SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Verse: 1 Peter 2: 2 - “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”

Declaration: I grow strong in the Word and Spirit; my roots go deep in Christ today.

Newborn babies crave for milk; that is their only mission and ambition.  Source of life, source of nourishment for the newborn baby is the mother.  Paul exhorts us to crave for spiritual things that we may grow strong in the Lord.  

Spiritual growth is God’s will for every believer.  When a baby is born into a family, the focus of the parents is on the growth of the baby - are the arms growing, are the legs growing, is the baby getting sufficient nourishment and so on.  No one desires their baby to remain an infant forever, however sweet it may look.  Our spiritual father is the Father God and it is His desire that we grow spiritually.  God does not intend His children to remain infants always.   Growth is not optional, it is a divine expectation.  Heb. 6: 1 - therefore let us move beyond elementary teachings..  What Paul teaches and encourages the church is to grow beyond the basics; this is the desire of God and your spiritual parents.  

Growth requires hunger for God’s word.  When a little child refuses to eat food for a day or two, the parents do not ignore the situation.  They realise that this could lead to serious consequences.  Lack of hunger leads to death.  This also applies to our spiritual life.  Our spirit and our soul(mind, will and emotions) tend to go hungry and gradually die when we do not feed it spiritual food - the Word of God.   
Psalm 119: 105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Matthew 4: 4 - “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. 
Spiritual growth takes place when there is daily nourishment by the Word of God.  
Romans 12: 2 - Do not be confirmed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  
Actual growth takes place in the mind - we need to renew and strengthen it.  An infant is nourished on milk daily, so also, spiritual growth takes place when nourished by the Word on a daily basis.   

Growth is a process, not restricted to a moment.  It is not limited to a point of time or season, but it is a lifelong process.  
2 Peter 3: 18 - Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  
Philippians 1: 6 - And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring to completion…..
God will surely bring to completion the work that He has begun in us, but it is our duty to partner with Him in this process.  Consume the Word of God and hunger for the fruit of the Spirit and the things of God.  Spiritual growth takes place in partnership with God.   

Growth produces spiritual fruit.  John 15: 8 - this is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit. 
Gal. 5: 22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 - gentleness, self-control; ……
Growth is revealed through character, not just knowledge.  As much as you saturate yourself with the Word of God, so will the transformation be in your character, attitude and life in general.  This will display the fruit of the Spirit and others will recognise you as the children of God.  

Growth requires discipline and training.  1 Timothy 4: 7 - Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.  Rather train yourself for godliness;
8 - for, while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
We need to train ourselves regularly and training requires discipline.  Discipline helps to keep ourselves focussed. 

Growth leads to spiritual strength and stability.  Eph. 4: 14 - so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.  
15 - Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ,......
Many Christians do not harbour the right teaching because they do not take the effort to study the Word.  They listen to random messages and are easily swayed. This does more harm than good.  They migrate from one church to the other because they do not have a firm foundation.  They have not had a mature spiritual growth.  Spiritual growth produces discernment, stability and maturity.  
Let us strive to grow spiritually as the Father desires of us.