are some final tips to get you started:
 Read your bible daily.
 Spend quality time in prayer
 Worship God during your commute to work
 Start serving in your church even if it’s cleaning the bathroom
 Start building relationships with people in your church
If you’re looking to grow spiritually, you need to practice these things regularly.
Growing spiritually requires your effort. The best way to do that is by reading your bible and
self-study books.