Paul teaches us that we can know if we're mature by whether we trust Jesus, are becoming more attached to him, and whether we keep pressing on. Those who are mature know this and act by it. If you do not know this, and/or you do not act by it, God will educate you further.

1. Mature Faith
Philippians 3:1-16
Horton Road Church of Christ
March 21, 2010

2. Spiritual maturity is not gained
by bible knowledge
or personal accomplishments
or by a winner-take-all attitude

3. Spiritual immaturity is the result of
unlike minds
“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to
be of the same mind in the Lord.”
(Philippians 4:2)
“In your relationships with one another, have the
same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had.”
(Philippians 2:5)

4. We are spiritually mature when we
trust Jesus more than ourselves
are more attached to Jesus than to
ourselves
keep pressing ahead in faith instead
of falling back

5. Trust Jesus more than yourself by
rejoicing in faith, serving God, and
trusting Jesus

6. How do we trust Jesus?
“Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the
Lord! ... Serve God by his Spirit [and] boast in
Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 3:1, 3)

7. Draw closer to Jesus
“What is more, I consider everything a loss
because of the surpassing worth of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord.... I consider them garbage,
that I may gain Christ.”
(Philippians 3:8)

8. How do we draw closer to Jesus?
“[I want to] be found in him, not having a
righteousness of my own that comes from the
law, but that which is through faith in Christ.... I
want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of
his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death....”
(Philippians 3:9-10)

9. Keep pressing ahead instead of
falling back
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or
have already arrived at my goal, but I press on
to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took
hold of me.”
(Philippians 3:12)

10. How do we press ahead?
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind
and straining toward what is ahead, I press on
toward the goal....”
(Philippians 3:13-14)

11. If you are not mature, God will
educate you
“All of us, then, who are mature should take such
a view of things. And if on some point you think
differently, that too God will make clear to you.”
(Philippians 3:15)

12. Live up to what you have already
attained
“Only let us live up to what we have already
attained.”
(Philippians 3:16)