The writer of Hebrews 5 begins to explain the concept of Jesus as our high priest and then stops because he does not think that the believers he is writing to are able grasp that truth. Why? Because he says they are still spiritual babies, even though they have been believers for some time. He is addressing the issue of spiritual immaturity.

Today I pose the question to you: What stage of growth do you find yourself in? The apostle John refers to the three stages of spiritual growth in 1 John chapter 2:  Infancy, youth, and maturity. 

Spiritual infancy begins with faith in Jesus Christ. Peter talks about this in I Peter 2:2 when he urges new believers to crave pure spiritual milk in order to grow up in their salvation. At this stage, the “works of the flesh” may be more evident than the “fruit of the Spirit“ because identity in Jesus has not been fully realized, the Word is not yet hidden in the heart and relationship with Jesus is just beginning.

The next stage of spiritual growth is the stage of youth. This is when we realize the power that we possess as a new creation in Christ. We begin to walk in victory over sin and all of the oppression of the enemy. As we dive more deeply into the Word of God, we begin to live by its precepts through obedience. We begin to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. We identify our spiritual gifts and ministries and begin to use them. 

The last stage of spiritual growth is the stage of spiritual maturity, or as I like to call it “the mentoring stage.” This is the stage where we truly know God, walk with Him intimately and are unmoved by the forces of darkness. We have learned through intimate relationship with our Lord that “no weapon formed against us will prosper.” We are secure in knowing who we are in Christ. Our spiritual gifts and ministry are on full display for the encouragement and the edifying of the body of Christ. The fruit of the Holy Spirit freely flows from us as we reach back to the generation behind us, encouraging them to grow up in the Lord. Full spiritual maturity is the goal!

How do we grow up in the Lord? By spending time in His Word, in His presence and with His people. We are all in process and won’t be done fully growing until we stand face to face with Jesus. As long as we’re growing, that is what is important. Let’s continue to grow up in the Lord together!