Spiritual Growth - IA

Spiritual Growth
Spiritual Growth Is A Choice – Part One

The blessings enjoyed in Christ include not only redemption, but renewal... In baptism, we undergo a "washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit" - Ti 3:5. From baptism, we rise to "walk in newness of life" - Ro 6:4. The renewal we find in Christ involves the concept of spiritual growth.... Just as a healthy physical life is one of growth so is a healthy spiritual life a process of growth. Sadly, not all Christians grow spiritually.... Many have been Christians for years, with little change or improvement. They are no more, often less, useful to the Lord than when they first became Christians. Failing to grow, they become stagnant, like a pool of water. That is because "Spiritual Growth Is A Choice".... It doesn't happen by default (unlike physical growth). Spiritual growth (like emotional maturity) occurs only when we choose to grow. -- If we do not make that choice, and stick to it, there will be no spiritual growth!

To encourage us to make the right choice regarding spiritual growth, consider that "Spiritual Growth Is A Choice" commanded by God. This is implicitly stated in the Great Commission. The Great Commission is found in Mt 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."’ Jesus commanded His apostles to make disciples. Baptizing them and teaching them to observe all things He commanded. -- Implicit in the command to teach, is that disciples would be obedient learners, i.e., constantly growing as they learned and obeyed their Lord.

We find the command to grow explicitly in the apostolic epistles. Peter ends his second epistle with a command to grow - 2 Pe 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” We are to grow in grace. We are to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Peter begins his second epistle describing how we are to grow - 2 Pe 1:5-8 “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are to be making every effort to add to our faith such graces as virtue, knowledge, self-control, etc. Abounding in these graces, being fruitful, which implies growth. -- Christians who did not grow, were sternly rebuked - He 5:12-6:1 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,” Spiritual growth is a not an option, reserved for a few select Christians. The Word of God commands us to grow!

We should also remember that "Spiritual Growth Is A Choice" that requires diligent effort unlike physical growth which is controlled by body hormones. People grow physically by default (unless there is some disorder). No effort is required on our part; we mature physically whether we want to or not. -- Don't think that just because you grow older, you are growing spiritually! Spiritual growth requires concentrated effort. Jesus said it requires labor - Jn 6:27 “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal."’ Paul wrote that it requires work, pressing on - Ph 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”; 3:13-14 “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Peter wrote that it requires diligence - 2 Pe 1:5 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;”, 10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” (KJV) -- Like physical health, spiritual growth requires regular exercise - 1 Ti 4:7-8 “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Spiritual growth is not easy. We must work at it, today, tomorrow, always. But we can take comfort in knowing that "Spiritual Growth Is A Choice" which is assisted by God. We are not alone in our efforts. While we work out our salvation, God is at work in us - Ph 2:12-13 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Just as He was with us in producing our new birth - Ti 3:5-6 “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” -- God desires to complete the work He started when He saved us - Ph 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Thus far in this lesson we have learned that our salvation is a process of growing spiritually by our diligent obedience to grow, as commanded implicitly in the command Jesus gave in Mt 28:18-20. We have examined the instructions given in the apostolic epistles. In the next portion of this lesson we will look at the blessings derived through growing spiritually and how God will help us in that growth.