Growing Up in Christ

In Ephesians 4:13–16, Paul gives the church a measure for spiritual maturity: Jesus Christ Himself. A mature church is not ultimately defined by its attendance, budget, programs, or activity. Christ gives His people to one another so that the whole body increasingly grows into His likeness. This means Christian maturity is not merely an individual pursuit. We grow together as the body of Christ.

Paul particularly emphasizes truth and love. An immature church can be carried about by false teaching, while a mature church is rooted in God's truth and speaks that truth in love. We cannot choose between the two. Truth without love fails to reflect Christ, and love that abandons truth loses the Gospel it has been called to proclaim. Truth and love are both evidence of maturity and among the means Christ uses to mature His people.

But our confidence is not in our ability to make ourselves mature. Christ is both the goal and the source of our growth. The Gospel creates the church, and Christ continues to work through every member of His body to build it up. So we should ask: Are we becoming more like Christ? Are we growing in both truth and love? And are we contributing to the maturity of Christ's body?

If you are looking for a church where we seek to know Christ through His Word and grow together as His people, we would be glad to have you join us at Refuge Church Centralia.