Another clear sign of spiritual maturity, is faith and trust in the Holy Spirit's guidance and counsel. A spiritual mature person will not be thrown off by false teaching, even if it contradicts or messes with what they understand to be true, they will have their security rooted in their relationship with God Himself. They know that the Holy Spirit will 'teach them all things and remind them of everything that was taught to them (John 14:26). "As a result, they are no longer children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, they will grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ (Ephesians 4:14-15)." If there is disagreement about things in the Lord, a mature person isn't offended or thrown off, instead they take the attitude of Paul and say; 'if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained (Philippians 3:15-16).' Those who are spiritually mature are rooted in their trust in God himself. They are not trusting in their own ability to reason, or too afraid of their ability to believe a lie. They are also not trusting a concept, practice, or a tradition; they are simply trusting in God Himself and His ability to lead, guide, and protect. Because they don't take control over their own spirituality, God has room to do as He pleases. In this state one will often times feel 'out of control', but it is only there that you can find yourself 'under His control.' As in all cases of spiritual maturity, faith brings peace and freedom, while unbelief brings about insecurity and fear.
Spiritual mature people will also walk in holiness manifesting from their faith in what God has done on their behalf. They are not straining to change the way God views them, they are not attempting to become righteous but believing that Jesus fulfilled the full righteous requirement of the law in them (Romans 8:4). They believe in the finished work of Jesus and now live from a place of rest, naturally producing what they had strained to previously attain. "They have been found by Christ, not having a righteousness of their own that comes from the law, but that which comes by faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes by God through faith (Philippians 3:9)." Faith in Jesus will always manifest in a Holy lifestyle. Jesus told the disciples that those who believed in Him would do the works that He had done (John 14:12). In John 6 the disciples asked Jesus what they must do to work the works of God. He simply told them to believe in the one that was sent. As we have faith in what Jesus has done, our minds our renewed and our lives transformed. Faith will always produce fruit that striving cannot. We live from what He has done, not what we can do.
Knowing all of this now, while looking at the church, it is clear to see that the greatest problem and hindrance that we have, is lack of faith. We just flat out don't believe in the fullness of Christ's work; and therefore do not experience the fullness of our relationship with God. We know this to be true by the fruit that is produced (Matthew 7:16). Fear, insecurity anxiety, comparison, and pride are all indicators of unbelief, but the "fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23)." It is important that we recognize what fruit we are producing, because if we do not know the problem, we will not look for a solution. Thankfully, faith, which we lack, is not a work; it is not something we receive or increase on our own effort. So recognizing our lack of faith does not mean we have to feel bad about ourselves, because it's not about our performance. What it does, is it allows us to position ourselves for transformation; to have an ear to hear. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (1 Cor. 10:17)." Who is the word? Jesus (John 1:1). As we hear the fullness of the Gospel in a vulnerable, open, and honest place, the Holy Spirit has permission to come and inspire faith in us; so that we can 'know the truth.' For it is in 'knowing the truth that we are set free (John 8:32).' When we are vulnerable we can receive empowerment, it is then that we will start to actually manifest and experience the fruit of Christ's work.
There is a difference in the way we experience things and the way they actually are. We have the capacity to believe a lie; and Satan, being the father of lies (John 8:44), throws them at us from all sides. All insecurity, unbelief shame, fear, compromise, laziness, performance, and comparison are the result of a lie that we believe. But they are 'lies', they are insubstantial, not true, they have no place in reality. Our belief is what gives a lie substance. God however, is not affected by these lies, and sees us quite differently than we do ourselves. The way God sees us is the way we actually are in reality. For He sees in truth what may be shrouded to us because of believed lies. This is why we need to 'know the truth', to be 'transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).' We are whole, we are children of God, we have been set free from sin and the shame that it brings. In fact we don't ever have to sin again! We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3), and have been granted magnificent promises by which we have access to the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). We have confidence to be with God all the time because we have been sprinkled clean by the blood of the lamb (Romans 5:2). He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). However this is not always our experience, but it is true nonetheless.
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