Somewhere… Sometime I ran across the following. I would attribute it but have no idea who developed this so I can’t give them credit.
10 Things Every Believer Must Do to Grow Spiritually
*Choose to receive Christ as Savior and Lord of Our Lives
*Pray
*Read God’s Word
*Worship and Praise Him
*Fellowship with Other Believers
*Serve Others
*Be Ruthless with Sin
*Walk in the Spirit
Good list – yes? And, I suspect, a list of what we would want to create if asked. Seriously, can you think of anything that you would add, subtract? BUT, is this what we all engage in……. daily? And if not, why not – especially if we espouse growing… and especially growing plus agree that this list as fairly complete?
Have you ever taken the time and sat down with you and looked at who you’ve become since you were saved? Have you looked at yourself and asked the Lord what the next steps for you were? Do you see how you’ve grown in applying your learnings about the things of the Lord? And… Consider what Paul charged Timothy with:
“If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” [2 Timothy 2: 12-15]
The writer of Hebrews speaks on the same theme but a different emphasis:
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” [5: 12-14]
If you need other verses on the importance of you growing spiritually, I can provide it, but I think the point is made. And looking at the above 10 things every believer ‘must] do… is that asking too much? Granted – a rhetorical question. But is any of it beyond what you can do?
To me, the last point is the most important (after salvation) – walk in the Spirit. It is His ministry that is in the world today. Remember Jesus’ words about who He is and what He does? [John 14: 16. Acts 1:8] And yet I would suggest that He is the least known of the Triune God. Quite honestly I don’t know how anyone can live a full, fruitful,, abundant life apart from the Holy Spirit. And He’s here to help us and guide us into all truth which is a sur foundation.
My last argument, at this moment, is a scripture that comforts but is the impetus in the day:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” [Ephesians 1: 3-6]
Blessed WITH EVERY SPIRITIUAL BLESSING. Goodness, don’t you want to know what this means for you? Studying, growing is the path to understanding.
