Abstract

Does the Bible present a “map” of the journey by which a believer can determine how far he or she has moved toward Christian maturity? 1 John 2:12-14 provides such a biblical paradigm, distinguishing three discrete stages of faith development: Childhood, Young Adulthood, and Parenthood. Working with this passage, I explore eight characteristics, or milestones, that a believer needs to attend to and complete en route to Christian maturity. Looking to this Johannine model, Christian travelers can both take note of the distance already traveled as well as plan for the distance yet to be covered. This article outlines a path for developing deeper, more mature Christ-followers.