Fruit Inspectors

The new year is flying by, isn't it? We've got one of our cold fronts blowing through Texas today, which makes it feel like real winter. But yesterday I saw that the redbuds are beginning to bloom, and that new growth is emerging on the rose bushes—spring and growth time is coming! Another sure sign is that all of our grandchildren and the other kids in church are hitting a growth spurt and seem to be significantly taller every single week. Life is all about growth, and even when we stop growing physically, we should never stop growing in godliness. 

a gorgeous and fruitful mature apricot tree in a friend's yard

We could look in several places to find analogies to help explain spiritual maturity. The human body is an obvious starting point, as physical maturing is something we all experience. It is not difficult to see the similarities between my darling little granddaughter who just turned one year old and her beautiful mother whom she looks exactly like. But she looks like her mother did as a one-year-old, not like she looks today. The physical differences between an immature infant and a mature woman are clear.

Another analogy, which Jesus often employed, would be found in a garden or orchard. It is very easy to see the difference between an apricot seed and an apricot tree, or between an apricot blossom and an apricot you can eat. These phases of the maturity cycle are easy to differentiate. In agricultural terms, it is easy to understand when something has become mature, and when it has not.

But what about spiritual maturity—what are the signs that indicate a person is fully grown, spiritually speaking? This one is tricky, because it does not necessarily follow the usual pattern that we can see physically. Just because someone has a ripe old age does not at all necessarily mean that they are spiritually mature, nor does it mean that a young person cannot be spiritually mature simply because they have not lived long enough. There are other signs of spiritual maturity or the lack thereof. As our beloved deep East Texas pastor once said years ago, we are none wise or good enough to stand in the place of judgement against one another—that job belongs to God alone—but we can all be fruit inspectors, especially of our own hearts and lives.

The reality of spiritual maturity as a follower of Jesus Christ is walking faithfully with God, and allowing Him to conform us into the image of His beautiful Son. Spiritually mature people have hearts, lives, and actions that really remind others of Jesus. Here are a few signs to look for, just letting the scripture speak for itself…

A couple of inward signs of spiritual maturity -
A quiet and content heart - “…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

A renewed mind - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

These things are lovely signs of spiritual maturity, and I’m so thankful that the Lord so graciously helps us learn through trial and error the way to internal transformation. I am always amazed when I meet a godly person who is truly content no matter what circumstances they encounter, or who thinks absolutely differently than the rest of the world. As fruit inspectors, we all thoroughly enjoy this beautiful fruit of a transformed life when we encounter it, and I imagine that God is pleased, too. 

But the longer I live, the more I think there are certain indicators that stand out above all the others, namely how we engage with one another. After all, Jesus came to make a way for us to be reconciled to God, which is such a breathtaking miracle, and through His finished work on the cross He has made it possible for us to be reconciled to each other—and anyone who has ever stepped foot outside their own room knows this is also a marvelous miracle! Our default is to be supremely selfish, looking out for Number One. We continually think more highly of ourselves than we do of anyone else, and do whatever it takes to self-preserve and self-protect. We can justify and rationalize our own hurtful actions while too easily knocking others down a notch or two for less serious missteps. And if we are not careful, we will stay like that literally forever. God wants so much more for us!
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I would like to submit this idea for your consideration today: The Spirit of the Living God continually allows us to be in situation after situation where we must choose unselfishness so that we can grow into full spiritual maturity, as full spiritual maturity is willingly participating in the beautiful unity, love, and fellowship we are invited into by the Godhead. 

In other words, spiritual maturity is displayed in relationship, and most specifically in friendship.
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I hope to unpack this over the coming weeks, but for now, let’s continue the fruit inspection…

A few outward signs of spiritual maturity - 
An encouraging, forgiving nature - "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:29-32)

A self-sacrificing lifestyle - the willingness to lay down one’s own life for another is what Jesus lived and demonstrated, and He plainly taught, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:3) 

The implication is clear, and nothing less than amazing: when Jesus spoke these words, He was hours away from doing that very thing for us…people with whom He longs for friendship! If this doesn’t blow our minds, we are missing something. The Lord of heaven and earth, the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords wants to be friends with us—WOW! But wait, there is more, and this is the part we too easily brush off: He also wants us to be friends with each other. 

Many years ago I was a school teacher, and this was during the beginning of the inexplicable modern era of not ever giving people a failing grade. I had a very angry student in my math class who never once picked up a pencil or wrote on a piece of paper. No matter how much individualized attention or extra help I gave, this person would not give any effort, not out of a lack of ability, but out of sheer rebellion. When the first quarter ended and grades were given, I gave the student a 50, which seemed incredibly generous since there was literally zero percent effort given. But within a few days, I found myself in the principal’s office with the two nervous and remarkably unhelpful administrators watching on passively as the student’s mother screamed at and threatened me until she was actually blue in the face. I was young and inexperienced then, and found myself just sitting and taking the verbal abuse, all the while thinking about how awkward it was going to be the first time we ran into each other at the grocery store in our small town! 

Isn’t this the reality of a whole bunch of people who are going to live together forever in Heaven? Heaven will not be heaven if we try to bring all of our relational baggage there with us, and becoming fit for heaven is what growing up spiritually is all about.

The world has no idea of this concept, and is all about division and discord. Try to imagine any of the popular internet chat spaces in heaven...this is impossible to do, because the back-biting and savage nature of discourse in such spaces cannot exist in the presence of a holy God. These virtual spaces make it far too easy to engage in a form of crucifixion of a person when we would all be mortified if the same hateful destruction was aimed at ourselves. Participating in such “conversation”, be it virtual or real, does nothing to bring anyone to maturity, quite the opposite. A spiritually mature person is wise and realizes that God is our Father—emphasis on OUR. God loves me so much, but He also loves His other sons and daughters that much, and for His sake I must love them, too. We are fooling ourselves if we think there will be segregated areas in heaven where we can put people we don't like, or use to stay away from others we won't abide.

This leads to one last sign of maturity for today...

A desire for unity and a love for others - “We love because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” (1 John 4:19-21)

That is plain talk!  There is so much more to say about this idea of godly friendship, but for today, it will be a great start to put on our fruit inspector badges—not to examine anyone else this time, but to examine our own hearts and lives. Let’s be honest with ourselves about what kind of fruit our lives bear: the ugly, bruised fruit of division and destruction, or the healthy fruit of love and unity? 

God is so kind and good. He puts us into families and so many other kinds of relationships where we have ample opportunity to find out how deep our own selfishness actually goes, so that we have plenty of opportunity to work all of that selfishness out with His help! The apostle John especially clued in to all that Jesus had to say and demonstrate about love and friendship; all of his writings are infused with this theme. I encourage you to take the time to read all of 1 John chapters 3 and 4, better yet the entire book of 1 John. A wonderful frame of mind to begin an inspection of our own hearts comes from 1 John 3:16, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." Next, go back through the inward and outward signs listed here today, and allow the Lord to help you inspect your own fruit. It's time to grow!

Father, we pray that you would help us to grow in the grace and knowledge of God as we learn to love and trust You, and as we learn to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. The watching world is going to know that we are Your people by the way we love one another, so please make us mindful of your great love as we interact, and help us to lay down our lives for one another, as You did for us.