We are commanded, equipped, and most importantly of all, we are promised to grow. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3). “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8:29).

Every person who turns to Christ is a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). We are born again (1 Pet 1:3) and brought from death to life (John 5:24). As we welcomed our sixth newborn into the house a few months ago, one of the questions we asked early on was, “Is he growing?” It’s important. There is a term for the baby that doesn’t grow: failure to thrive. Our son has grown fat and happy, but if we noticed he had a failure to thrive, then we would have done anything we could to help this child grow. As spiritual newborns, we have a need for growth too. Our culture is plagued with this spiritual failure to thrive. I want to give a quick word about Christian growth.

Commanded to Grow

Did you know we are actually commanded to grow? “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18). God’s design is that we are born again, and then we grow. We are called by God to strive to grow in our understanding of who He is and what He’s done. Spiritual stagnation is not the goal, but rather, “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph 4:15). 

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