1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
The five stages of human growth are fetal, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The saved sinner is first born into the family of God as an infant. As we discipline ourselves to talk to the Lord in prayer and walk in obedience, we grow up into adolescents and then into sons/daughter of God. Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. If we go for a walk with a child, children will pull or run ahead when they see a playground as they are desperate to get to it. As children grow up, they become more composed and collected. Similarly, as we grow into sons and daughters our emotions, passions and intuitions must be subject to the control of the Holy Spirit. Adolescence and adulthood are two phases of maturity.
In our spiritual growth into adolescence will open doors of revelations, inspiration and understanding. Deep secrets of the Bible will be revealed to us; we will be trusted with relationships and responsibilities and there will be a surge of urge to serve. This doesn’t mean we are matured but it means that we are on the way to spiritual maturity. As we trust the house with a grown up young adult, the Lord God will entrust us with errands and tasks. Luke 16:10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. The more we can be trusted, the more we will be entrusted. Remember, spiritually, a 60 year old man will remain as a 16 years old teenager, if he fails to pass the test of ‘spiritual puberty’.
Three major changes as we grow into spiritual adolescence:
1. Instruct: A young adult can listen and respond to instructions. We will start hearing instructions, direction and intuitions. To a son of God, there will be impressions of directions in the heart. Psalms 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Unlike a child, a young adult can follow instructions. Those who are hearers of the Word but not doers are still disobedient children, not sons.
2. Inherit: A young adult inherits property, possessions and power. We will never give our car keys to a child that we would entrust with an adolescent who has a licence to drive. Similarly, spiritual maturity entitles us to be empowered with spiritual blessings. Ephesians 1:3 Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ; vs 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship.
3. Insight: Revelations, road maps and disclosures are reserved only for the sons not kids as children will not have the capacity to digest the depth of the truth. 2 Corinthians 2:18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters. When God closes a door, or when “no” or “wait” is the answer to some petitions, a young adult will have a better understanding of the answer, unlike a child who will be angry, adamant or astringent. Spiritual maturity will give us the understanding to detours, redirections and delays.
Adolescence will change our understanding of God’s compassion. Spiritual maturity into adolescence is measured by our submission to His direction, response to responsibility and insight into His instructions.
Revelation 21:7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
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