To get ahold of what the Bible is saying about Christian growth both in what we do in actions but what also goes on in our heart and our spirit, we look at the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10). In this parable, it is clear that we are dealing with a physical situation of an injured man. But Jesus takes a statement from the Old Testament about loving your neighbor as yourself and transforms it from the physical to the spiritual because of the way he applies the understanding of who is your neighbor. The Samaritan saw an injured man and acted while two other two people saw the same injured man and simply continued walking by. The Samaritan saw the needs of that person and responded to that person’s needs. He saw the physical needs and he took action to meet the physical need. He did so because he saw himself as the neighbor and therefore was able to act as a neighbor to the injured person. From this inner perspective he was able to see another person as his neighbor. Jesus uses “who is my neighbor” to highlight the spiritual nature of action while also very clearly including the physical needs of people. The good Samaritan then saw the physical body spiritually.
Thus, the spiritual is not separate from the physical and is actually in many ways more important. The physical often does not see correctly without the spiritual. For the man who can see the neighbor because he sees the neighbor spiritually will act in love coming for and from God. The physical never sees the spiritual correctly but the spiritual sees the physical correctly. Otherwise, the Good Samaritan would see only the physical and would have probably continued on his way without helping. But because he saw the person as his neighbor, even though clearly the person was not his physical neighbor, he acted as a neighbor to save the person’s life.
The average person approaches life from a materialistic perspective, but for the Christian, as it was true for the Good Samaritan, we see life from a God given understanding. We, therefore, are fully aware that God is active in this material world and He desires that we see ourselves from His advantage point–from a spiritual perspective of seeing God active in the world and in our life. Understanding the characteristics, qualities, attitudes, and actions resulting from Christian growth we must start with understanding our spiritual relationship with God for our growth, which must come from God. (see Romans chapters 7 and 8)
The Bible projects and presents a picture of a God invested in world, God focus world which is different from the physical. Since God is involved in the physical world it is important but less important than the spiritual world. Humanity is intended to move from the physical world to the spiritual world, which means being fully aware of the needs and the God created wonders of the physical world while living in His presence. As we allow Christ in us, we are transformed (Romans 12:1) and liberated to live a new life now we will also be freed from death in this physical world. As Paul writes in I Corinthians 15, we will be given a liberated spiritual body as we live eternally–this is of critical importance for our growth as a Christian–that is, Christ lives in us (John 17: 25-26; Romans 6: 1-14.
While humanity is to live in the physical world, we also should allow the spiritual world to govern our view of the physical world. That is, humanity takes the physical world and uses it for spiritual ends while the spiritual world gives to the physical world real value and worth since the spiritual world relates to the physical world with the love and eternity of God and seeks to used the material world for the good of all people – – that all people can enjoy God’s spiritual world, to be saved now and in eternity. (Ephesians 1)
Note: Please do not confuse spiritual or spirit with mysticism and spiritualism. We as Christ followers are not seeking “spiritual” experiences or illusionary visions. Rather as we follow in the steps of Jesus(1 Peter 2: 21), and since he is in us (Galatians 2:20), we have confidence and joy as we live daily. The good news is for us to give to other people as we live daily–not an occasion self induced high nor some self absorption into a divine being where we are taken over by the divine and we have lost all of our control. Rather, the spiritual life we live is an objective reality that we know Christ is with us and we are with him.
Taking this understanding of the spiritual, we can see how much this affects and aids our growth in Christ–our growth comes out of an interplay between the physical and the spiritual with Christ leading the way. Here are some passages that point us toward personal change and growth: Note that each points out a specific way to become more like our Savior
Luke 9: 18-36: In two pivotal events (the confession and the transfiguration) Jesus reveals to his disciples who he is, and in these events it is made clear they ate to listen and learn from him and to obey and by so doing their lives will be changed. In short, changes come about by following Jesus as we place our faith and trust in him. Thereby, he becomes our model and we seek to bring our living closer and closer to how Jesus lived his life. He is our source and the reason for our obedience as we seek to obey God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Mark 12: 29-31).
We live as followers because of Jesus loved us so much as to died for us so as to bring us back to the Father: our sins have been removed by the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter: 17-21). John 3:16 most famously and beautifully states that God so loved the world that he gave his son so that we may have eternal life. Paul speaks of this as being justified by grace as Jesus atoned for our sins (Romans 3: 21-26) and as being justify, made right, by his blood. Because of this sacrificial love of both the Son and the Father, we are inspired to become like Him and to walk in his steps (1 Peter 2:21),
I Peter 1: 2-9 encourages us to go forward because we have the hope of the resurrection to eternal life with God–the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (also I Corinthians Chapter 15). With this hope of eternal life we will move us forward even if we face trials (verses 3-9).
Then, Peter brings out a very forcible motivation as he brings to our minds that we have been saved by a holy God who calls on us to be holy because he is holy (13-16 of chapter one). Us being holy is described by the word sanctification-a difficult word with a wonderous thought as we are being made holy, which is having our sins taken away as we live following Christ (see I Corinthians 1: 30, Romans 6: 19I, Thessalonians 4:3).
As we grow in Christ, our Father gives us a new status, a new identity. All of humanity is created in His image and likeness (Genesis 1: 26-27), and as followers of Jesus, we are called his children: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be children of God! And that is what we are.”( I John 3: 1) There are other words that describe our new condition such as disciples, and saints, all which encourage seeing ourselves differently and thereby promoting our change–because how can we going on living in the old ways when we have been made new people, a new self (Collisions 3: 1-15).
Matthew 28: 16-20 Jesus gives us the great commission, obviously a great vision that means a refocusing of a follower’s life. This great change comes with Jesus promised presence. John and Luke also give us the assurance of Jesus presence as we become more like him as we carry the mission. The New Testament has a number of visions for our new life–look for them and and rejoice in God’s vision for you.
Galatians 5: 16-26: this passages focuses on the Spirit overcoming the sinful nature–the sinful nature acts in evil ways while the Spirit gives us such wonderful qualities as joy and kindness all capped by love. In verse 25, he say “since we live by the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Clearly, we do not produce these qualities ourselves but rather we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.
Ephesians 1: 15-23 describes how we allow the Spirit to affect us as we look toward Christ and His example in living. In fact, we cannot grow into walking as Jesus walked by our human efforts but by God’s Spirit working in us. In these verses Paul says that he often prayers for them so that they may receive from the Father the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they may better be like Jesus. Then he write the marvelous statement the power that raise Christ from the dead is like the power that we now have-1:18-20.
Philippians 1: 3-9 describes Paul’s longings for the believers that God will carry on the good work that God had stated in them to completion, to the day of Jesus Christ. He further prays that they will be filled with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ.
John 15: 1-17: In a very rich passage about Christ’s work in us for us to grow and to do good, the apostle John quotes Jesus that whoever “remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.” He also promises to us that if we “remain in him… whatever we wish, it will be given to us”: if we ask for growth in love and concern for others and if we seek greater love of others and joy in our life, he will give it to us (15: 9-17).
In a very real way, our growth comes together when we take action in two ways, ways that are fundamental for change :reading and studying the Bible and prayer to our Father through the Son and by the power of the Holy Spirit. (see II Timothy 3: 10-17 on reading and Philippians 4: 4-9 on praying. Look for the many passages on hearing and listening to what God is saying and also for the great ideas on praying and for actual prayers in the New Testament.)
God is for us, so whom can win against us. He wants to load riches on us, and though there is a real cost in change, we will rejoice in how our heart and spirit and our actions have changed.
Discover Yourself as You Discover God 