Title: Spiritual Growth
Contents
※ Bible: Ephesians 4:11-16
One of the joys of raising children is seeing their children grow up physically and mentally healthy. Seeing the son as dignified and strong as his father when he was young, the mother is proud of it, and the father is delighted to see the daughter grow into a lady like her mother and become beautiful. Likewise, our spiritual Father, God, allows all circumstances for us as children to grow. And he delights in our spiritual growth.
When Abraham was first called, there were many shortcomings to be called the father of faith, as we think. When he left Ur of the Chaldeans and entered the land of Canaan, he abandoned the land that God had promised several times due to severe famine and went down to Egypt in a short time. Also, when he went down to Egypt, he deceived his wife as his sister, and if God had not helped him, he would have taken her from Pharaoh. Thus, Abraham's faith was immature.
However, in Genesis 22, when God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac, which he had at the age of 100, Abraham immediately went up to Mount Moriah to offer Isaac as a living sacrifice. At that time, God saw Abraham's faith and blessed his descendants like the stars in the sky and like the grains of sand in the sea (Genesis 22:16-17). In this way, God delights in our growth and maturity. He expects us to grow in our faith and grow into Jesus Christ. So today we want to think about how we can grow our faith.
First, spiritual growth is growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Today in Ephesians 4:13, Paul says, “that we may become perfect men, in unity in the knowledge and faith of the Son of God, to the stature of the stature of the stature of Christ.” Spiritual growth is related to knowing and believing in Jesus Christ. Hosea said to the people of Israel that they would perish because they did not have the knowledge of God (Hosea 4:6). that this is ruined. Therefore, we must grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Only then can we grow spiritually. Growing spiritually does not mean simply accumulating Bible knowledge. Spiritual growth requires being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes us clearly aware of the Word and will of God. “After I am gone, our Heavenly Father will send you the Counselor the Holy Spirit, and when the Counselor Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will remember all that I have taught you and will teach you the word of God so that you may know it” (John 14:26)
The most important thing in our spiritual growth is the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit helps us grow spiritually.
Second, spiritual growth cannot be achieved without the grace of God.
The Apostle Paul said that I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). But more important is God's grace to grow. Spiritual growth cannot be achieved without God's grace.
Who will receive this grace? A humble man like Cornelius. He is a person who repents like the robber on the right hand of Jesus. Like the Samaritan woman, those who long for God receive grace. God gives grace to those who are humble, repent and seek God earnestly today.
Third, spiritual growth is achieved when we are faithful to our assigned work.
God's way to mature us spiritually is to entrust us with ministry.
Spiritual growth is God's will. We will reach spiritual growth when we clearly understand God's will in the work of the Holy Spirit, receive God's grace, and be faithful to the work entrusted to us.
2006-09-23 09:48:11