Part 2 Christian Maturity Is Not Optional

Part 2 Christian Maturity Is Not Optional 

Tuesday September 23, 2025

• The ultimate goal of Christian Maturity is Full Christlikeness

• The best version of you is the matured  Christian version.

• You will be most profitable to the kingdom of God when you fully come of age. 

• For as long as God’s children remain immature, the world will think “Is this the best your God can do?

• Conclusion of Objective #2: Show that those who fail to mature in their Christian walk never stay stagnant, but they actually retrogress. 

There’s no stagnation in the spirit… you are either growing or you are retrogressing. 

The process of maturing can be likened to walking in a dark tunnel towards the light at the end of said tunnel. 

 We all start out as blind, and walking in the dark.

• Maturing is the process of coming out of the dark into the light. 

If you are not progressing towards the light, you are still in the dark.

There are two types of darkness. There is darkness in the world and there is darkness within us. 

The word of God deals with both types of darkness. God shines His light in the world and then He shines His light within us. 

John 11:9-10 ESV Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. [10] But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."

Matthew 6:22-23 ESV "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, [23] but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Psalm 36:9 ESV For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

If you stay long in the dark,  you will be adjusted to the dark. At some point one can become so comfortable in the darkness, that  the light becomes uncomfortable, and even actually painful. 

The maturing process is painful. It is called growing pains for that reason. The longer you've been immature, the more painful the process of maturing is. When you see people refusing to grow up, understand their pain and be gentle with them. 

Two types of light to deal with the two types of darkness

• First, Jesus the word of God, the light of the world has come into the world. 

The light of God has been revealed in Jesus, once for all. The light has come into the world.

John 3:19-21 NLT And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. [20] All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. [21] But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."

Before Jesus, the world was helplessly in darkness. Darkness covered the world and gross darkness the people. 

But with the advent of Jesus, the light has shone into the darkness. All the light in the world will make no difference to us if our eyes remain unopened. 

There remains a veil over our eyes until we are born again. 

Psalm 119:105 ESV Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 

2 Corinthians 3:14-16 ESV But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. [15] Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. [16] But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

Whatever darkness we see in the world today is willful darkness. It is darkness by choice. The light is clear at the end of the tunnel but people choose to stay in the dark tunnel.  They even put up dark shades and wear sunglasses to prevent the light from infiltrating into their world. 

Jesus actually said  that the reason they resist the light is because they love the darkness and they hate the light. For evildoers, darkness is an ally and light is an enemy.

John 3:19-21 NLT And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. [20] All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. [21] But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."

• Secondly and more importantly, the word of God illuminates us and opens our eyes. 

When we become born again, we come out of darkness into the light. 

Ephesians 5:8-11 ESV for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light [9] (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), [10] and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. [11] Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. [12] For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

Ephesians 5:8-11 CEB You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, so live your life as children of light. [9] Light produces fruit that consists of every sort of goodness, justice, and truth. [10] Therefore, test everything to see what’s pleasing to the Lord, [11] and don’t participate in the unfruitful actions of darkness. Instead, you should reveal the truth about them. 

At the moment of our regeneration, our eyes are opened for the first time. We are babies coming out of a dark womb, our eyes adjust slowly to the light.  We can’t handle too much light at first. It is too painful. We receive just enough light to take the next step. 

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 ESV 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. [12] For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

As we walk in the light, we will find that our eyes open the more; our understanding, our illumination increases. 

Proverbs 4:18 NLT The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

Sadly, too many of us stop moving towards the light because the truth hurts. It hurts good, but it still hurts, all the same. 

1 John 1:5-7 ESV This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. [6] If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we stop growing, we are living a lie. We are not walking in the light and we are not going to properly reflect our God and Savior.

•  The opposite of not growing in Christian maturity is not a standstill. It is backsliding.