Throughout the entire Bible, God is teaching us how to grow spiritually in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the most important thing to Him. God values our spiritual growth in Christ more than any other thing we might attempt to do. The life of Jesus Christ is the blueprint for our existences and becoming more like him aligns us with God’s Will and Plan. This is one of the first truths we must grasp to spiritually grow. Another is the reality is that it is indeed possible for us to grow and increase spiritually, and to do so to the point that we are the very embodiment of Christ. Our blessed Lord and Savior sacrificed his life on the cross so that we could become born again, be restored to God, and live as his brothers and sisters on earth with his power and authority. We are empowered in every way by God to get this done.

Jesus Christ walked this earth fully God and fully man, but he was not exempt from the troubles and temptations of the world. He was born to Mary and Joseph with the humblest of beginnings. If there was anyone who deserved extravagant and luxurious accommodations and celebrations of fanfare and exuberance, it was Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Living God. None of that took place. He came into a world plagued with evil and darkness, and he was born in a manger, a place where animals were kept and fed. By way of His Son’s birth, God is showing us what is important to Him, and therefore, what should be important to us.

Our blessed Lord and Savior was not exempt from the practices that yield spiritual growth. He saturated his mind and heart with the writings of the prophets and studied them relentlessly. Beginning his days with early morning prayer to God was his habit. He received downloads of revelation from God, because John 5:19 tells us, “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”  Most of us don’t study the Word to the extent we should. Because of this, we do a combination of things in life of things that benefit us primarily, and we do only some things that please God. Jesus Christ pleased God all the time. He said in John 8:29(NLT), “And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.”

So, Jesus availed himself to grow spiritually, and we must do the same, because it is God’s requirement for us. 2Peter 3:17-18(ESV) tells us, “17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” Jesus Christ had the seed of the Holy Spirit, and because of his accomplished works in the mission of God, so do we. Our commitment to grow in his grace by acquiring knowledge of Christ gives us stability and success in life.

Through the new birth reality in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. He is the Spirit of God, Christ, and Truth, and He is a person, more of a person than any of us could ever be. Jesus Christ teaches us in Matthew 28:19 that the Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead. Acts 2:33 tells us that the Spirit is the promise of the Father and is poured out on us, empowering us to be replicas of Christ and do great things in the earth.

In Galatians 5:16, God commands us to walk by the Spirit, which is to live by the Spirit. Galatians 5:25(ESV) says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” How do we do that? How do we keep in step with the Holy Spirit that indwells us? The answer is in the Words of Christ in John 16:13(ESV). He tells us, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” The Holy Spirit is our Guide, Comforter, Teacher, and Friend. Jesus Christ clearly informs us that he, the Spirit, is the Spirit of Truth, therefore, the Spirit only operates, leads, guides, comforts, and teaches according to God’s truth.

2Corinthians 3:17(ESV) says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” To grow spiritually, we must grow in the One that is “the Spirit”, and in order to accomplish this, we must pursue His truth. Growing in the Spirit requires us to understand that the Spirit is always taking us in the direction of God’s truth, which is God’s Will. In Romans 12:2(ESV), Heavenly Father tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” All children of the One True Living God must be transformed by His Word, because this is the only way to conform to His Will.

A lot of the programming in our minds has been what we’ve learned from the world, and some of that information is opposite of faith in God. It keeps us from manifesting the joy, peace, comfort, and power of Christ. The remedy is to strip off those things that hold us back and to put on the mind of Christ. Each of us is unique in our own way. You may not need to spiritually grow as much in certain areas of your life as another might need to grow in their lives, but spiritual growth is necessary for all of us. We’re here on this earth for God’s purpose and His indwelling Holy Spirit knows our destiny. He knows exactly where we’re supposed to be in order to fulfill the Lord’s purpose. Humble yourself before God. Submit to the Spirit’s leadership and guidance, and he will guide you to grow in Christ as you study God’s Word and become a lover of His truth. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

“How to Grow Spiritually”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2023. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.