The Call to Spiritual Maturity

UV 1242/10,000 The Call to Spiritual Maturity

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Ephesians 4 v 14


We are called to spiritual maturity and not to remain children in terms of our understanding and knowledge. When we were children, our thoughts, emotions and perceptions were those of a child. We were gullible as children and believed every fairy tale we heard to be true. But now that we have learnt the truth, we should not be easily swayed by the views, opinions and doctrines that are spewed out by resourceful people in order to deceive others. We should exercise spiritual discernment to determine what is from God and what is from the world and due to speculation and deception of the deceiver. While we are to be children innocent of all malice, we ought to be like mature men in terms of understanding of the spiritual truths expounded in the Word.

We should be like the teeth that are rooted in its gums in terms of our being grounded in the Word. We are not babes in Christ in need of milk but we have graduated to eating solid food and to be able to tear the flesh from the bone or to be able to determine the essentials or first principles of faith, to digest it and to apply it in our lives. We are not to be overcome by the sophistry of new fangled teachings and arguments and human persuasion but be skilled in our understanding of the scriptures. Then we will not be like a wave that is blown about the mind. We will neither be naïve nor gullible. We will not be having ears itching to hear the things we like.


Today, many teachers particularly in the West have become extremely popular by teaching what is known as ‘syrup gospel’, mixing new age doctrines along with the scripture. Instead of interpreting the world according to the Word, they are interpreting the Word to fit into the patterns and moulds of the world, even going to the extent of saying that many perversions are permissible and even honourable options. They do so in order to cause divisions and to gather followers. Their teachings are attractive and have a seductive appeal for a large number of people.

Prateep V Philip