SPIRITUAL GROWTH by Beth Johnson

Introduction :

What is spiritual growth?

First we must ask, “What is spiritual life?”

• Born again of water and spirit – not a physical birth – an unseen birth (2 Cor. 4:18)
• First must become a disciple of Christ – Matt. 28:19 with a mind to do God’s will and not our own 2 Cor. 5:15 (having crucified or killed the old man Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:9-10; 6:6) risen to walk in newness of life Rom 6:3-6, buried with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
• Spiritual life starts with the birth of a spiritual baby at baptism
• 1 Cor. 3:1 babes in Christ, 1 Pet. 2:2 as newborn babes, desire milk to grow
• Have become such as have need of milk and not strong meat Heb. 5:12-14
• Not laying again the foundation of… Heb. 6:1 “of full age” in Heb. 5:14 and “perfection” in Heb. 6:1 is same word as “”perfect” – [complete] that is used in Eph. 4:13 – the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. THAT’s our goal for spiritual “maturity.”
• 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
• Spiritual babyhood cannot be an endless state – Eph. 4:13-15. The hope of every parent for their child is that they will reach adulthood.
• As a disciple, the point is to be AS our Master. That is the very definition of a disciple. Luke 6:40 If I am not like my Master yet, then I must grow in order to reach that likeness.
• 6:13-16 Peace, peace, when there is no peace, healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly
• Jude 1: 4 Turned the grace of God into lasciviousness (G766 aselgeia – licence – lacking legal or moral restraints, permissiveness. “It’s OK to do what you want”)
• 2 Pet. 2:18 -22 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness ( again, the same word G766 lascivious, lacking restraint, license) , those that were clean escaped from them who live in error – they promise liberty, but are themselves the servants of corruption.
• 10:2 They comfort in vain
• Micah 2:17 Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord
• 23: 14, 17, 21-22 If they had stood in MY counsel, and caused my people to hear MY words, then they should have turned them from their evil way…

Once born, we must grow. We are not born full grown, but begin as a spiritual newborn.

Satan encourages us not to worry about growing, to expect less of ourselves than God requires.

 

Why would spiritual growth matter?

We are told to examine ourselves. If the state of our inner man did not matter, what would be the point of examining ourselves?

• Examine yourselves

2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

• Examine ourselves, and judge ourselves in order to try to make changes before God has to judge us, so we don’t have to be chastened.
  • 1 Cor. 11:27-32 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
• What good would it do for us to examine ourselves if we are not going to try to change the flaws that we see?

Jas 1:18, 21-25 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

…21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

• What’s the point of looking into the mirror? Comparing ourselves to what we see in Christ (via scripture) IS the mirror.
• 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
• 2 Cor. 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

 

As a disciple of Christ (Christian,) what is our aim/goal to grow toward?

• To be a Christian IS to be a disciple.
  • Acts 11:26 The word disciple is used 257 times in the NT; The word “Christian” or “Christians” used three times. We learn in Acts 11 that the word Christian was a term that was used to describe the disciples. WE are disciples of Christ if we are born into Christ.
  • Luke 6:40 It is enough for a disciple to be as his master.
• This Christ-likeness is not something that is put on us at baptism like a cloak, in the eyes of God. This is a real process of growing in the spiritual qualities of heart that Christ possessed, and putting off our old ungodly qualities, the works of the flesh. (shown very clearly in examples and specifics in Gal. 5:16-6:10; Eph. 4:15-6:18; and Col. 3:1-4:6., among other places.)
• Spiritual growth must be something we are actively engaged in, 2 Pet. 1:5-10 Add to your faith virtue… 2 Pet. 1:3-15 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;….. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off…
  • (partakers of the divine “nature” – Nature: G5449 φύσις phusis foo’-sis From G5453; growth (by germination or expansion)
• 10:25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.
• 2: 5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus
• 1 Pet. 2:21-23 For even hereunto were you called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps
• God Himself is the one Who has the authority to determine to what point He expects us to grow: Eph. 4 – to be like Christ in our inner (spiritual) man.
• Not an assumed righteousness that is “put on us” after our death, but a real change that occurs over time (through experience James 1:1-5, chastening, Heb. 12:1-11, etc.) in our hearts and minds in this life. 1 John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
• 3:14-21

How much growth is enough?

We cannot accomplish this goal on our own, but through God we are able:

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

We are able to be partakers of the nature of God through the promises He has given us. With that in mind, we need to actively add the qualities of heart that Jesus possessed.

 

So practically speaking, what can I do to become more like Jesus, who is the measure of what I am to become? I must see what He was in heart and mind and soul, and actively strive to become like that.

• 4:13-15 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

In other scriptures and in other ways we are instructed to change and grow spiritually; this is a daily process that we must be about:

• 2 Cor. 6:11-13   O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened (4730 hemmed in) in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.
• 2 Cor. 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. –Renewed – G341 ἀνακαινόω anakainoō From G303 and a derivative of G2537; to renovate:
• 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
• E 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind
• 3:10 We are renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
• John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
• If spiritual babyhood continues, or we regress from a stronger state, we run the risk of being lost. Heb. 6:1-6; I am afraid of you, lest I have labored in vain, Gal. 4:9-11