Kingdom Living and Maturity

To become a 'perfect man' and arrive at 'the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ', is God's intention for us. For Paul, the unity of the local church was a natural stepping-stone towards that glorious day when the universal church would stand perfect and mature in God's presence. Thus, the church's maturity on the universal level is attained through the working of the Spirit in the lives of believers at the local level. The primarily tools used to bring about community maturity are the family and the local church, however, if either of these are inflated above the other, maturity will not be attained-balance is required and each has a vital and delicate role to play. Fundamental to maturity is submission-submission from the heart, yet this is an area that is often most stubbornly resisted. The Lord knows that and the therefore, the way He has set up the structure of authority is so that our submission to authority is constantly touched and challenged throughout our lives.