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Spiritual Growth
Spiritual growth is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. When we place our faith in Jesus,
the Holy Spirit begins the process of making us more like Him, conforming us to His image. Spiritual growth is
perhaps best described in 2 Peter 1:3-8, which tells us that by God's power we have “everything we need” to live
lives of godliness, which is the goal of spiritual growth. Notice that what we need comes “through our knowledge
of Him,” which is the key to obtaining everything we need. Our knowledge of Him comes from the Word, given to
us for our edification and growth.
There are two lists in Galatians 5:19-23. Verses 19-21 list the “acts of the flesh.” These are the things that
identified our lives before we came to Christ for salvation. The acts of the flesh are the activities we are to
confess, repent of, and, with God’s help, overcome. As we experience spiritual growth, fewer and fewer of the
“acts of the flesh” will be evident in our lives. The second list is the “fruit of the Spirit” (verses 22-23). These are
what should characterize our lives now that we have experienced salvation in Jesus Christ. Spiritual growth is
identified by the fruit of the Spirit becoming increasingly evident in a believer’s life.
When the transformation of salvation takes place, spiritual growth begins. The Holy Spirit indwells us (John
14:16-17). We are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old, sinful nature begins to give way to the
new, Christlike nature (Romans 6-7). Spiritual growth is a lifelong process that depends on our study and
application of God's Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and our walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26). As we seek
spiritual growth, we should pray to God and ask for wisdom concerning the areas He desires us to grow in. We
can ask God to increase our faith and knowledge of Him. God desires for us to grow spiritually, and He has given
us all we need to experience spiritual growth. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can overcome sin and steadily
become more like our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Recommended Resources: The Keys to Spiritual Growth by John MacArthur
