Spiritual Growth Defined
What is meant by spiritual growth and why is it necessary in the Christian Life? To understand spiritual growth, it is necessary to have a grasp of the Christian life from the time the believer accepts Christ to the day of his/her death and passes into eternal life. Briefly stated, this time can be divided into two stages, justification and sanctification. Justification is the moment when a person accepts Christ as their savior by faith. At the time of justification, the believer is viewed as a new babe in Christ. He is a sinner who has been saved and declared righteous through his faith in the work of Christ on the cross. He has crossed over from darkness into light, but he still carries much of his old sinful habits and the pollution of sin. A transformation process must take place where the believer’s mind is transformed by the renewing of the mind, (Rom. 12:2). This process is also called progressive sanctification, where the believer grows into a mature Christian whose mind is conformed to the mind of Christ and grounded in the teachings of the faith. Spiritual growth of the believer and this transformation is achieved by learning and applying God’s truth to his/her life. It is also dependent on the believer’s union with Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, who is the agent of spiritual growth. The Spirit indwells them, convicts them of sin, and transforms them into the image of Christ. The Union with Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in Sanctification are the foundations of sanctification and spiritual growth. Understanding these teachings help prepare the believer for the necessary relationship between him/her, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
Being in union in Christ means that the believer is actually in Christ, and Christ is in him. This is explained by the Apostle John in, (1 John 3:24). Being in Christ means that we abide in Him, and by abiding in Christ, the believer is able to draw from the fountain of Christ to replenish his/her faith and nourish his/her spirit. The path of spiritual growth in sanctification is related to the ability of the believer to embrace the indwelling Christ and to draw on Him for spiritual nourishment.
The work of the Holy Spirit in spiritual growth centers on two aspects; the leading of the Spirit, and the filling of the Spirit. To be led by the Spirit means that the believer resists their own inclination toward sin, but is guided by the Spirit toward righteousness by conforming to the will of God and obedience to His commandments. The filling of the Spirit is the believer’s submission to the power of Spirit in the control of their life. As a Christian matures in the faith, they transfer more and more control over their life from the self over to the Spirit. Ther greater the Spirit controls the believer the more they resemble Christ. Simply put, the leading of the Spirit is to be guided by the Spirit; and the filling of the Spirit is submission to the control of the Spirit.
Necessity of Spiritual Growth
The necessity for spiritual growth is written throughout the scriptures. Christians are to be salt and light on the earth to bring those that are lost from the Kingdom of Darkness, and into the Kingdom of Light. The Great Commission given by Christ to His disciples prior to His accension after the resurrection is the command, to make disciples of all nations, and to teach them to observe all the things that He had commanded them to, (Matt, 28:19-20). These tasks require mature believers who are knowledgeable in the teachings of Christ, and not unskilled believers who are still infants in the faith. Believers are expected to grow in maturity, and those that don’t are chastised for being slow and immature:
“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.” (Heb. 5:12-13)
Foundational Concepts of Spiritual Growth
There are some fundamental biblical concepts that a believer must understand as they embark on their path to spiritual growth. To begin with it is essential to understand that spiritual growth is the progressive sanctification process of the Christian as he/she grows from new believer to mature Christian. It is the process of transformation from existing as an unrepentant sinner to becoming Christlike in righteousness. In other religious and secular practices spiritual growth requires a person to look inward for power and wisdom that can be tapped into. Biblical teachings inform us that the heart and mind of a person is inclined toward evil and is polluted by sin. Righteousness and true wisdom are the attributes of God and can only come from His bestowed gift to us by faith. This is done through relationship with Christ and through the power and work of the Holy Spirit. This is the Apostle Paul’s teaching from the opening quote above, (Rom. 8:9-11). There are three points that Paul is making concerning the state of the believer in his sanctification.
- The first is that all believers have the Holy Spirit living in them because they belong to Christ.
- The second is that the believer is no longer inclined to the desires of the flesh but is inclined to the desires of the Spirit because of righteousness.
- The last point is that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead also gives life to the believer who was spiritual dead but is now alive as a new creation in Christ.
With these points in mind the Christian can understand his/her position in relation to Christ and their relationship with the Holy Spirit who dwells in them. The Spirit will be the agent of transformation in their spiritual growth process.
Spiritual Growth is the Path Toward Christlikeness
Spiritual growth is the path that the believer must take in order to rise to the standards of holiness and righteousness displayed by Christ. We must strive to become Christlike in our conduct and actions and only by Living by and Walking by the Spirit is this possible. The Spirit indwells every believer and will direct them towards maturity in the faith. Many Christians have not been given this teaching and many others have neglected their spiritual lives. The power of sin is great, and the doctrine of sin has been rejected in this modern culture while the struggle with sin is real. Only through spiritual growth can the believer equip themselves for the battle against sin. Following Christ brings many blessings, but it also brings hardships. Christ suffered and died for our transgressions—to suffer for His sake is an honor and a privilege that we should be only too passionate to partake in. For to hear these words when we enter into our glory is beyond measure:
“Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master,”
Matt. 25:21
Hosea 4:6 Teaching Ministry 