Immaturity

Marks of physical immaturity

Pride

2 Samuel 15:1–4 ESV

After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.”

Rejection of wise counsel

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Tactlessness

1 Kings 12:13–14 ESV

And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

Lack of respect

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Weakness of character

2 Chronicles 13:7 ESV

and certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them.

Foolishness

Proverbs 22:15 ESV

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Lack of understanding

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Lack of self-control

Titus 2:6 ESV

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

Disgrace

Proverbs 29:15 ESV

The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Waste

Luke 15:13 ESV

Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.

Spiritual immaturity is to be avoided

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See also ; The word “perfection” may be understood in terms of maturity; ; ; ; ; ;

Marks of spiritual immaturity

Backsliding

Jesus Christ to his disciples.

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An over-sensitive conscience

Romans 14:2 ESV

One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.

Lack of spiritual understanding

1 Corinthians 3:1–2 ESV

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,

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Divisiveness

1 Corinthians 3:3 ESV

for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

Instability

Ephesians 4:14 ESV

so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

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Pride

The church overseer must be a spiritually mature person.

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Remedies for immaturity

Confession of sin

Proverbs 28:13 ESV

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

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Discipline

Proverbs 3:11–12 ESV

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

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Prayer and meditation

Psalm 119:97–99 ESV

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

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