Means of spiritual growth

God supplies the resources for spiritual growth

Php 2:13; 2 Pe 1:3

See also Jn 1:16; Jn 4:14; Jn 15:2; Jn 15:5; 1 Co 10:13; 2 Co 3:18; 2 Co 9:10; Ga 5:22–23; Php 1:6; Col 2:19; Jas 1:17; Jas 4:6; Jud 24

God’s people must make efforts to grow spiritually

Php 2:12; 2 Pe 1:5–9

See also Ro 6:19; 2 Co 7:1; Ga 5:16; Ga 5:25; Eph 5:15–16; Eph 6:11–13; 1 Ti 4:7; 1 Ti 6:11–12; 2 Ti 1:6; 2 Pe 3:14; 1 Jn 3:3; Jud 20

Specific means of spiritual growth

Death to self-interest

Colossians 3:5 NIV84

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

See also Mt 16:24; Ro 6:6; Ro 6:12; Ro 8:13; Eph 4:22; Col 3:9; 1 Pe 1:14; 1 Pe 2:11

The Scriptures

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NIV84

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

See also Jos 1:8; Ps 19:7–8; Ps 119:9–11; Jn 17:17; Eph 6:17; Col 3:16; 1 Pe 2:2; 1 Jn 2:14

Prayer

Mt 6:13; Col 4:2

See also 1 Ch 16:11; Mt 7:11; Mt 26:41; Jn 16:24; Ac 4:29–31; Eph 6:18; 1 Th 5:17; Jas 1:5

Focusing on Jesus Christ

Hebrews 3:1 NIV84

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

See also Mt 11:29; Jn 13:15; Ro 15:5; Php 2:5; Heb 12:2–3; 1 Pe 2:21; 1 Jn 2:6

The role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual growth

Ephesians 3:16–18 NIV84

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

See also Eph 1:13–14; Eph 1:17; Eph 2:19–22

Christian leadership

Ephesians 4:11–13 NIV84

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

See also 1 Co 4:16; 1 Co 11:1; Php 1:25; Php 3:17; Heb 13:7; Heb 13:17; 1 Pe 5:2–3

Faith in God

Ephesians 6:16 NIV84

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

See also Heb 11:6; 1 Jn 5:4

Suffering and testing

Romans 5:3–4 NIV84

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

See also Job 23:10; Ps 119:67; Zec 13:9; Heb 12:10–11; 1 Pe 1:6–7; Jas 1:2–4

Perseverance

Hebrews 12:1 NIV84

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

See also Php 3:12–14; 1 Ti 4:15

Cultivating wholesome thinking

Philippians 4:8 NIV84

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

God will bring the spiritual growth of believers to completion

1 John 3:2 NIV84

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

See also Eph 5:25–27; Php 1:6; Jud 24–25; Re 21:2