by Kevin Burton
Some people have little marks on their walls, measuring of the growth of their children. It's a pleasure to mark their progress in gaining physical stature.
If your children aren't growing that sets off serious alarm bells. You're going to get an appointment with your doctor, without delay.
Yet some Christians go long stretches without any discernable spiritual growth. And when they are made aware of it, the reaction is often yawning, anything but alarm and action.
"Many Christians remain stunted and limited in spiritual things and never seem to make progress from year to year. No surge of growth and spiritual interest is seen in them. They exist but do not "grow up in every way into him" writes Alistair Begg, speaker on the Truth For Life radio ministry.
"Should we be content with being in the green blade when we might advance to the ear and eventually ripen into the full corn in the ear? Should we be satisfied to believe in Christ and to say, "I am safe" without wishing to know in our own experience more of the fullness that is to be found in Him?
"It ought not to be so; we should long as good traders in heaven's market to be enriched in the knowledge of Jesus," Begg writes "It is all very well to keep other men's vineyards, but we must not neglect our own spiritual growth and ripening. Why should it always be wintertime in our hearts? We must have our seedtime, it is true, but oh, for a springtime—yes, a summer season that will give promise of an early harvest."
"As the sun rises first on mountaintops and gilds them with its light and presents one of the most charming sights to the traveler's eye, so is it one of the most delightful contemplations in the world to observe a spiritual glow on the head of some saint who has risen in stature, like Saul, above his fellows until, like a mighty snow-capped Alp, he reflects among the chosen the beams of the Sun of Righteousness and bears the glow of His radiance high for all to see, and seeing it, to glorify his Father who is in heaven," Begg writes.
For specifics on what spiritual growth looks like we turn to a passage on gotquestions.org.
"Spiritual growth is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. When we place our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins the process of making us more like Him, conforming us to His image," the passage reads.
"Spiritual growth is perhaps best described in 2 Peter 1:3-8, which tells us that by God's power we have 'everything we need' to live lives of godliness, which is the goal of spiritual growth. Notice that what we need comes through our knowledge of Him, which is the key to obtaining everything we need. Our knowledge of Him comes from the Word, given to us for our edification and growth."
"There are two lists in Galatians 5:19-23. Verses 19-21 list the 'acts of the flesh.' These are the things that identified our lives before we came to Christ for salvation. The acts of the flesh are the activities we are to confess, repent of, and, with God's help, overcome. As we experience spiritual growth, fewer and fewer of the acts of the flesh will be evident in our lives.
The second list is the 'fruit of the Spirit' (verses 22-23). These are what should characterize our lives now that we have experienced salvation in Jesus Christ. Spiritual growth is identified by the fruit of the Spirit becoming increasingly evident in a believer's life."
"When the transformation of salvation takes place, spiritual growth begins. The Holy Spirit indwells us (John 14:16-17). We are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). The old, sinful nature begins to give way to the new, Christlike nature (Romans 6-7)."
"Spiritual growth is a lifelong process that depends on our study and application of God's Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17) and our walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-26). As we seek spiritual growth, we should pray to God and ask for wisdom concerning the areas He desires us to grow in," the passage reads.
"We can ask God to increase our faith and knowledge of Him. God desires for us to grow spiritually, and He has given us all we need to experience spiritual growth. With the Holy Spirit's help, we can overcome sin and steadily become more like our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."
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