Spiritual Growth

Olayiwola, Juwon
01/09/22 - Sunday AM Worship

SPIRITUAL GROWTH (2Pet 1:3-8)

Growth is a natural phenomenon. As humans, We grow from total dependence on our parents to eventually being parents ourselves and becoming Totally independent. The reverse is the case with Spiritual growth. We start off in rebellion against God, thinking we are fully independent from Him. As we grow and mature in our relationship with Him, we realize how much we need Him.

5-8 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

So, spiritual growth includes:

(1) increasing in your knowledge and understanding of God's Word,

(2) decreasing in your frequency and severity of sin,

(3) increasing in your practice of Christ-like qualities, and

(4) increasing in your faith and trust in God.

Perhaps the best summary of spiritual growth is becoming more like Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul says, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what it truly means to be spiritual.

Too often, the focus is on getting people into church, getting them to pray a prayer and check the “Christian” box. But after that, there isn’t always a lot of post-decision care. New people coming into the church might call themselves Christians, but they might not have much of an idea what that means on a daily basis. Following Jesus isn’t just a one-time decision. It’s a daily process of growth.

The expectation of Scripture isn’t that we grow old together, but that we grow up together. The book of Hebrews lays this out as a strong rebuke: Heb 5:12-14

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the [b]oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Achieving Spiritual Growth

• You need to make sure you possess a true spiritual life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ :When you believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you (John 14:16-17) And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

you are a new creation in Christ! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Your old nature, which is dominated by sin, is replaced with a new nature that is under the influence of God's Spirit (Romans 6-7). Spiritual growth can only occur in a person who knows the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her Savior.

• Learning how to grow spiritually is a life-long journey which occurs as you read and apply God's Word to your life.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches us, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." In order for spiritual growth to occur, we must be taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained by God's Word. Then we will be thoroughly equipped for every good work. This is the essence of spiritual growth.
• Walking in the spirit:  Galatians 5:16-18, 24-26 explains, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Walking in the Spirit is allowing Him to fill you (Ephesians 5:18), control you, and guide you. This is brought about by consciously choosing by faith to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you in thought, word, and deed (Romans 6:11-14). Failure to rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance will result in a believer not living up to the calling and standing that salvation provides. Ephesians 4:1 says, "…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."

So What Does Growth Look Like for an Everyday Christian

• Eager to learn more about God
• Digging deeper into the word; eg The church in Berea
• You are not waiting to be Fed the Word of God
• You are Learning and Teaching. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). It’s not necessarily that we all stand up on a stage and preach at church, it’s that anyone who has been a Christian for a reasonable duration of time should be able to not only understand the Word of God, we should be able to teach it to others.
• You are Growing in Grace: Peter tells us that we should be growing in grace. This is to share the heart of God. Not to desire revenge or retribution for those who wrong us but for our lives to be characterized by grace. Our default response should not be anger or bitterness but forgiveness and grace. Even when people don’t deserve it. Because that’s what grace is.
• You Find yourself wanting to obey God;In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” One of the natural expectations of a growing Christian is faithfulness and obedience to the commands of God. Not out of duty, but out of love for Him. Our obedience results from what Jesus has done for us and of our love for Him.
• You are Growing as a Person :  The apostle Paul, in Colossians 1:10, talks about bearing fruit. In Galatians 5:22-23, he lays out the fruit of the Spirit: : Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.), faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. One of the best ways to measure growth is by looking at this fruit in our lives.
• Willing to Speak the truth in Love. Paul teaches us, in Ephesians 4:15-16, to speak the truth in love and to grow in Christ—which makes the whole body grow in love. This flies directly in the face of our culture’s obsession with avoiding offense. Still, it’s God’s truth. But it also doesn’t mean banging people over the head with everything you disagree with. As you grow spiritually, you’ll learn not to avoid hard topics, but to speak into the lives of other believers—always with loving humility and grace.