He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30)
What is spiritual growth? What
is spiritual maturity? What is it to go on in the Lord? I fear we have got mixed
ideas about this. Many think that spiritual maturity is a more comprehensive
knowledge of Christian doctrine, a larger grasp of scriptural truth, a wider
expanse of the knowledge of the things of God; and many such features are
recorded as marks of growth, development, and spiritual maturity. Beloved, it is
nothing of the kind.
The hallmark of true spiritual development and maturity is
this: that we have grown so much less and the Lord Jesus has grown so
much more. The mature soul is one who is small in his or her own eyes, but in
whose eyes the Lord Jesus is great. That is growth. We may know a very
great deal, have a wonderful grasp of doctrine, of teaching, of truth, even of
the Scriptures, and yet be spiritually very small, very immature, very childish.
(There is all the difference between being childish and child-like.) Real
spiritual growth is just this: I decrease, He increases. It is the Lord Jesus
becoming more. You can test spiritual growth by that.