Bible verses about "maturity" | LEB

³ And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we* know that affliction produces patient endurance, ⁴ and patient endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope,

¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

¹ James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. Greetings! ² Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials, ³ because you* know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. ⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask for it from God, who gives to all without reservation and not reproaching, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask for it in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed about. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. ⁹ Now let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his high position, ¹⁰ but the rich person in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of the grass. ¹¹ For the sun rises with its burning heat and dries up the grass, and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is lost. So also the rich person in his pursuits* will wither away. ¹² Blessed is the person* who endures testing, because when he* is approved he will receive the crown of life that he* has promised to those who love him. ¹³ No one who is being tempted should say, "I am being tempted by God," for God _⌊cannot be tempted_⌋* by evil, and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he* is dragged away and enticed by his own desires. ¹⁵ Then desire, after it* has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it* is brought to completion, gives birth to death. ¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my dear brothers. ¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of change. ¹⁸ By his* will he gave birth to us through the message of truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. ¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers: every person must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, ²⁰ for human* anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore, putting aside all moral uncleanness and wicked excess, welcome* with humility the implanted message which is able to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the message and not hearers only,* deceiving yourselves, ²³ because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone* staring at _⌊his own face_⌋* in a mirror, ²⁴ for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed _⌊in what he does_⌋*. ²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious, although he* does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our* God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

¹² Not that I have already received this,* or have already been made perfect, but I press on if indeed I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ.*

²² But be doers of the message and not hearers only,* deceiving yourselves, ²³ because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone* staring at _⌊his own face_⌋* in a mirror, ²⁴ for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed _⌊in what he does_⌋*.

¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear includes punishment, and the one who is afraid has not been perfected in love.

¹³ until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ,

¹ Therefore, leaving behind the elementary message about Christ, let us move on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God, ² teaching about baptisms and laying on of hands, and resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do, if God permits.

¹² For indeed, although you* ought to be teachers _⌊by this time_⌋*, you have need of someone to teach you again the beginning elements of the oracles of God, and _⌊you have need of_⌋* milk, not* solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes of milk is unacquainted with the message of righteousness, because he is an infant.

¹⁴ so that we may no longer be infants, tossed about by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness with reference to the scheming of deceit. ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow into him with reference to all things, who is the head, Christ,

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside the things of a child.

²⁰ Brothers, do not become children in your understanding, but with respect to wickedness be as a child, and in your understanding be mature.