The concept of 'Growth' of a Christian
Growth in Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsUnderstanding the growth in Christianity as a concept helps the new believer and old alike to embrace their identity and develop Spiritually and become like Christ.
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Growth
Growth
the process of increasing in size
the process of developing physically, mentally, or spiritually
the process of increasing in amount, value, or importance
The Apostle Paul makes a distinction between our carnal and spiritual nature. See 1 Corinthians 3:1 (NKJV)
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
Believers who have not obtained the Holy Spirit cannot grow in the sense that Christ intended. Christ says, in John 14:16
John 14:16 -17 (NKJV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Even as he commissioned the Disciples, he reminded them to ‘tarry’, i.e wait for the Holy Spirit to come and infill them, giving them power.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Having established that Jesus’s disciples needed the Holy Spirit to grow in the purposes of Christ, I will now show you that this requirement remains the same:
As John the baptist was preaching to the Pharisees and Sadducees about fleeing the coming Judgement, he told them how Christ would baptise them with the Holy Spirit and fire!
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Of course this was before Christ’s own Baptism with water and the Holy Spirit, with which John was charged by Christ himself! Christ further delegates this to his Disciples as he was about to depart:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
We are called to live in the Spirit: 1 Peter 4:6 and Galatians 5:25
6 For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The apostle Paul describes this well when he writes to the Galatians, saying, Galatians 2:20 “20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Those who continually sin willfully cannot in certainty have Christ living in them, nor be infilled by the Spirit of God, for their fruits (of sin), speak of sin and other spirit that lives in them. Otherwise how can we reconcile that Christ who lived a sinless life has become a party to sin? God’s will is above sin, and his Spirit continually prompts and guides the repentant Christian.
Those who are infilled by the Holy Spirit, are convicted in their hearts when they are about to fall into sin, and they are able to make prompt correction and steer clear of such pitfall. Ephesians 3:16
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
A growing Christian bears good fruit. The Apostle John says in Matthew 3:8 “8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,” This is when he was preaching to the Pharisees and Sadducees, as they came to be baptised. Matthew 3:10
10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
The above speaks to the coming Judgement. If you have not borne any fruits, woe to you! Jesus highlighted this when he taught the crowds in the parable of the Wheat and Tares.
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
A growing Christian:
Has departed from the things of the world, and is focused on the things of heaven Colossians 3:1–2
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
knows who the enemy is, and is prepared for the fight, strengthened by the Holy Spirit Ephesians 6:12
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Knows to trust God at all times 1 Timothy 4:10
10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
Accepts the teachings of Christ, and knows not to lean on their own understanding Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
Understands the power of Grace granted to them, and is thankful and obedient Romans 1:5
5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,