Growing In Christ

Consider a crop of grain. It is planted, it grows, it matures, and it yields a harvest. If conditions are not conducive to a healthy crop, the plants will become stressed and wither. The crop will fail to yield the expected production and may even be a complete disaster. Similarly, when we hear the gospel and become Christians, the expectation is that we grow in Christ leaving the foundations of infancy and move towards spiritual maturity where we can yield fruit for the kingdom of God.

Let’s look at a couple of texts from scripture where the analogy a crop growing is used to illustrate spiritual growth. The first one that comes to mind is the parable of the sower that Jesus told in Matthew 13. In verses 19-23, He explains what the parable means:

“When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The second text that we can apply to this subject is found in Hebrews 6:7-8. “Land that drinks up the rain falling on it that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.”

The ultimate purpose of salvation is to reconcile humanity to our Creator. When we become saved, we go about sharing what God has done for us with others, thereby increasing the number of believers and growing the kingdom of God. Through servitude and love, we bless others and glorify God in doing so.

Jesus said,”I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40). The salvation we receive is intended to provide a return on investment. This truth is depicted in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. The servant who did not provide a return was called lazy and was cast out into the darkness.

There is an element of expectation that places responsibility on true believers to demonstrate the authenticity of their faith. Without growth, our faith stagnates and it can wither and fail.

Spiritual Milk

In Hebrews 5:11-14 we read,”We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.

You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

Continuing on in Hebrews 6:1-2, we read, “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instructions about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement.”

The writer of Hebrews implores believers to move on from the simple spiritual milk they received as babes in Christ and progress to solid spiritual food. Moving on connotates action. It implies growth in one’s faith. An idle faith is a static faith, lacking growth and progress. Furthermore, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead (James 2:17).

The apostle Peter concurs with the analogy of spiritual milk. “Like newborn babies, crave spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2).

And in 2 Peter 3:17-18, he tells us that there is a great danger in not growing in our faith. “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Paul adds that God has not begun a good work in us without the intent of seeing it to completion (Philippians 1:6). When we examine ourselves and compare where we are in our walk of faith today with where we were five or ten years ago, we ought to see noticeable change.

We are to be continually conformed to the likeness of Christ. Will we be perfect? No. The Bible says we are to grow towards sanctification, “because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14). Jesus was perfect and we are transformed into His likeness through functional faith.

Sanctification Signifies Maturation

Sanctification means to grow in righteousness, holiness and obedience. It is a progressive continuum over time that bears fruit and yields results. Evidence of our growth includes an increasing awareness of our own sinfulness and weakness, and a distaste towards that sin and weakness. Sanctification signifies maturation of faith.

Additionally, we embrace our sacrifice of obedience and seek new ways to serve. We don’t see service as burdensome. When we are busy with the King’s business we don’t have time to be preoccupied with sin. When we are focused on Christ we aren’t focused on worldly values. When we walk in the Spirit we don’t follow the desires of the sinful nature (Galatians 5:16).

When our will aligns with the Spirit’s will, we see sin as it truly is from God’s perspective and we want to distance ourselves from it. When we taste the goodness of the Spirit we want more of it. As we draw nearer to God, He draws nearer to us (James 4:8). This is action filled and movement driven faith. It is not simply being hearers of the word, but being doers of the word (James 1:22-25).

In the twelfth chapter of Hebrews, in the first verse, the writer encourages believers to make every effort to be fully engaged in their journey of faith. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Jesus didn’t endure the cross so we could merely begin the race. He endured the cross so we could finish the race. The intent is to run the race with purpose, not to run aimlessly. No one is awarded a prize for simply participating. The goal is to finish the race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

We are advised to endure hardship, and to view hardship as discipline because it produces a harvest of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11). James 3:18 teaches, “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” You don’t plant a garden, neglect it and forfeit its bounty. Without the harvest our sowing is done in vain.

In the parable of the weeds recorded in Matthew 13:24-43, Jesus informs us that when the harvest is ready, the angels will gather the weeds and burn them and the righteous will be gathered into His barn.

It is God who strengthens us to persevere and persist through trials of every kind. Paul instructs, “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” (2 Corinthians 9:10).

The purpose of growing in Christ is to yield a harvest of righteousness. An immature crop will not yield any grain nor can one live on half baked bread. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:13 that Christians will be vulnerable to false teachings, “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

With maturity comes a bountiful harvest.