In the second instalment of this 4 part sermon series, Pastor Ephraim Musiba asks members of the Ocean to reflect on whether they are growing as Christians. Has there been any spiritual growth and maturity between our first encounter with Christ and where we are presently? Indeed, when we first encountered Jesus, God met us where we were (sometimes without faith, sometimes living a sin filled life) and provided salvation. Beyond this point however, it is God’s desire that we move forward in our spiritual lives.
Presently, the body of Christ is plagued by spiritual immaturity. This is most evident in followers of Christ saying and doing immature things, acting in immature ways, and making immature decisions. This runs contrary to the purpose of the church as it exists to point people to Jesus and help people grow and mature in Christ.
Jesus’ precise vision is articulated in the book of Ephesians Ch.4 v. 11-16:

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up… From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Jesus’ goal for the body was for it to grow, become healthy, be united and be full of love. Jesus left behind the gifts of prophets, evangelists, apostles, and teachers as faithful executors of this vision. In as much as He left behind these trusted executors, the onus lies with us to take on this mantle and use these avenues to spiritually develop as Christians. The reasons for growing spiritually as Christians are to ensure that:
We will no longer be immature like little children.

Growing spiritually enables us to be wiser in our decision making. These sentiments are also echoed in the 1st Corinthians 13: 11-12:

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

As shown here, the transition to spiritual maturity also entails a mindset shift from that of behaving like a child to behaving like a mature adult. This transition can only be enabled through spiritual maturity. We can age physically but spiritual growth requires intentionality and deliberate action to nurture our spiritual development.

We will no longer be unstable and naïve
Instability is an indication of where someone is in their walk with God. It is impossible for us to stand firm and remain grounded unless we spiritually mature as followers of Christ. The hallmark of an unstable Christian or adult is one that is easily swayed by fine sounding arguments, fads, and have little to no discernment of what’s right and what’s wrong. This instability stems from spiritual immaturity and so too is reflected in their personal lives, relationships and even in their spiritual walk, God wants us to be stable so that we are no longer naïve, gullible, and easily tossed around in every direction. However, we can only stand firm if we grow in the knowledge of God through the word. This too will enable us to guard ourselves against false prophets and teachers.

We will be more and more like Jesus
Our ultimate goal as Christians is to be conformed in the image of Jesus. This requires effort. We need to be in Him in order for us to radiate His presence to all that surround us. We may not be there yet, but we can continuously ask ourselves if we are more like Christ today rather than yesterday. Are you growing to be like Christ in your relationships, marriage, and interactions with the world around you?

We can teach others the truth
As followers of Christ, it is also our obligation to spread and teach others the truth about following Christ. This begins with the people we talk to everyday from our own family members to our colleagues at work and the wider community that we operate in. Parents need to educate and train their children in the ways of the Lord. Nature abhors a vacuum. Any empty space is always filled. Our failure to spread the word and truth is that the enemy will prey on this vacuum and someone else will train our children, colleagues, and members of our community in the ways of the devil.
Given these overwhelming benefits to following Christ, as followers we should take it upon ourselves to spiritually grow. Yet, how do we achieve this?
Achieving spiritual growth
Listen to sound Biblical teaching by going to a good Bible based church that teaches sound Biblical doctrine.

Eating a daily diet of Daily Bible reading from Monday through Saturday. One cannot mature without reading the word.

Prayer, There’s no believer or church without prayer. This entails prayer that asks God to prune and refine you.

Fellowshipping with other believers. This enables us to correct, guide, and rebuke one another in love. When we speak the truth in love, we grow more and more like Christ.

Everyone’s growth is a process. No one is perfect. It is not an overnight thing. God does not give up on us but we also need to be intentional, Our spiritual growth does not happen by happenstance. It is a matter of choice. Do not be content being a spiritual baby. Take the next step in growing.