When Do You Stop Being a Spiritual Child and Become a Spiritual Adult?

hi I think a lot of us have different personas at times. but Christ said to come to him we must come as a child does, not childish but child like with no adult false crap marring us but as a child innocent. theres a difference between childish people who want others to do it all for them but a child like person is more pure and honest and that is the innocent child who is buried in all of us. I cannot judge your personas as I do not know you well enough to judge rightly and anyway judge not lest ye be judged. this is a good rule I think.

Greetings, You have an interesting question about "when do we stop being a spiritual child and become spiritual adults." Well hope to shed some light on this subject through God's precious word. When we first come to Jesus as did the children in Mark 10:15, we are to come to Him with a childlike faith into the kingdom of God. Having a humble spirit when we ask Jesus into our hearts by faith as a child of God, as new babes in Christ. Now we move on to what Paul is stating, which you've mentioned, is found in 1 Corinthians 13:11. When Paul states, when he was a child, he spoke as a child, he understood as a child and he thought as a child. He used his growing up as a child to give us an ideal of our spiritual side of us. Then the latter part of the scripture Paul lets us know he did not continue to be as a child, he grew up into a man, where he did not act and do things or think as he once did when he was a child. I like your idea of training- wheels on a bike. It is the same in our spiritual life. Then in 1 Corinthians 14:20, it states this; Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. Along with this scripture we need 1 Peter 2:2. The reason of this, is to explain the middle part of the above scripture. Here is 1 Peter 2:2, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. So to answer your question, those who have come to Christ as a child (a newborn babe in Christ) and have received the gift of God. We are first introduce to the pure milk of the word (meaning the spiritual principles of the foundation of Christ). Like we are first introduce to the training-wheels to learn how to ride a bike. But we are not to stay in this mode of training. Like we don't stay like babies for our entire life, we do grow up. Some may grow up faster than others. We are not all on the same level in our spiritual walk with God. However, we all need to move or progress to the meat of the word. Like we move from trining-wheels to not having training wheels when we are able to ride and balance ourselves on a bike. When we grow naturally it is the same when we grow spiritually. After all, we all are made up of 3 parts, Soul, Spirit and body. So all of this should make sense. I hope I am explaining it well enough to encourage you in some way. Oh, I almost forgot your last question. Hopefully, 1 Peter, 2:1 will indeed help with your question, but are there some of those personalities I should cut off like a cancerous ear? Well, this is what 1 Peter 2:1 states, Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envys, and all evil speaking. I believe this goes right in line with the previous verse in 1 Peter 2:2. Yes, this is how I look at this scripture, anything in my life, my attitude, my thoughts, my speach, does not line up with God's word, or anything in my life that is not of God, I need willingly lay it down before the Lord and have Him to remove it from my life. I think I have heard some people in my life say, "They're still a child at heart." I believe as long as we are spiritually progressing to be mature (in our understanding of God's word to grow stronger in our faith) in our walk with God, I don't think God would tell us we can't sometimes go to him with, or have a child like heart. Eventhough we grow up to be adults, in Christ we are still God's children. All of this is to say, yes we are to learn how to grow up in the knowledge of God through reading, praying and meditating in His tresured word to become spiritual adults. At the same time, not to forget to humble ourselves as a child of God before Him. To trust Him fully in all areas of our lives. Hope these words of encouragement and knowledge has helped in some way. Have a wonderful and blessed day.

It is like I always said and feel we are as spiritual as we want to be. I would never preach and or impose my belief on anyone. Of course if asked I am willing to share, but if there is a large audience I prefer not to do so. I respect anyone with or without beliefs so my expectations are that I too should be respected in the same manner. So in order to be respected as well I choose simply not to put forth unless somehow is actually asking.