12. Growing Towards Spiritual Maturity

📖 Bible Discovery

💡 Focus Passage

🌱 Main Teachings

1. Purposes of spiritual growth

   Once we come to believe in Christ, our spiritual life begins. We all start out as spiritual infants (1 Pet 2:2). However, just as children grow to adulthood, we also must set our goal to grow and mature spiritually.

   What are the purposes / goals of our spiritual growth?

   • To reflect the image of Christ and glorify Him
     • We are called to grow up into Christ (Eph 4:15).
       • Our goal is to come to the stature and fullness of Christ, that we may no longer be children, but complete and mature in Christ (Eph 4:13-14; Col 1:28).
       • By pursuing spiritual growth, we can continually renew ourselves in our knowledge of God and become more like Him (2 Cor 3:18; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10).
     • When we grow spiritually, we will bear fruit and abound in good works, which will bring glory to God (Mt 5:16; Jn 15:8).
   • To root our faith, so we are not easily swayed (Eph 4:14)
     • Spiritual growth allows us to build up our faith and increase in our knowledge of God. In this way, we can root ourselves in Christ, in His church, and in His truth.
       • In Christ (1 Cor 3:11) - As we strengthen our relationship with Christ, we come to learn that we should not root our faith in interpersonal relationships or physical blessings. Christ Himself should be our foundation.
       • In the church - Root ourselves in the true church, which is the body of Christ (Eph 1:22-23). It is the place where God manifests His wisdom and truth (Eph 3:10; 1 Tim 3:15). We must abide in Him and His church in order to grow, bear fruit, and thrive spiritually (Jn 15:4-5).
       • In the truth (Col 1:23) - Do not be deceived by another gospel, false teachings, or false prophets. We should not only build our foundation upon God’s words (Mt 7:24-25), but also hold fast to the truth we have received (2 Tim 1:13).
2. Ways to pursue spiritual growth

   What steps can we take to grow? Spiritual growth is not something we can achieve by our own might. While we must do our part and be diligent to strive for higher ground, we also need to rely on God, for He is the source of our growth (1 Cor 3:6-7; Col 2:19).

   How to pursue spiritual growth?

   A. Bear fruit

   • God expects us to bear fruit (Lk 13:6-9; Jn 15:2, 16).
   • Fruit we should bear:
     • Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)
     • Fruit consistent with repentance (Mt 3:8; Lk 3:8)
     • Fruit of righteousness (Phil 1:11; Heb 12:11; Jas 3:18)
     • Fruit of good works (Col 1:10)
     • Fruit of our lips, the sacrifice of praise (Heb 13:15)
   • Ways to bear fruit
     • Cultivate the right heart for the word of God to take root and grow (Mt 13:3-23).
     • Abide in Christ - He is the vine, we are branches (Jn 15:4-5).
       • Keep His commandments (Jn 15:10).
       • Walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16).

   B. Cultivate godly virtues to reflect Christ’s divine nature.

   • Actively pursue Christ-like qualities.
     • Ex: love, faith, righteousness, godliness, peace with others; strive to continually add to the virtues of our faith (2 Pet 1:5-8).
     • These may be difficult, especially when situations challenge us, but being able to exhibit such qualities in the face of hardships demonstrates spiritual maturity.
   • Sometimes, God will allow us to encounter various challenges and difficulties as a way to refine us and help us grow (1 Pet 1:6-9).
     • Through suffering and trials, we are tested and can learn to build up various aspects of our character, such as perseverance, obedience, humility, and righteousness (Rom 5:3-5; Heb 5:8; Jas 1:2-4).
   • Learn from the examples of Bible characters (provided in Further Study (L12)).

   C. Pursue maturity in our thinking and knowledge of God and His word.

   • In our thinking
     • As we grow, our attitude, perspectives, and values should also mature and align with the principles of the Bible.
       • Pursue spiritual matters and seek the things above, rather than only focusing on worldly or physical things (Col 3:2).
       • Look to others’ interests rather than only focusing on ourselves (Phil 2:4).
       • Instead of only seeking to obtain God’s grace, we should grow in our desire and heart to repay Him for His grace.
   • In our knowledge of God and understanding of His word
     • Grow from taking milk to solid food (Heb 5:12-14).
       • Distinguish right from wrong and do not be deceived by false teachings.
       • Move past elementary principles and teachings, e.g., repentance, faith towards God, resurrection of the dead, etc. (Heb 6:1-2).
     • Make it our goal to increase in our knowledge of God and His will. Then we can discern what is pleasing to the Lord and live to please Him (Eph 5:10; Col 1:10).

👣 Practical Actions

• Reflect on the state of our heart towards God’s words.
  • What kind of ground is our heart?
    • Wayside - Do we take the time to truly understand and study the word of God, or does it often go in one ear and out the other?
    • Stony - Does our faith have roots? What is it rooted in? When we meet with tribulation or persecution, how do we respond?
    • Thorny - Are there thorns in our lives that keep us from bearing fruit? Are we weighed down by the cares of life, or distracted by the pleasures and pursuits of this world?
    • Good soil - Is the word of God able to take root in our hearts, grow, and bear fruit? Are we able to hold fast to God’s words and actually live them out?
  • Things to think about:
    • Which ground represents our heart right now and why?
    • What are our biggest barriers to achieving a heart like the good soil?
  • As we examine ourselves, we can also put our reflections into prayer and ask God for wisdom and an open heart to receive His words (Ps 119:18; Eph 1:17; Jas 1:5).
• Pursue to become more like Christ.
  • Put off the old self and put on the new self (see L7 “In Christ: Old vs New Self”).
  • What aspects of our character do we still need to work on? What areas can we continue to grow and abound in so that we reflect Christ?
    • Examples provided in Further Study (L12).

💭 Food For Thought

• What spiritual disciplines or experiences in your daily life have helped you grow spiritually?
• What barriers are keeping you from growing spiritually? Brainstorm practical steps you can take to overcome these.
• How does being active in our local church and connected to other brothers and sisters help us grow in our faith and mature as a church?

🎯 Challenge Yourself

• If you are able to, take up the challenge of growing your own plant!
  • Ideally, begin with a seed in a clear cup to observe the rooting process. Another option is to use a small starter plant, such as an herb, that already has visible roots.
  • Care for the plant daily (water, sunlight, etc.).
• As part of your daily devotional time, once a week you can write down observations on your plant’s growth and reflections on its relation to your own spiritual life. For example:
  • What is the state of my “spiritual soil”?
  • Am I getting what I need to grow spiritually? If not, what might I be missing and how can I change that? (E.g., How might sunshine, water, or fertilizer translate to our spiritual life?)
  • Over time, what changes do I notice in myself? What good habits, better character, or potential fruit is growing?
• Other things to think about:
  • What insights about our spiritual life and growth does the overall process of growing a plant give you? Think about the time and patience needed, the consistency of watering the plant, the process and challenges of growth, etc.
  • As your plant grows, you may need to prune it, remove dead leaves/stems, or even re-pot it. Consider how God may be pruning you or helping you grow, given your various life circumstances, trials, or new environments.
• Set your plant somewhere visible to remind you to care for your own spiritual life. As you care for your plant, may you continue to find ways to improve, grow, and thrive spiritually.
  • May your plant’s roots remind you of your own roots in Christ and connection to His body, the church. Our spiritual lives should take deeper root so that we can stand firm in the face of winds or storms.
  • May your plant’s leaves and fruit encourage you to manifest your own visible growth. The spiritual character and godly virtues we cultivate every day will be our stepping stones toward spiritual maturity and a life that glorifies God.