At the end of this chapter, each member should
understand:
- The importance of
spiritual growth to the Christian, and have knowledge of the indicators of spiritual
growth.
- What grace is, and what
it means to grow in grace.
"Ye
therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also,
being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen" 2
Peter 3:17-18
Every
Christian must work on growing; your spiritual growth as a Christian cannot be
overemphasized. It’s important to be conscious that you are growing and making
progress in your spiritual life. Growth is neither an accident nor a miracle,
but it is attained through the application of revealed principles and means.
There
are indicators to show you are growing in your Christian life. In your physical
body, for example, you may not see actual growth take place, but you do see the
results – for example, the size of shoes and clothes you wear change overtime; these
are indicators of your physical growth. In the same way also, in the spirit
there are indicators to show that you are growing.
Indicators of spiritual
growth
Below
are some indicators that reveal spiritual growth:
- Are you more excited about the Word today than you used
to be?
- Are you happy to be associated with your brethren?
- Are you demonstrating more love towards the brethren?
Demonstrated love is one of the ways to know if you are growing, stagnant, or
moving backwards.
- Do you find fewer faults and mistakes with the
brethren?
- Do you see the brethren as being more perfect?
It
is vital to use the indicators of God's Word to guide yourself, because the
more you grow, the less of the faults, mistakes and imperfections you’ll find
in others. You’ll notice that you are full of love for the brethren and that
all their wrongs are somewhat non-existent to you. The Bible says, “We know that we have passed from death unto
