How important is spiritual growth in Christian life?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Spiritual growth is the process of becoming more like Christ through faith, obedience, and reliance on the Holy Spirit. We can evaluate our spiritual growth by looking at how our life reflects the spiritual fruits of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 . Spiritual maturity and growth is important for us to stand firm in the faith against false teaching and practice, to help us as we endure various experiences in life, and to reflect Christ to the world. Spiritual growth as part of sanctification is lifelong. It happens as we cooperate with God in the work He does in our lives. Seeking growth on our own with Bible reading, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines helps us grow in Christ. Being actively engaged in Christian community and serving also helps in our spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:11-16). Although we can actively pursue spiritual growth, God empowers and oversees our growth (Philippians 1:6). Only by His power can we grow at all (2 Peter 1:3). In our daily Christian walk with God, we should pursue the godly qualities mentioned in 2 Peter 1:5-8 and seek to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Spiritual growth in the Christian life is specifically addressed in the New Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• We can measure our spiritual growth by the "fruit of the Spirit." The Spirit desires to produce these qualities in us: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).
• Although we will experience trials in life, we must not give up on growing in our spiritual walk : "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).
• Those in the body of Christ can help and support others in their spiritual growth journeys: "Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you" (2 Corinthians 13:11).
• As we rely on God’s power and follow His teachings, we can develop greater maturity in our spiritual walks (Ephesians 3:20).
• Involvement in a local church and the exercise of our spiritual gifts are invaluable to our spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:11-16). Rather than be swayed by every errant doctrine that comes along, we can speak "the truth in love," with the result that "we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ" (Ephesians 4:15).
• It is God's will that we grow to be more like Jesus. We have the promise that the Lord Himself will oversee our growth and bring us to maturity: "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6 NIV).
• Because growth comes through trials, Scripture teaches that we are not to grow weary in the process; spiritual development is the result of persistence: "As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good" (2 Thessalonians 3:13).
• Spiritual growth is expected of the believer. The author of Hebrews reprimands his readers for "no longer try[ing] to understand" (Hebrews 5:11 NIV) and "being still an infant" (Hebrews 5:13). The spiritually mature are to be able to "distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:14). The author’s criticism then leads into exhortation: "Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity" (Hebrews 6:1).
• Just as physical strength is built through exertion and straining against resistance, spiritual strength is developed during the hard times of life. Yet, we can rejoice despite this painful process: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4).
• Scripture offers valuable insights into spritual growth , but it is ultimately Christ's power that enables us to develop spiritual maturity (2 Peter 1:3)
• Peter provides a peek at the process of spiritual growth: "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" (2 Peter 1:5-8).
• Peter says, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Spiritual growth begins the moment a person comes to faith in Christ and will continue until that person enters Christ's presence after this life. Spiritual growth is essential for reflecting Christ in our daily lives and navigating a world full of challenges. Although we will experience lots of hard times in our Christian walk, we can continue to grow even through our trials and tribulations. As we mature spiritually, we develop greater faith, perseverance, and Christlike qualities, such as love, patience, and self-control; these help us respond to trials and difficulties in life with hope and purpose. Through intentional practices like prayer, Bible study, and involvement in Christian community, we partner with God in the work He is doing in us. Growth ultimately requires reliance on God’s power, knowing He is faithful to complete the good work He began in us. By striving for spiritual growth and maturity, we shine His light in a dark world and live as a testimony of His grace.

UNDERSTAND

• Spiritual growth is essential for becoming more like Christ.
• Spiritual growth happens as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.
• Spiritual growth equips us to reflect Christ and stand firm in faith.

REFLECT

• How have you seen spiritual growth in your life since salvation, and in what areas do you feel God is calling you to grow right now?
• How do the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) show up in your daily interactions and decisions?
• How are you intentionally cooperating with God through practices like prayer, Bible reading, or living in Christian fellowship ?

ENGAGE

• How can we encourage others to persevere in spiritual growth as a lifelong process?
• What role does community play in helping believers grow in maturity and stand firm in their faith?
• How can our understanding of God’s faithfulness give us hope and assurance in the process of spiritual growth?