Today, I want to think about the relationship between physical and spiritual development. Several years ago, my father-in-law agreed to repost an article on a forum that I wrote for. I thought it was interesting, but my oldest child was two, and I didn’t understand the article as well as I do now.
[P]hysical maturity is related to spiritual maturity. All measurement instruments related to mental capacity show an incredible development between the ages of 6 and 20 in the ability to grasp abstract concepts (such as holiness, surrender, or discipleship). Elementary age students’ abilities to discern are often pathetic, and they are easily deceived into agreeing with the last well-structured argument heard in a debate. Parents need to protect and lovingly educate their children.
Usually absent from the discussion of the doctrine of progressive sanctification is any acknowledgement of the physical and mental limitations related to the rate of spiritual growth in children. This article suggests that a 5-year-old convert who is now 10 should not be expected to have the same spiritual level of maturity that we expect from a 30-year-old who has been saved for 5 years. Immaturity is only a sin when oneought to be mature (Hebrews 5:12).
You can read the whole article here.
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