Christians Need To Grow

The New Testament emphasizes urgently the spiritual growth of God’s children. Peter insists on growing up into salvation (1 Pet. 2:2). Christians have to grow in God’s grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18).

Growing is a natural thing in creation. Everything grows and must reach maturity. Christians likewise need to grow til they reach the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ. We all understand that a Christian should become more beautiful with the passing of the years. Paul said that “...the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).

There is no such thing as an optional growing of Christians. Without spiritual growth, Christians would remain as spiritual babies and would die. Paul refers to that growth when he says: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

In the process of their growth, Christians need to rid themselves of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander and all these sinful traits of fleshly behavior. They must add to their faith in Christ, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love (2 Pet. 1:5-7).

People grow toward Christ as they drink abundantly of the spiritual milk of the Scriptures (1 Pet. 2:2). The word of God has to be in Christians, richly (Col. 3:16). The Bible should be studied, if possible, daily. We have to show an earnest effort to learn the will of God. Paul told Timothy to be approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, handling correctly the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).

True worship to God builds up the inner person. Singing, praying, partaking the Lord’s Supper, giving and listening to God’s word lifts up our souls. When we study the Scriptures we learn more how we can serve Him.

As we grow in our love toward the Lord, we learn to give with generosity. On the other hand, not giving freely shows that we are not growing spiritually.

We must also encourage each other to be faithful to the services and work of the church (Heb. 10:25). When we fail to meet with Christians to worship God, even though we could have been present, we sin against our God and fellow Christians.

David said: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psa. 42:2).

What about you? Do you hunger and thirst for spiritual food? Solid food, the serious study of the Word, is for the mature (Heb. 5:14).

There are Christians who have been a part of the church for 30 or 40 years but have never taught anyone. This is not pleasing God because He requires us to bear fruit (John 15:5).

We need to do good to all people, but especially to those who belong to the family of believers (Gal. 6:10). As we do this, we grow and feel satisfaction in our souls.

When children do not grow properly, they certainly cause a great sorrow in the hearts of their parents. God, too, must be unhappy as He sees His children living on and on without showing any kind of growth.

We may check on our own life to see if we are growing as we should. Childish things must be behind us (1 Co. 13:11). Others need to see in us spiritual growth and maturity. Our good and honest example is of utmost importance to others. Paul thought he still needed to grow (Phil. 3:12). We must continue growing spiritually as long as we live. When a living thing stops growing, it begins to die. We cannot allow that to happen to our souls.

Each one of us has to make sure we are in Christ, and then we must continue to do everything necessary to go on to maturity in Him. This is our responsibility before God!

Hans J. Dederscheck
(The Voice Of Truth, Vol. 29, Pg. 61)