Understanding the Pathway of Spiritual Maturity is Essential to Making Disciples
The Goal
The clear teaching of Scripture is that the goal of all discipleship is to see a person take the next step in their journey of becoming more like Jesus (Colossians 1:28–29).
Maturity is a lifelong process of reflecting Jesus in our attitude, thinking, and behavior (2 Corinthians 3:18). The growth trajectory will continue until we see Jesus (Galatians 4:19; 1 John 3:2).
How Do We Get There?
People have used various ways to communicate the process of spiritual growth. Some of the most popular “spiritual pathways” developed and recycled over the years include:
- Frank Gray Matrix
- James Engel Scale
- Avery Willis Cycle
Different models emphasize different aspects of discipleship. Some focus on thinking (what you know), some on behavior (how you act), and some on mapping heart intentions.
Whatever pathway you use to think about spiritual growth, it’s important to recognize its ramifications.
For example:
- A pathway emphasizing behavior modification may produce a legalistic disciple—doing and saying all the right things without true heart transformation.
- A pathway focusing on knowledge acquisition may produce a disciple who knows the correct answers but doesn’t live out their faith.
Growing Disciples
Pathways present several challenges:
- Individual Differences: Spiritual growth rarely follows the same script for everyone; God works differently in each life.
- Model Limitations: Some models assume maturity can be measured by external “markers,” but people can “do all the right things” (Matthew 7:22–24) or “know all the right things” (John 5:39–44) without true transformation (1 Corinthians 13:1–3).
Ultimately, without spiritual discernment, it is impossible to know exactly where another person is with God (1 Corinthians 2:11–15).
However, Scripture gives us external signs of maturity, such as:
- Baptism
- Spiritual fruit (Galatians 5)
- Character qualities like generosity, modesty, sobriety, integrity
- Stewardship of time, talent, and treasure
- Godly relationships at home, work, church, and in the community (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9; 1 Peter 5:1–4)
Scripture also compares spiritual development to human development:
- Spiritual infants grow through understanding God’s Word (1 Peter 2:2).
- Spiritual children seek stability by applying Scripture (Hebrews 6:1–3).
- Spiritual young adults resist temptations and embrace adulthood (2 Peter 1:5–6; 1 John 2:15).
- Spiritual adults pour into others (1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:11).
The goal is progress, not perfection.
A Scale for Growth: From -10 to +10
This scale reflects stages of spiritual development. As you identify where a person is, you can tailor your approach to help them take their next step.
Stages of Faith
–10 Spiritual Disinterest
Antagonistic toward the message of Jesus (John 10:31).
–8 Spiritual Interest
Curious about spirituality and exploring various religions (Acts 24).
–6 Spiritual Involvement
Practices a religion or identifies as “spiritual” (Acts 10).
–4 Gospel Aware
Drawn to Christianity, attending church, wrestling with the Bible’s claims (Romans 1:20).
–2 Gospel Sensitive
Accepting of the Gospel’s exclusivity, asking how to become a follower of Jesus (Acts 2:37–41; Acts 16:30).
0 Believer/Baptism
Makes a personal decision to follow Jesus; baptism marks obedience and public commitment.
+2 Spiritual Infant
Learning to walk with God: reading the Bible, prayer, and initial obedience (1 Peter 2:2). At this stage, people need to go through the top 50 passages of scripture and get an understanding of the main story of the Bible.
+4 Spiritual Child
Growing understanding and application of Scripture; increasing stability (Hebrews 6:1–3).
Without discipleship, many stay at this stage for years. At this stage, believers are learning concepts and theology putting various passages together.
+6 Spiritual Young Adult
Evident growth in prayer, understanding of Scripture, personal transformation, and behavior (2 Peter 1:5–6; 1 John 2:15). At this stage, believers are learning to press through challenges and opposition.
+8 Spiritual Parent
Focused on helping others grow, not just personal growth (1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:11). At this stage, believers are learning to help others grow in their faith.
+10 Spiritual Grandparent
Concerned with helping those who disciple others—spiritually parenting the next generation (Revelation 1–2).
Application
- Many people coming to faith today lack a biblical background.
- Building biblical literacy is essential for long-term spiritual growth.
- Tailor discipleship approaches based on where someone is spiritually:
e.g., teach Bible basics before introducing deeper theological concepts like eschatology or expecting behaviour to reflect spiritual maturity.