Steps to Growth

 Ephesians 4:14-16 

Three steps to spiritual growth – renewing our minds through Bible reading, confessing our sin, and repenting of that sin. We will look at three more steps that will build our spiritual life. 

Any believer – new or mature – would be wise to receive godly counsel.  Great men and women of God have taken a terrible plunge away from God because they were too proud to admit weakness or been seen to have sin in their life.  The Lord sees us as we truly are, but none of us see ourselves that way.  We need a friend who will be completely honest about our faults and mistakes.  Godly counselling won’t be critical or condemning, but rather will prove loving and kind – even though it may seem tough – it will build up.

Another step toward spiritual maturity is to serve the Lord, which we do by serving others. To exercise our gifting. There are times when this even means ministering to someone who tends to elicit our worst qualities.  By becoming involved in his or her life, we will learn patience, acceptance and ultimately love that is God’s love, Agape love.

One final step is to respond properly to trials and suffering.  We all wish that our greatest growth came during the calm times of our life.  But the truth is, we make the most spiritual progress when we face difficulty.  Focusing on God instead of on the source of our adversity is the appropriate response.

So the question is, do you really want to move ahead in your Christian walk?  To do so requires time, attention and commitment. Letting go of all I am.  But, if you choose to journey down God’s pathway to growth, you can expect to become more Christlike every day.

To every believer is given some gift of grace, for their mutual help. All is given as seems best to Christ to give. He receive them, that he might give to them, a large measure of gifts and graces; particularly the gift of the Holy Ghost in salvation. Not a mere head knowledge, or bare acknowledging Christ to be the Son of God, but such as brings trust and obedience. To acknowledge Christ has full authority in a disciple and this authority is to be present in the church and exercised as such. Appointments in the Church are to exercise in God’s Authority only.

There is a fullness in Christ, and a measure of that fullness given in the counsel of God to every disciple; but we never come to the perfect measure till we come to heaven. God's children are growing, as long as they are in this world; and the Christian's growth tends to the glory of Christ. The more man finds himself drawn out to improve in his station, and according to his measure, all that he has received, to the spiritual good of others, he may the more certainly believe that he has the grace of sincere love and charity foundational in his heart – one thing the scriptures are clear about is the love of God will be in the heart of his people – if this is not present, trouble will arise in the people of God. The Old Testament is full of these accounts. The history of the church bears witness to this. At the heart of God’s salvation is forgiveness, this is not optional – it is mandatory.