God cannot love us more just because we grow. Maturity in the spiritual realm is not measured by the calendar. It is possible for a person to be a Christian for half a century and yet remain a spiritual infant. Several years ago there was a report in Time magazine about a Bible quiz given to high-school students. Don t think those high-school students were unusual.
Spiritual growth has nothing to do with knowledge.
Facts, data, information, and intelligence cannot be equated with spiritual maturity. You might score perfectly on Time magazine s quiz, but unless your knowledge results in conforming you to Christ, it is useless. Truth that fails to change your life and behavior may in fact be hurtful, hardening you instead of bringing you to maturity. Some people make the mistake of assuming that the most mature Christians are always the busiest ones. But busyness doesn t necessarily bring maturity, nor can it be substituted for maturity.