The Bible teaches that when someone repents of sin and believes in the gospel, the Holy Spirit guides them into all truth and promotes spiritual growth. Once people believe in this good news, the Spirit of God dwells within them and empowers them. Out of this union flows dynamic spiritual growth. Packer once said, “The good news of Jesus is information that issues an invitation to trust and believe for all of life.” 7 Throughout the New Testament, the Apostle Paul regularly describes the life of a Christian as “in Christ” to emphasize the union a believer enjoys with Jesus. Spiritual growth finds its genesis and continuation in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But in reality, the gospel is not only important for beginning one’s spiritual journey, but throughout all of the Christian life. Greear is correct when he writes, “The gospel has functioned primarily as the entry rite into Christianity it is the prayer we pray to begin our relationship with Jesus Christ the diving board off of which we jump into the pool of Christianity.” 6 According to the Bible, true spiritual growth flows from a relationship with Jesus Christ. When we believe and rely on Jesus’ work and record (rather than ours) for our relationship to God, that kingdom power comes upon us and begins to work through us.” 5įor many Christians, J. 3Īuthor and theologian Graeme Goldsworthy summarized biblical teachings of the gospel as “the word about Jesus Christ and what he did for us in order to restore us to a right relationship with God.” 4 Similarly, Tim Keller remarked that “the ‘gospel’ is the good news that through Christ the power of God’s kingdom has entered history to renew the whole world.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. 2 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. The gospel is clearly laid out in 1 Corinthians 15:1–5. This is how people participate in the good news-or gospel-of Jesus Christ. When individuals come to faith in Jesus Christ, they recognize their sinfulness, repent of their sins, and trust in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. As with any structure, the foundation is not only the starting point but also the primary support of the structure itself. The writers of the Bible make it clear that the gospel is the foundation for spiritual growth. If one wants to understand spiritual growth from a Christian perspective, then the Bible must be consulted as the primary witness to Jesus’ life and teachings. Christianity as a whole is centered on a relationship with him. In fact, it’s not so much a path as a person: Jesus Christ. The Bible outlines a unique path for spiritual growth. We’ll take a look at the role of the Holy Spirit, prayerful Bible reading, and church community. While there are many different spiritual “paths,” the purpose of this paper is to look at what the Christian Bible has to say about spiritual growth. Generally speaking, most of these methods are aimed at achieving self-knowledge, fulfillment, and control over the troubles of everyday life. Leading voices in contemporary mainstream spirituality promote methods for obtaining spiritual growth through higher consciousness, self-improvement, and study or ritual. If one explores the history of religion, it is easy to find examples of different paths designed for growing spiritually. Consequently, a holistic understanding of humanity should include spirituality, not just our physical and intellectual makeup. While talk on the subject of spirituality has certainly increased in recent years, history records a variety of spiritual journeys and religious activities stretching over many millennia. Humans are innately spiritual, and our unique awareness of spirituality is something that marks humanity as distinct. Active, expressible spirituality is one characteristic that sets humanity apart from the rest of living beings.
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