² After a person has progressed to dedication and baptism, he continues to grow. His goal is to become a mature servant of God. The maturity we are speaking of is not physical but spiritual. The apostle Paul wrote of the need for Christians in Ephesus to grow spiritually. He encouraged them to reach out to “attain to the oneness of the faith and of the accurate knowledge of the Son of God, to being a full-grown man, attaining the measure of stature that belongs to the fullness of the Christ.”​—Eph. 4:13.

 3. What situation in the Ephesian congregation can also be found among Jehovah’s people today?

³ When Paul wrote his letter, the congregation in Ephesus had already existed for some years. Many disciples there had reached a high level of spiritual development. Some, however, still needed to press on to maturity. The situation among Jehovah’s Witnesses today is much the same. Many brothers and sisters have long served God and have advanced to spiritual maturity. But obviously not all are at that point. For example, thousands of new ones are baptized each year, so some still need to strive for maturity.

⁵ A mature servant of Jehovah builds his life around the example of Jesus, who left a model for us “to follow his steps closely.” (1 Pet. 2:21) What did Jesus highlight as being very important? Loving Jehovah with all one’s heart, soul, and mind, and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. (Matt. 22:37-39) A mature Christian strives to live in harmony with that counsel. He has established a life pattern that shows that he gives priority to his relationship with Jehovah and he displays self-sacrificing love for others.

 8. What can be said about Jesus’ knowledge of the Scriptures and his understanding of them?

⁸ Jesus Christ had an excellent grasp of God’s Word. Even when he was just 12 years old, he was able to discuss Scriptural matters with teachers in the temple. “All those listening to him were in constant amazement at his understanding and his answers.” (Luke 2:46, 47) Later, during his earthly ministry, Jesus silenced his opponents with appropriate references to God’s Word.​—Matt. 22:41-46.

 9. (a) What Bible study habits are important for someone who wants to grow spiritually? (b) What is the purpose of Bible study?

⁹ In line with the model Jesus provided, a Christian who wants to grow spiritually will not be satisfied with a superficial knowledge of the Bible. He will regularly dig deeply into its contents, realizing that “solid food belongs to mature people.” (Heb. 5:14) Clearly, a mature Christian wants to have “accurate knowledge of the Son of God.” (Eph. 4:13)