Ten Secrets Of Spiritual Growth

Uplook – September 2015 — Grace & Truth Magazine

Ten Secrets Of Spiritual Growth

The Bible teaches that the Christian life is one that is to be of continual growth. When you were born again, you were born into God’s family. It is God’s purpose that you will grow into full stature – becoming mature in Christ. It would be against the law of God and nature if you were to remain a baby. In 2 Peter 3:18, the Bible says that we are to grow: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” ( NKJV ). It implies steady development, constant enlargement and increasing wisdom.

For a believer to grow properly, certain steps must be observed for good spiritual health.

1. Read your Bible daily.
Do not be content to skim through a chapter merely to satisfy your conscience. Hide the Word of God in your heart. It comforts, guides, corrects and encourages – all we need is there. Paul instructed Timothy, “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine ... Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:13,15-16). In 2 Timothy 2:15 he instructs us to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

2. Learn the secret of prayer.
Prayer is communicating. Every prayer that you pray will be answered. Sometimes that answer may be “Yes,” sometimes “No,” and other times “Wait” – but nevertheless it will be answered. Prayer is the very first thing we find Saul of Tarsus doing after he met the Lord on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:11). Someone once said, “Prayer is the autograph of the Holy Spirit on the transformed heart.”

3. Rely constantly on the Holy Spirit.
We know that the Holy Spirit prays for us (Rom. 8:26), and what a comfort that should be to even the weakest believer. Stand aside and let Him take over all the choices and decisions of your life. We are told, “Be filled with the [Holy] Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). This simply means to allow Him to control us by surrendering our will to the Word of God (see Galatians 5:16-26 and Luke 8:21).

4. Gather with other Christians regularly.
The visible church shows Christ. Christians need one another. We need to assemble together for the purpose of worshiping God. Nothing can take the place of being gathered with fellow believers. Hebrews 10:19-25 reminds us, “ Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

5. Be a witnessing Christian.
We witness in two ways: by life and by word. The two should go hand in hand. The Lord Jesus told His disciples, “You shall be [My] witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Acts 14:17 tells us that God will never leave Himself without a witness. What a privilege to live our lives in such a way that we can be His witnesses in our world!

6. Let love be the ruling principle of your life.
Jesus said to those who followed Him, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35). The greatest demonstration of the fact that we are Christians is that we love one another.

7. Be an obedient Christian.
Give the Lord Jesus Christ first place in all the choices of your life (consider Colossians 1:15-18).

8. Learn how to meet temptation.
Temptation is not sin, but yielding to temptation is sin. Let Christ, through the Holy Spirit, do the fighting for you. James has much to say about temptation: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (1:12-15). The apostle Paul adds, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

9. Be a wholesome Christian.
Our lives and appearance should commend the gospel and make it attractive to others. Peter takes this up saying, “And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.’ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Pet. 3:13-17).

10. Live above your circumstances.
Don’t let your circumstances get you down. Learn to live graciously within them, realizing the Lord Himself is with you. Paul reminds us, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:4-9).

By Timothy P. Hadley