PFMI Word and Communion Service
Topic: Spiritual Growth
Ministering: Brother Paul Emmanuel
Anchor Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Ephesians 4:11-16 Galatians 4:1-2
Date: Friday, 4th February 2022
Points to Note
- Spiritual growth is developing the nature of God that is in you; allowing your spirit man to dominate your soul and body.
- Certain things of value are withheld from the one who refuses to grow up spiritually.
- As born-again believers in Christ Jesus, we are no longer mere humans. This consciousness helps create in us the desire to grow spiritually.
- The peak of spiritual growth is becoming like Christ; the goal is to come into the fullness of Christ, allowing the nature of God embedded in us to come into being and find full expression.
- It is God’s will for us to grow up spiritually – God gave us the five-fold ministry (Ephesians 4) for our individual growth and the growth of the body of Christ.
- Spiritual growth needs deliberate effort. We should desire this growth even though we might not see it physically.
- Spiritual growth is a continuous life process. There is no zenith, one either builds up capacity or “loses weight”.
- Spiritual growth is the essence of being a believer. There are levels in spirituality hence we should desire to continue growing spiritually.
- Spiritual gifts and manifestations are not a sign of spiritual growth. While the gifts are for the body of Christ, spiritual growth is for your profiting. For example, when the nature of God finds full expression in you, you cannot be sin conscious.
- Your spiritual growth is determined by how much light(understanding) of the word of God you have in you.
- One of the signs of spiritual growth is people seeing Christ in your life. There would be a noticeable change in your life.
- Spiritual growth shapes you such that your character is conformed to the nature of God.
- Hunger for spiritual things is an indicator of spiritual growth. Guarding your spiritual hunger jealously is important as this hunger increases with spiritual growth.
Importance of Spiritual growth
- You become more like Christ.
- It brings about stability in your walk with God.
- Spiritual growth positions you to come into your inheritance in Christ.
- It increases your degree of favour both with God and with men.
- It causes your faith to be strong and effective.
How do you grow spiritually?
- By feeding on the word of God continuously.
- By ‘drinking fire’ i.e. praying in the Holy Ghost for a protracted period.
- By exercising and practising the Word to enjoy the benefits of studying and hearing the Word.
- By resting. Resting means living by faith.
- By intentionally being in the right environment (the presence of God, the congregation of brethren/local assembly, the right company).
- By walking in love.
- By promptly obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit.
When you give yourself intentionally to growing up spiritually, God and His reality will become very tangible to you and you will enjoy all your inheritance in Christ.
It is my desire for us all to continue to make progress, that not one of us will lose their weight or capacity, that there will be no distortion or break in progress, that we will keep getting edified and built up until we come to the fullness of Christ that is in us, in Jesus Name, Amen.
Shalom!