Aiming at maturity
Subtitle: the goal of the christian life
By: Stephen W. Rankin
Publisher: Cascade Books
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Eugene, Or
Language: eng
Number of pages: 180
ISBN-13: 9781610972468
Subjects: Christian life; Character; Virtues; Emotions; Christianity
Description: It seems that much of American Christianity has lost sight of the goal of growing to maturity in Christ. This loss of vision has had serious consequences for the quality of our witness and ministry. In Aiming at Maturity, Steven W. Rankin seeks to bring back into focus key qualities of spiritual maturity and summarizes important biblical passages to show the scriptural foundations that call for spiritual maturity. Rankin also addresses certain tendencies in popular Christian culture to reduce doctrinal truths to sound bites with the laudable but counterproductive goal to make doctrine memorable, therefore applicable. Thinking more expansively about certain key doctrines related to the work of Christ and the impact of grace contributes to growth toward maturity in a way that popular descriptions of these doctrines do not. Finally, Rankin also challenges readers to consider the important role of emotions in developing Christlike dispositions, which contribute toward producing the fruit of a mature Christian life. By looking at relevant modern research, Aiming at Maturity shows the inherent connection between thoughts and feelings that draw us closer to the actual biblical description of the heart.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 177-180).
Table of contents: title: The goal : spiritual maturity; title: The focus of the Christian life : the heart; title: The trajectory of Christian maturity; title: Power for growth : grace; title: The overlooked dimension : doctrine; title: Maturity and mission : the corporate dimension; title: Assessment : how are doing?