Are You Growing?

The growth of children is a fascinating thing to watch. From infancy to young adulthood the process of physical, emotional, and mental change is a story filled with expectations, surprises, and measurement. When our son Eric was still in his preadolescent and adolescent growth patterns, we regularly measured his height with marks on the wall (I’m sure the next owners of the house have painted over them by now). He was playing basketball and developing height was a concern. Even weight was a consideration when playing on a football team with a seventy-pound weight limit. Some of the boys were taken to a sauna to sweat off a few pounds before a playoff game.

This is all rather amusing, but there is one kind of growth that is most serious. When we are born again by the Spirit of God, the Christian is called a babe in Christ (1 Cor. 3:1; Heb. 5:13). As a new creature in Christ two spiritual realities exist side by side. The believer is adopted into God’s family as a son with the full rights of heirship (Gal. 4:5, 7). Everything the new Christian needs to live a godly life is immediately supplied at the moment of spiritual conception (i.e. regeneration, Tit. 3:5; 2 Pet. 1:3, 4). But at the same time, a growth process begins. Change must take place. This takes time, massive amounts of biblical truth, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the necessary amounts of pain and suffering. It is God’s design for the believer in Jesus Christ to live a productive and fruitful life. This will prevent uselessness and lack of productivity (2 Pet. 1:8). To underscore the gravity of this condition, it is described in terms of becoming spiritually nearsighted and blind. What does this entail? The lack of spiritual growth, which is actually retrogression (i.e. backsliding), can lead to acute mental confusion regarding spiritual realities. It could be called spiritual amnesia (2 Pet. 1:9). This is a warning light. Because of disobedience to God’s Word, there can be periods of lack of fruit-bearing in the Christian life. This is an abnormality, but it can happen.

The Corinthian church suffered from an epidemic of carnality (1 Cor. 3:1-3). And it was leading to varying degrees of divine chastisement, even sin unto death (1 Cor. 11:30; 1 Jn. 5:16). To lapse into a carnal state (i.e. a Christian living like an unbeliever) is not establishing “a special class of Christianity.” The carnal Christian is one who is disobedient to Christ in certain areas of his or her life. It is ugly. It shouldn’t happen, but it does. What does all this have to do with the maturation process of the Christian? Growth in Christ is to be a climb toward increasing degrees of godliness. But becoming more like Christ can be impeded by rebellion and reversion to non-Christian ways. Fruitfulness is stymied. There must be repentance or there will be discipline.

What conclusions can be drawn from all this as we participate together in knowing what it is to love God more? Fruitbearing is the expectation of God for every believer. Fruitbearing is the change that occurs in the believer’s life by the power of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God (love, joy, peace, patience, etc. become the identity of God’s children). The lack of fruitbearing may occur in the believer’s life. It is possible to go through times of uselessness to God. It is also possible for a believer’s fruit (evidences of Christlikeness) to be restricted and variable. We must be careful about passing judgment on whether one is saved or not, based merely on our own perception (e.g. “If you are not bearing fruit, you are not a Christian”). Our list of spiritual fruit may be incomplete, uninformed, or prejudiced. There are also those who evaluate the caliber of a person’s Christianity based on the “total” concept. It is claimed that following Christ is all or nothing. The failure to appreciate the relative nature of discipleship/spiritual growth can lead to confusion and even the discouragement of struggling Christians. If one is not following Jesus Christ at all costs, dead to self, totally committed, or experiencing “total transformation,” does that mean they are not saved? There is a treasure of truths that belong to the new believer (i.e. positional truth) that has to be translated into experience.

Growing in holiness of life is a life-long pursuit. Every child of God should long to be conformed to the character of God (1 Pet. 1:15-16). Any argument, excuse- making, or rationalization that raises the flag for spiritual mediocrity is deceitful and must be rejected. We don’t coast to the gates of the heavenly city. It is a rigorous but joyful journey. Christians are not all traveling at the same rate. Some lag behind, disappoint, fail, and get off on side roads that prove to be dead-ends. We are to “admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with all” in our pilgrimage to the city of the living God.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church