Spiritual Growth In The Christian Life

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

      We have three children, and several grandchildren. One family lives in Montana, one in Colorado, and one in California.  Our oldest grandchild is 12 years old.  We live in the state of Washington, so we don't frequently see our children and their families. We love them all, and wish we could see them more.  Because our grandchildren are quite young, they grow quite a bit in a year. Growth at their ages is expected.

       When it comes to the Christian life, spiritual growth is to be expected, too. The New Testament makes several points about spiritual growth. Some points are negative, some are positive. Some points are commands, some are warnings. All deserve our attention, if we are Christians.

        The primary concern of this posting is to give some guidance about what will help us grow as Christians. There are two primary areas in which we should grow: Christlike behavior, and understanding the Bible. It would be helpful to look in a Bible concordance for the words "grow," and "growth." And then look at what the verses say about the subject.

•  Reading and meditating on the Bible will help Christians grow. This is because the Bible is food for the soul, for the heart, and for the mind. Bible reading informs us what kind of behavior God expects from us, and challenges us to live up to those expectations. Bible reading also establishes us in sound doctrine or teaching. We are told to not be carried about by every wind of doctrine, and learning the Bible's contents by reading it will help preserve us from being swept away by false teachings. Bible reading will also help keep our walk with Christ from becoming cold, formal, lifeless. See Psalm one.
• Church attendance will help Christians grow. This is true, if we attend a church where the Bible is believed to be what it is: the Word of God. This is true, if we attend a church where the teachers teach the Bible to their students. This is true, if we attend a church where the preachers preach the Bible during the services. See Hebrews 10:25 and Acts 2:41 - 47.
• Prayer will help Christians grow. We can pray about many things, for ourselves and for others. It might be health problems, money problems, marriage and family problems, and numerous other things. And we certainly can pray for spiritual growth, whether it be our own or someone else's. See John 17, and the references to prayer in the letter by James
• Confessing and forsaking sin will help Christians grow. Even Christians sin in thought, word, and deed. Although God knows what our sins are, we need to confess them to him. Furthermore, we need to forsake them. This does not mean we will never commit them again. But it means we resolve to not commit them again. See Psalm 32, Psalm 51, Proverbs 28:13, and 1 John 1:9.
• Christian friendships will help Christians grow. This is true, if our Christian friends are serious about living for the Lord. If they are living for the Lord, they will encourage us in our trials, they will challenge us to avoid and resist temptation, they will remind us to read the Bible, to go to church, pray, and to confess and forsake our sins. Such friends set a good example for us to follow. See Acts 2:41 - 47.