How Do We Measure Christian Maturity? (Hint: It’s Not Just Bible Facts)

Written by a fellow pilgrim who knows how easy it is to confuse information with transformation.

Christians love saying, “I’m a mature believer/Christian.” Sometimes it even comes with a tone, the tone, (we’ve all heard it) that suggests the discussion is now settled because of someone’s supposed spiritual seniority. But Scripture invites us to test such claims, not to shame or embarrass, but because true maturity is a gift God actually wants to grow in His people.

The problem is that we often measure maturity by the wrong metrics. We confuse information with formation, and equate Christian vocabulary with Christ-like virtue. Which is understandable because information is measurable. But I don’t think that it’s the right way.

The gospel saves us by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and the Spirit grows us as we abide in the Word. But that grace produces fruit, and that fruit is measurable, and that fruit is one sign of maturity.

So what does Christian maturity look like?

1. Christian Maturity Is Measured First by Christlikeness, Not Competence

The New Testament gives no category for a “mature” Christian who does not resemble Jesus. Yet so often ‘mature Christians’ say one thing and live completely differently.

Paul’s goal for believers is clear, he wants them to be more like Jesus (Gal. 4:19). However, being like Jesus is not mystical—it’s visible. It includes things like :

• Humility rather than self-assertion
• Gentleness rather than harshness
• Patience rather than impatience
• Forgiveness rather than grudges
• Purity rather than secret indulgence
• Compassion rather than indifference

If someone claims maturity but is unteachable, harsh, or divisive, Scripture would say they are still babes in Christ, no matter how much theology they can recite. Which is one of the dangers. I’ve met countless Christians who have their ‘theological heads’ screwed on, but who look down on others who disagree with them, or speak ill of others simply because they don’t fit within their narrow view of ‘orthodoxy’.

2. Christian Maturity Is Seen in Obedience, Not Opinion

Jesus simply said “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). Mature believers don’t merely know the commands of God, but they increasingly obey them. You can attend seminary, read Calvin’s Institutes, and memorise the WCF, and yet remain spiritually immature if your obedience is selective or begrudging.

The Christian faith has always insisted that the faith that justifies is never alone—it is always accompanied by works. Not works that save, but works that show we’ve been saved.

3. Christian Maturity Shows Itself in Love for the Church, Not Independence

Here’s one of the biggest dangers I’ve come across – Christian who profess maturity yet remain absent from regularly gathering with God’s people. Isolation is not a fruit of the Spirit.

John writes “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.” (1 John 3:14). Love for the church and the Lord’s people is a sign of Christian maturity.

Love for the church looks like:

• Commitment to gathered worship
• Serving without applause
• Carrying others’ burdens
• Submitting to shepherds (Heb. 13:17)
• Bearing with imperfect people (which includes all of us!)

A Christian who insists “I don’t need the church” is, by biblical standards, spiritually immature—regardless of gifting or zeal.

4. Christian Maturity Is Marked by Doctrinal Stability, Not Doctrinal Arrogance

Paul says mature believers are not tossed around by “every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). To stand firm requires a grounding in truth. And yet how often do people today scoff at the thought of theology?! That attitude is largely (I think) due to people who have become puffed up in their knowledge and thought of themselves as better than others less learned than themselves. But biblical knowledge should produce humility, not superiority.

The most theologically precise Christian who lacks gentleness is not mature; they are simply educated. Satan knows more theology than any seminary professor, but he hates God. Sound theology weds sound doctrine with sound living because the two MUST go hand in hand. When knowledge inflates rather than transforms, something has gone terribly wrong.

5. Christian Maturity Is Evident in Repentance, Not Sinless Perfection

Many believers think maturity means they should repent less. Scripture teaches the opposite.

The more we behold the holiness of God, the more we become aware of the subtle sins within us. Mature Christians repent quickly, honestly, and without shifting the blame. You could say that one of the truest marks of maturity is that the gap between sin and repentance grows shorter.

Mature believers apologise and learn. Immature believers justify themselves.

6. Christian Maturity Is Seen in Steadfastness Under Trial, Not Ease in Life

James tells us that trials produce maturity (James 1:2–4), yet many Christians interpret smooth circumstances as a sign of spiritual strength. Scripture flips that on it’s head – maturity is proven in trouble, not in comfort.

Mature Christians cling to God when life collapses, trust God’s promises when emotions fail, refuse bitterness, and keep walking even with a limp.

They don’t have less suffering than others; they simply know where to take it. As Spurgeon famously said “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”. The genuineness of our faith is not proved in still waters, but the storms of life that rage around us.

7. Christian Maturity Is Demonstrated by a Godward Orientation in All of Life

So what does Christian maturity actually look like? Christian maturity means all of life is increasingly shaped by the reality that we live before the face of God.

Some of the signs of such a mature faith include (and by no means is this an exhaustive list!):

• A growing hunger for God’s Word
• A daily habit of prayer
• A genuine desire for holiness
• An evangelistic impulse to see others know Christ
• A joyful submission to God’s sovereignty

Mature believers don’t need to be begged to pursue God, God’s grace makes them eager to serve him, know him and follow Jesus.

So How Mature Are We Really?

If Christian maturity were measured only by biblical knowledge, many of us could claim the title proudly. But Scripture’s measuring rod is deeper than that.

Maturity is a life increasingly shaped by the Holy Spirit, increasingly surrendered to Jesus, increasingly aligned with the Scriptures, and increasingly oriented toward love for God and neighbour.

It is not perfection. It is not personality. And it is certainly not self-proclaimed. It is grace made visible.