Bible Question: Spiritual maturity? I have a 2 part question. Does God mature us more through our knowledge of His word, or through circumstances? Which is more of a sign of Christian maturity; knowledge of God's word or love for others? |
Bible Answer: Knowing and doing are equally important, at first blush. Action without knowledge is misguided (as in Romans 10:2). It can at best be a waste of time (Gal 6:3). At its worst it can result in a person remaining lost (Romans 10:1) and leading others into the ditch (Luke 6:39). Knowledge without action only puffs up the person having it (1 Cor 8:1), and is of no profit to anyone (1Co 13:2). But in fact it may be action that is more important. Jesus said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine (John 7:17). This seems to say that the one who is willing to do will learn. He may learn by experience (Gen 30:27). He may learn from his mistakes (1Ti 1:20). He may simply learn on the job (Phil 4:11). This willingness to do may imply a willingness to learn (Acts 16:31;Acts 9:6). If one is willing to learn in order to do, and willing to learn while doing, that may be the best combination of all (Matthew 7:24; John 13:17;Phil 4:9). |