How to Identify a Spiritual Child
No one wants to admit they’re spiritually immature, in fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who will. Rather than subjectivity and opinion, let’s use the scripture to identify possible ways we might all be children so that we humbly grow up in the Lord.
In Ephesians 4:14, the Apostle Paul clearly lays out what makes someone a spiritual child. It has nothing to do with age, but with understanding and behavior:
“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;”
Additionally, in 1 Corinthians 14:20 we are exhorted to
“…be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.”
The figurative language used in Ephesians 4:14 paints the picture of someone who hears a new doctrine, teaching, or piece of information and follows it without first searching the scriptures to validate it. This is an unstable approach that leads to getting knocked around by lies and deceit. Oftentimes, it’s found when people follow a person and not Christ (Acts 20:30).
The Athenians had this same problem in Acts 17:21,
“For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.”
They were looking for something novel, something “new and improved,” something “that really works.” This is the childish, fleshly response that we are all prone to exhibit. It’s no wonder the self-help industry racks in over $10 BILLION a year.
Do you know what really works? A clear understanding of the grace of God to save and change our inner man. Unfortunately for most, it’s 2000 years old (not new and improved) and to understand the glorious depths of it we have to study the word of God (most are too lazy or too prideful). Inward change comes with grace ingredients and takes time: it’s not a 12-step program (that’s a legalistic, law mentality).
If we take a good hard look in the mirror, we can all find areas where we act immaturely and need to grow up. The most challenging thing about identifying where those areas are is that we deceive ourselves. Notice at the end of Ephesians 4:14 that people get blown about “by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” This is straight out of Satan’s playbook, twisting the truth of God into a lie (Gen 3:1, Mat 4:6, 2Co 11:13-15).
An effective lie can sound good to the flesh (and can use scripture), so we need to be firmly grounded in truth to combat wrong doctrine. If you are not established in truth and can’t identify when people are speaking lies or using the word of God incorrectly, then you are being deceived and need to grow up in Christ. If you know what is true from the word of God, you won’t be moved by wrong doctrine. Let us prayerfully study the Bible (2Ti 2:15) and speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15) so that we can avoid deception and edify one another in the Body.
