Spiritual Growth (Ephesians 4:11-15)
We have been studying the body of Christ and learning how we can become what God has called for us to be. We understand that God hasn’t called us to attend church but to be the church. So, we have to engage in the work of the church. Last week we looked at love. That is our primary calling. We are here to encourage one another to engage in genuine, brotherly love with one another. I hope you set aside time this week to engage in the needs of your brethren. Today, we will study another focus for us if we are going to be the body of Christ.
Spiritual growth is something that many Christians struggle with. It’s not something that happens overnight, and it’s not always easy. But as we delve into the topic of spiritual growth today, we’ll discover the incredible benefits that come with it.
Imagine having a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God and a greater understanding of His will for your life. Picture being able to handle all the difficult situations that might come your way with strength and confidence. Imagine becoming more like Christ with his character and wisdom. These are possible and within our reach with God’s help. Let’s talk about growth, what it means, how and why we do it, and how to establish goals for ourselves.
Spiritual Growth Commanded
In Ephesians 4, we read a description of the church that challenges us to grow spiritually.
Ephesians 4:11--15 (ESV) --- 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
What have we sought to attain in life? Many of us have played sports. We wanted to achieve some top spot in the sport of our choice. Some of us sought greatness in school or work. We wanted to stand out among our peers. Maybe you wanted to be the most popular or the most loved person. These achievements are empty and vain. Once we get them, they disappear. We will not find fulfillment in them anymore.
What does God want us to seek? Spiritual growth is deeper than any other type of growth. We all can grow physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. These types of growth are all important, and each plays a unique role in our overall well-being. Physical growth involves nourishing ourselves with good food and exercise. Intellectual growth is all about expanding our minds through education, reading, or pursuing new hobbies. Emotional growth involves learning to manage our emotions in healthy ways. This one gets pretty deep, and some might confuse emotional and spiritual growth. But we grow emotionally when we develop healthy relationships and understand our thoughts and feelings.
These are all areas where we need to grow and develop. But spiritual growth involves our relationship with God and our journey towards becoming more like Christ. It requires us to nurture our souls and develop our desires in life. If we don’t desire to become like Jesus, we have a heart problem. Our relationship with God is not our first priority anymore.
These words tell us that we are here for a purpose: to represent Jesus walking on the earth. We are ministering and working together to become like Christ. He says that our mission is to “attain the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” That’s a lot of descriptions that tell us we are here to grow. We are here to become Spiritually Mature men and women who resemble Christ.
What Does That Look Like?
Spiritual Growth Examples
To help us think about spiritual growth, let’s start by thinking about the strongest spiritual people we know.
Personal
Now, consider the most spiritual person you have ever met. What were they like? I have known a few men and a couple of women full of strength, self-control, humility, compassion, and faith. One man’s name was Joe Willis. He was just about as sweet as he could be. I remember watching a men’s business meeting start falling apart, but Joe just sweetly asked a question that helped everyone agree and make a wise choice. He lifted and encouraged me to lead the Lord’s Supper on Sunday. It was my first time, and he asked me between Bible class and Worship services. Joe’s voice had stopped working due to throat cancer, and he didn’t feel he could handle it.
Another person I think of is Fred Harville, Jenna’s grandfather. This man’s name was in the dictionary as an example of humility. He always had a smile on his face and seemed to love and care for everyone he met. I never heard him say a negative word about anyone. But he didn’t think much of himself. A couple of times, he asked me questions that let me know he was still striving and pursuing greater spiritual understanding and faithfulness.
I could talk about others, but I want you to think about those you think of as spiritual giants. Were they humble and wise? Did they face difficult situations with wisdom and love?
Paul
Now, let’s jump to one of the most spiritually mature people we know in the Bible. I would say Paul is near the top of the spiritually mature list. But let’s see what Paul says about himself. When we look at his letter to the Philippians, we see that he is still striving like he’s not mature enough.
Philippians 3:12--16 (ESV) --- 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Can you imagine Paul sitting in a prison cell, giving up everything he holds dear, including his freedom? He’s ready to die and be with Jesus. But, as he sits there, he doesn’t call his work finished. He doesn’t consider himself through with the spiritual growth and development process. He keeps pushing himself to do more and to be more like Jesus. He is striving toward that goal with all he has like he still has a long way to go.
Who is Spiritually Mature?
The most mature people don’t feel like they have arrived. They don’t consider themselves God’s gift to those around them. After doing everything they have done, they still see themselves as an unworthy servant, saved by grace. In verse 9, Paul said he does not have “a righteousness of his own.” No amount of work gives him pride in his accomplishments.
When we think of maturity, we must get our heads on straight. Being mature doesn’t mean that we are on top. It doesn’t mean that everyone listens to us or that we can control or manipulate people easily. Spiritual maturity is about Christ-likeness and humility that says, “I’m not there yet, but I’m going to give it my all and sacrifice to get closer.”
Where Does Maturity Come From?
This brings us to the next question we might have. Where do these men and women get their spiritual character from? Strength and wisdom hardly appear out of thin air. Scriptures tell us that spiritual maturity comes from trials, prayer, and study. So let’s look a little closer at these three.
Trials
Those who are the most spiritual have been through great trials in life, leading to a strongly developed character.
Romans 5:2--5 (ESV) --- 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Do you see the process of spiritual growth based on this text? Character develops only after we endure suffering with the right heart and attitude. Character doesn’t come cheap. James says to count trials as joy because they lead us to more extraordinary steadfastness and eventually bring us to perfection. Our spiritual maturity soars through the trials. We don’t like trials, but we like what trials can produce. Those we look up to and respect have been through trials and developed the character that only the spiritually mature possess.
Now, we aren’t living for comfort. We are living for the hope of eternal life. We rejoice in that hope that we will one day experience the glory of God. Those we respect and admire have gone through trials with their eyes fixed on the promises of God. To gain maturity, we must also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that God is working through them because “his love has been poured into our hearts.” I love that text. I love to consider that the trials in my life bring me one step closer to godliness and Christ-likeness. That’s my goal.
Prayer
The next thing for us to consider when we try to grow in our spiritual maturity is prayer. Spiritual wisdom is hardly something we can find on our own. We need God’s help.
James 1:5--6 (ESV) --- 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
James encourages us to seek God’s help in this. He is generously willing to provide wisdom to those who ask it. Those we love, respect, and admire for their wisdom didn’t get it alone. They learned it through the providential working of God. Maybe they prayed to attain greater wisdom and understanding, or perhaps someone who loves them prayed that over them. But spiritual wisdom comes through God.
If we want to grow to the full stature of Christ, we need a lot of spiritual wisdom. We don’t need earthy wisdom. We need wisdom from above, knowing what is truly righteous and good. If you have received that from God, give thanks. If not, start asking.
When we need to decide who to marry, what job to take, where to move to, or what to purchase, God is there waiting for us to ask for wisdom. We should make asking for spiritual wisdom a part of our daily lives.
Scriptures
The final avenue of spiritual growth is evident. Studying the Bible is not difficult, but are we willing to devote ourselves to it?
How could we ever expect to grow to be like Christ without first understanding who he is and what he has done?
2 Peter 1:3--4 (ESV) --- 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
The divine nature of God has now been revealed through Jesus. This divine revelation has helped us become the image-bearers we were always created to be. Godliness means God-likeness. I love the way he describes it. He says, “So that you through them (the promises of God) you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
Those we look up to as spiritually mature had to connect deeply with the word of God. They had to come to a more excellent knowledge of Jesus through the Word. So we must do the same.
Lessons
God has commanded us to reach for the fullness of the stature of Christ and devote ourselves to it. That’s what we work toward together as the body of Christ.
Application
If you have challenged yourself with physical, intellectual, and emotional growth, why not challenge yourself with spiritual growth? What are your spiritual goals? What habits can we develop to reach those goals? Maybe you don’t have any spiritually mature people to look up to. Can you become someone who leads by example? We need more of those.
I want to challenge you to commit to the process of spiritual growth. Endure the trials, develop the character, pray for wisdom, and study God and Christ. If we all do this, we will increase our ability to serve others, and the whole body will benefit.
Beginning in April, we will be starting back our study of reading entire books of the Bible. We will start with the Book of Esther and work through the rest of the Old Testament. I encourage you to be a part of that reading.
We also have meetups and neighborhood Bible studies that will soon be taking place. Please try to be a part of one or help set up one. If you have a neighbor interested in spiritual things, maybe they could come as well.
Our goal is to grow so that God can be glorified in us because he has demonstrated his love for us, and bringing him glory shows how much we love him.
2 Peter 3:18 (ESV) --- 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.