15.What is the mark of full spiritual age?

Having our senses, through instruction, exercise, and habit, brought to the place where we can recognize both good and evil.

The ability to distinguish good from evil is the power of judgement.

The spiritual baby cannot tell what is good and what is evil. He is lacking in judgment. The Jewish Christians were lacking in the ability to distinguish holiness from sin, to recognize what is acceptable to the Lord and what is not acceptable to the Lord.

Growth in Christ, in Divine grace, means we are becoming stronger and wiser in our ability to understand and recognize what is of the Lord and what is of Satan. Many of God’s people are taken captive by the devil at his will because they do not understand the difference between God’s works and Satan’s works.

The saint, the overcomer, by constant exercise in righteous and holy habits of behaving, becomes more and more able to recognize both the Lord and Satan. He resists Satan and walks in the righteous and holy ways of the Lord Jesus.

The spiritual baby must be fed milk. The saint, the overcomer, must be fed the solid food of the Word of God. Only Christ’s soldiers, His saints, are given the "hidden manna." They are active in the battle against sin; they do the Lord’s will. Therefore God nourishes them continually so they can march to victory after victory in Jesus’ name. Perhaps all of the doctrinal errors that have confused believers in Christ have as their goal the prevention of righteous, holy, and obedient behaviour.

The Christian churches have reacted strongly against any doctrine that would detract from the Divinity of Christ. Meanwhile, another dangerous error, the substitution of a belief or practice in place of a transformed personality, has not always been given the necessary attention.

One widespread error of our day is the concept that Jesus has "done it all," meaning that our part is to trust in the "finished work of Christ." While the idea that Jesus has accomplished and finished every aspect of redemption appears to give due glory to the Son of God, it could not be more destructive in its practical effects on the human personality.

Human redemption takes place only as people cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the work of sanctification and consecration. The race of righteousness must be run, and it is more grueling than any race run by the physical body. The true Christian discipleship is a constant pressing ahead, a warring against the flesh and Satan, a militant faith that succeeds in conquering Satan, the flesh, and the world. All of the rewards go to him who overcomes, who conquers, who finally gains victory in each circumstance.

The Lord Jesus overcame, and now we must, through Him, overcome all that would keep us from the full possession of our inheritance. Any teaching other than this will lead the student to destruction.