Reflecting on Spiritual Growth by Jim Nelson

At New Life, the Pastoral Eldership Team takes spiritual growth of our church body very seriously. Almost everything we do is to help people grow in their faith and love for Christ. From Sunday morning when the Pastors teach verse by verse from God’s Word, to Immerse classes, Bible studies, supporting missionaries, and all the Ministry teams, all of this is focusing on growing your faith and love for Christ. God’s Word is clear about this topic, here are a few verses to study, Philippians 1:9, 1 Corinthians 10:12-14, Philippians 2:13, and Ephesians 4:11-16. Clearly, it is the expectation of all the New Testament writers that our sanctification will increase throughout our Christian lives. Scripture is clear that when we put our faith in Christ, the process of being transformed into His image starts. Justification and sanctification are truly linked together, let’s praise God and give Him all of the glory for this amazing reality. In Romans chapter 6:6, Paul argues that our union with Christ guarantees we shall no longer be slaves of sin:“Our old self was crucified with Him that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”

When the transformation of salvation takes place in our lives, spiritual growth begins. The Holy Spirit indwells us (John 14:16-17). We are a new creation in Christ, the old sinful nature begins to give way to the new Christ-like nature, and we must remember that spiritual growth is a lifelong process that depends on our study, obedience, application of God’s Word and our walk in the Spirit.

You may ask then, what spiritual growth is. 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 and more like Him, conforming us to His image. Another definition is from Dr. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology; “Spiritual growth (Sanctification) is a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives.”

Spiritual growth is perhaps best described in 2 Peter 1: 3-8:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promise, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires. For this very reason, 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 your and are increasing, they will keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”