Becoming a Mature Saint

Phil 2:12-13: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.   For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.


Sainthood is about more than just getting saved and missing the Lake of Fire. Most saints never discover who they are or what power they possess. Why is that?


  1. A saint is first made by an act of belief. (trust). This is the only gateway to salvation. Eph 2:8-10, Rom 4:3-5, Eph 1:13-14, 1 Cor 15:1-4,11, Act 16:28-34


2. The new saint immediately inherits new attributes.  He or she is a being that has never existed before. The new attributes are spiritual in nature. (I.E. your physical body doesn’t get any better!) 2 Cor 5:17-21, Col 2:10-13, Eph 1:3-4


Side note:  Many, if not most new saints fall back into their old flesh patterns, never developing their abilities or really learning who they are in Christ.  Typically they get sidetracked and fall into compromise and/or religious apostasy.  Many people in this group continue solving the same spiritual and/or personal problems over and over again. 1 Cor 3:1-8, Rom 10:1-4…, 2 Tim 4:1-4, Col 2:6-7


3. Occasionally a saint, relentless for the truth, begins to grow.  This, however, requires a willingness to learn the truth, study and often find a mentor from within the Body of Christ.  Act 17:11, 2 Tim 2:15-16, 2 Tim 1:5-7


4. A Mature Saint must know who his adversary is and understand which fights to engage and which fights to avoid. Eph 6:12-20, 2 Tim 2:14, 2 Tim 2:23, Tit 3:9


5. A Mature Saint is unashamed of his message. Rom 1:16, 1 Cor 1:18-21


6. A Mature Saint is less concerned about his personal welfare than he is about the welfare of others, particularly in the area of spiritual growth. Rom 1:9-12


7. A Mature Saint realizes that the battle in this life is principally a mental one and realizes that he must guard his mind.  He realizes that the world system will pump as much garbage into his head as he will permit.  - Rom 12:1-2


8. A Mature Saint is level-headed and a thinker.  He doesn’t follow every wind of doctrine – he studies the Word-of-God relentlessly so he knows his doctrine.  He knows where we fit into the overall picture because he has learned to study in proper context. 2 Tim 2:15, 2 Tim 3:13-17


9. A Mature Saint is more concerned about what the Word of God says than he is about his own experience.  He allows the Word of God to establish his doctrine rather than using it as a proof-text to support something he believes. He considers the Word of God seriously. Acts 17:11, Job 23:11-12


10. A Mature Saint is fully convinced of his doctrine, grounded and settled and is not kicked around by every fly-by-night religionist that comes around or any philosophy that “sounds good”.  Col 2:1-10


11. A Mature Saint has learned to be content in every situation, even situations that he doesn’t like or is uncomfortable. Phil 4:11-13


12. A mature saint realizes that he didn’t become mature overnight; that he or she needs to have patience with new believers and those that have not learned to “rightly divide” the scriptures yet.  Too often, people in the so-called “grace movement” forget the process they went through in refining their understanding of the truth.  Most of Pauline truth is not “rocket science” but the world has so confused the matter it may seem like it.  - 1 Cor 3:1-4, Neh 8:8