Maturity in Christ

The question is, what is Christian maturity? I want to walk through it briefly in this animation.

In the center of the screen, we have Christian maturity. It always begins in our character. We ask the question, “Who am I?” at the level of the heart, the character, the person that I am. Out of our character will grow our theological knowledge, which is asking, “What do I know?”

If our character is sinful or our consciences are dulled, it will influence our theology and our understanding of God. Therefore, we aim to be as pure as we can at a character level, who we are in Christ. This purity of character will influence our theology, allowing us to grow in our knowledge.

From our knowledge, the practical application of the gospel emerges, answering the question, “How will I live in this world?” As I live out the gospel based on my theological knowledge, born out of a character maturing in Christ’s likeness, I will begin to share it with others, serving both the body of Christ and those outside it.

This act of serving others will mature us further at a character level, creating a cyclical effect. It begins with our character—who we are at a foundational level as born-again believers. Our character is transformed into Christ’s likeness, to which we add theological knowledge, then put it into action steps through practical service.

This continuous process of serving others will influence our character, perpetuating our growth in Christian maturity as we continually cycle through character, knowledge, and practical application.