Are You Reaching the Stature That Belongs to Christ?

"Attain . . . the full measure of stature that belongs to the fullness of the Christ." -EPHESIANS  4:13.


WHEN an experienced housewife selects fruit a the market, she does not always choose the biggest pieces or the least expensive ones.  Rather she looks for items that are ripe.  She wants fruit that has good taste and aroma and that offers healthy nutrients. Yes, she selects fruit that has reached a full state of growth, that is mature.

After a person has progressed to dedication and baptism, he continues to grow.  His goal is to become a mature servant of God.  The maturity we are speaking of is not physical but spiritual.  The apostle Paul wrote of the need for Christians in Ephesus to grow spiritually. He encouraged them to reach out to "attain to the oneness of the faith and of the accurate knowledge of the Son of God, to being a full-grown man, attaining the measure of stature that belongs to the fullness of the Christ." -Ephesians 4:13. 

When Paul wrote his letter, the congregation  in Ephesus had already existed for some years.  Many disciples there had reached a high level of spiritual development.  Some, however, still needed  to press on to maturity.  The situation among Jehovah's Witnesses today is much the same.  Many brothers and sister have long served God and have advanced to spiritual maturity. But obviously  not all are at that point.  For example, thousands of new ones are baptized each year, so some still need to strive for maturity. What about you? -Colossians 2:6, 7. 

Next time: Are You Reaching the Stature That Belongs to Christ? -CHRISTIAN GROWTH 

From the jw.org publications