Spiritual Maturity Series Part 12
The church at Corinth had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. We see in 1 Corinthians 1:7 that the gifts of the Spirit were operating among them. Paul writes to the church at Corinth,
…You come behind in no gift.
Yet Paul rebuked these same believers for still being baby Christians. What does that say about maturity and the gifts? It says that the Holy Spirit will use whom He wills, as He wills, and that just because you see someone operating in the gifts of the Spirit does not indicate their level of spiritual maturity.
The members of the church at Corinth were operating in the spiritual gifts freely, but in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 Paul says this…
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Remember, Paul is writing directly to believers, and to the church and yet he says that he finds no maturity among them. That’s a sad state of affairs, and sadly is a commentary we could make on many in the Body of Christ today.