The height of Spiritual Maturity for a believer is that we attain the measure of the stature of Christ. This is like the zenith of being a born-again believer or child of God. In Ephesians 4:13, Paul wrote: “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man…” We have said over and over again that perfection is not a mirage, perfection is possible in Christ Jesus. This is like the first visible thing that everyone sees in you when Christ is fully formed in you. It says further: “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” Also, in Galatians 4:19. The Bible says: “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again [meaning that he has labored before this time and he is willing to do it again and again and again] until Christ is formed in you.”
One thing we don’t do in the kingdom of God is evidenced in this thing that apostle Paul wrote to us here. In other words, Paul was saying that in the kingdom of God, we don’t throw the baby away with the birth water. We don’t write people off that they cannot attain sonship. It means that we must continue to labor over such people until they attain the needed spiritual maturity. Paul said in Philippians 3:1: “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.” In other words, Paul was saying: For me to write the same thing, teach you the same thing, exalt you on the same thing, it is not tiring for me…until you get the message, I won’t stop.
But we may not be able to adequately understand what Paul was saying in that particular Galatians 4:19 unless we go back to reading the chapter beginning from verse 1-7. Galatians 4:1-7 says:
“Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6and because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
So, we can see that the goal of the Father for us is that we attain that sonship stage. The goal of the Father is not that we remain as a babe or child forever. The goal of the Father is towards the appointed time when you and I fully grow into sonship. Notice that you don’t become an heir in the kingdom until you attain sonship? The latter part of verse 7 says: “and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Meaning that if you are not a son, then you are not qualified for that inheritance status. In the kingdom of God, inheritance is given to sons and not immature children. In Luke 15:11-13, the Bible gave us a vivid picture of this. It says: “Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So, he divided to them his livelihood.”
Notice that the Bible didn’t call them his children, even though they were in the true sense of it. But the Bible used the word ‘sons’ so that it can help us to understand their position in the scheme of things.
What is the Difference Between a Child and a son?
#1. Responsibilities: the first thing that differentiate a child from a son in the kingdom of God is the number of responsibilities that is committed into your hands. That’s why the Bible says concerning Jesus in Luke 2:40 that “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” Jesus couldn’t start ministry as a child because at that level, there is little or nothing He could achieve. But when he grew up, at the age of 30, He became ready to handle kingdom responsibilities. You cannot continue to run away from responsibilities and think you would attain sonship in the kingdom, it doesn’t work that way. Kingdom government and administration rests upon the shoulders of sons and not children.
#2. Accountability: Children are naturally not accountable. When they get things destroyed in the house, they don’t say anything to the effect until most times, you find out yourself. But sons are accountable. They don’t wait for the father to find out their errors before they report themselves.
What Happens When Christ is Formed in You?
#1. You become Christ-like
Everything that has to do with religion and its activities don’t find any expression in you. Only the Spirit of Christ is expressed in you. Ephesians 4:20-24 says: “But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
#2. You attain the measure of the stature of Christ
Paul already showed us this in Ephesians 4:11 that this is the goal for every believer. We cannot fully claim that Christ has been formed in us when we have not attained His stature. At this level, whatsoever that is of God is not found in us. The mind of Christ has been fully formed in us. Philippians 2:3-11 says:
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
#3. You attain Perfection [Philippians 2:14-16]
Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
May the Lord help us all in Jesus’ name.
Article Source: [Centre for New Dimension Leadership]
