Today, the Lord led me to read some pages of the book "Growing by Faith" by Jerry Bridges. The word "growth" cut me deep inside and it makes my mind open to a level of truth. Let me share with you some words from the book that impact my heart.
As growth is a normal expression of life, growth is also a normal expression of the Christian life. When something or someone doesn't grow, we know something is wrong. The New Testament writers assume growth and constantly urge us to pursue it. Peter urges us to "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" [2 Peter 3:18]. Paul instructs us that by "speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ" [Ephesians 4:15].
Christians should never stop growing spiritually. There is no such thing as an 'adult christian' who no longer needs to grow. Growth is not normal for new believers but also for those who have walked with God fifty years or more. When a believer doesn't grow, something is wrong!
As physical growth is not magic and it doesn't just happen, spiritual growth is also a process. It doesn't even happen by spiritual osmosis, that is, by just being around other believers and unconsciously assimilating their spirituality. Spiritual growth occurs as a result of intentional and appropriate effort. Intentional means a diligent pursuit of a clear goal. Appropriate indicates that we must use the God-given ways of growth given to us in the Bible. We usually refer to these ways of growth as 'spiritual disciplines.'
However, nowadays we can observe that their are many hindrances to our spiritual growth. The book mentions that the first hindrance in our spiritual growth is a defect in our belief in the freeness of divine grace. Since grace is a foundational factor in our Christian growth, it's important that we have a correct understanding of it. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misunderstanding about the nature of grace.
Jerry Bridges, mentioned that perhaps the most common misconception of grace is captured in a statement he once read: Grace is the idea that we are loved and accepted by God just as we are and that God's approval does not have to be earned; it is simply there. Here, God seems to be pictured as the proverbial, indulgent, divine grandfather in the sky who smiles down upon us regardless of our behavior and character. This seems to be typical of the average person's understanding of God's grace.
By contrast, however, the Bible teaches us that the grace of God "teaches us to say "NO" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives" [Titus 2:12]. God does love us and accepts us as sinners "just as we are". But He does not leave us that way. Rather, by the same grace through which He saves us, He sets about to change everyone who experiences that grace.
The statement that 'God's approval does not have to be earned but is simply there' is not true. God's approval does not have to be earned. But the gospel tells us that His approval was earned for us by Jesus Christ in His sinless life and sin-bearing death. It is true that God's favor does not have to be earned by us. In fact, it cannot be earned by us. But it comes to us without earning because Jesus paid for it in our place as our substitute.
We must grasp the truth about grace that has been given to us through the death of Jesus Christ in the cross because as Jerry wrote if we do not grasp this truth, the spiritual disciplines that are intended to help you grow will become burdensome duties you think you must practice in order to maintain God's favor.
Hence, fellow Christians let us judge ourselves:
(1) if we see the spiritual disciplines as burdensome duties and
(2) if we are growing spiritually
If the your answer to (1) is YES & (2) NO, then something is wrong! Pray, ask for guidance to identify it and make a decision before it's too late.
