Spiritual Growth 1

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

1 Peter 2:1–3 CSB

1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, 3 if you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Introduction

What an exciting time to be at Cornerstone!

Never in my 30 years of preaching have I been a member of a congregation with so many baptisms in such a short amount of time.

To God be the Glory!

If you are sitting here today as a new Christian:

We thank God for you.

We are excited for you.

We want to come along side you and help you in your spiritual growth.

We are committed to you.

And so, let’s look back at the screen at 1 Peter 2:1-2.

v. 1:

Put this wickedness away.

v.2:

in the same way a baby desires milk, you should desire the word of God.

a baby wants to be fed — and that is all that matters.

This is how it should be for the new believer in Christ — and really any Christian:

A consuming desire for the word of God that is likened to a baby’s desire for milk.

Genuine spirituality, genuine godliness, is always marked by a love for and a delight in God’s truth.

A command. desire is written with intensity. i.e., a craving, a longing, a compelling desire for the word.

A passion for, i.e., something strong and intense.

Psalm 42:1 CSB

1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God.

We need to have an insatiable thirst that is so immense it is like the animal that has only one thought in its mind.

And it is defined as the “pure milk of the word”

Milk:

Here, “milk” does not represent the basics of Christian teaching — it is being used to describe something that is eagerly desired for spiritual nourishment.

Uncontaminated. A pure substance in the middle of a world full of corruptible, contaminated, polluted things.

Purity — untouched by anything — coming straight from the mother into the mouth of the child — unpolluted by the world around.

What is pure spiritual milk?

The word of God, which is:

1 Peter 1:23 CSB

23 because you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.

living, v. 23.

life-generating, v. 23.

1 Peter 2:2 CSB

2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation,

capable of nourishing and sustaining life, v. 2.

Reading/hearing the word of God involves the process of taking information into oneself, a process like drinking milk (taking it into one’s body).

By intaking pure spiritual milk will help us grow into salvation, i.e., to grow toward Christian maturity.

Grow is passive - it is describing something being done to us.

It is by the intake of the truth that the Holy Spirit grows and matures believers, 2 Corinthians 3:18.

verse 3 is another reason to long for spiritual milk

1 Peter 2:3 NIV

3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

“since” … you have come to know this by experience.

To drink the milk of the word is to taste again and again what He is like — for in hearing the Lord’s words, we experience the joy of personal fellowship with the Lord Himself.

This really is the most compelling issue at hand - not only at the beginning of one’s spiritual pursuit — but throughout.

How strong is yfour pursuit of the word?

If you don’t have a craving or a longing for it — even with all the tools we have today for bible study - it’s all useless if we do not have a passion in our heart to read & understand the scriptures.

This really is the foundation. Everything else flows from this longing.

Today, and again on July 28, we’re going to focus on some keys for spiritual growth.

Wilson Adams is speaking in my absence next week while I’m in Louisiana wrapping up a gospel meeting.

And he is speaking again on the 21st as we wrap up our special weekend worship on Where is God When I Hurt.

So you’ll have to wait a few weeks to get part 2 of this series … but I promise you … the time will fly by.

Overcoming Misconceptions About Spiritual Growth

Spiritual Growth has nothing to do with your Position in Christ.

Colossians 2:9–10 CSB

9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

“you have been filled by him.”

Here it is in the NASB:

Colossians 2:10 (NASB 2020)

10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority;

So when Christ came into your life you were made complete.

Let’s look at 2 Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

You are a new creation. You are complete in Christ.

Here’s another passage in 2 Peter.

2 Peter 1:3 (CSB)

3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

You have all things pertaining to life and godliness.

So, when you came to Christ, you were placed in Christ.

Colossians 3:3–4 (CSB)

3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

God put a new heart in you.

God gave you the Spirit.

Because of Christ’s blood, God sees you as righteous.

And so, you cannot improve on your position.

Spiritual growth has nothing to do with your position.

It is not as if you have to grow into being accepted by Christ.

You’re already accepted because of your faith in Him.

I do believe that if you are sincere in your faith — the growth we’re talking about will come naturally and rapidly and fruit will be produced.

Spiritual Growth has nothing to do with God’s Love for You

Ephesians 1:3 CSB

3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.

God loved you so much that while you were still a sinner — he sent Jesus to die for you — so that you could have access to these spiritual blessings.

And look at John 13:1.

John 13:1 (CSB)

1 Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

He loved them to perfection.

And you know, do you remember what the disciples were incessantly arguing about in the hours leading up to His death? (who would be the greatest)

Do you remember how one of the disciples was about to go out & betray him?

Do you remember how another disciple was about to deny him?

Do you remember how the rest deserted him?

All of the disciples were at best, very immature.

And yet, John tells us … He loved them to the end — i.e., he loved them as much as one could ever be loved.

Spiritual growth has nothing to do with God’s love for us.

It is not — the more I grow the more he loves.

He loves us perfectly no matter how we grow.

Spiritual Growth has nothing to do with time.

We do not grow by the virtue of passing time.

Growth is not measured by a calendar.

There are Christians who have been in Christ for decades and barely grown at all.

Hebrews 5:12 CSB

12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.

You can be around the truth and around God’s people — and still unable to teach or comprehend the basics.

Spiritual growth is not by osmosis.

It does not come about by the passage of time.

Spiritual Growth has nothing to do with the Possession of Knowledge

1 Corinthians 8:1 (CSB)

1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

The Corinthians had knowledge … but they were puffed up and boastful.

Their love was void — and they were failing to build others up.

I think one of our greatest misconceptions about growth is that it is directly related to information.

Some of the most dangerous people in the world are immature Christians armed with a lot of information.

They tend to be proud and not humble.

You can know a lot — and still be very spiritually immature.

Spiritual Growth is not the Result of Activity

Being busily engaged in the work of the church — working yourself to exhaustion — does not automatically mean you are headed for maturity.

The Pharisees busied themselves with their traditions — and knew nothing about the truth of God — and grew very little.

You can, as Paul mentions in Romans 10 - have a zeal for God — but it not be according to knowledge.

Look at Romans 10:3 for a second.

Romans 10:3 (CSB)

3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.

“ignorant of the righteousness of God.” This is an amazing statement.

They, more than anyone else, had been:

Around spiritual activity.

dedicated to carrying out the law.

But yet … no spiritual maturity whatsoever.

So, remember…

Spiritual growth has nothing to do with your position in Christ.

Spiritual growth has nothing to do with God’s love for you. It will never change. It’s an absolute.

God can never love you more or less because He loves you in perfection.

Spiritual growth has nothing to do with time.

It has nothing to do with knowledge. You can know a lot and be immature.

It has nothing to do with busyness.

What is the Basic Fundamental for Growth?

Psalm 16:8–9 (NASB 2020)

8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.

Let’s focus on v. 8.

The key essential in our growth begins with always setting the Lord before us.

Concentrating on Him. Focusing on Him.

A NT Parallel Passage:

Hebrews 12:2 (CSB)

2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

God-consciousness.

A Godward focus.

Preoccupation with the divine.

There are only two kinds of people: Those who honor the Lord and those who do not.

Let’s compare two passages in Matthew 25.

Matthew 25:23 CSB

23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

Matthew 25:30 CSB

30 And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Those who honor the Lord or glorify the Lord are rewarded.

Those who dishonor and refuse to glorify the Lord are punished.

God will judge those who refuse His glory.

Jeremiah 13:11 CSB

11 Just as underwear clings to one’s waist, so I fastened the whole house of Israel and of Judah to me”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“so that they might be my people for my fame, praise, and glory, but they would not obey.

God created Israel for a purpose … to glorify God.

They refused.

Jeremiah’s words are a warning. If they didn’t repent … God would destroy them.

Jeremiah 13:14–15 CSB

14 I will smash them against each other, fathers and sons alike—this is the Lord’s declaration. I will allow no mercy, pity, or compassion to keep me from destroying them.’ ” 15 Listen and pay attention. Do not be proud, for the Lord has spoken.

And this is the key to the whole thing.

We live to give God glory. To focus our life upon that.

Too often we want our sin. And if we go that way, God says we cannot have fellowship with Him.

The bottom line of Christian living is to give God glory.

If you are to grow spiritually, the soil in which growth occurs is a heart that has fully yielded to Him.

As We Close…

Remember … we have confessed Jesus as Lord .. to the glory of God.

Philippians 2:9–11 (CSB)

9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth—

11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This is the main reason you have been saved.

It’s not only about getting out of hell.

It’s not only about being delivered from sin.

It’s not only about enjoying the blessing of God.

It’s not only about going to heaven.

The main reason God has saved you is because your salvation brings glory to Him.

Romans 1:5 CSB

5 Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles,

You’ve been saved for the sake of His name.

You by the way you live are affirming the truth of God.

3 John 7 CSB

7 since they set out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from pagans.

This is the basis for everything in your life.

You now live for the sake of the name.

You have believed so that you might giver glory to God.

So to grow spiritually, your whole life must be involved in glorying God.

And it starts by confessing Jesus as Lord and it continues by praising Him as Lord.

In three weeks, we’ll come back and talk more about what spiritual growth means and how to accomplish the task.

Do you need Him?