Aspects of Spiritual Growth

8/17/2019 Aspects of Spiritual Growth

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Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile,hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as

newborn babes, desire the pure milk of theword, that you may grow thereby, if indeed youhave tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter2:1-3)


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ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALASPECTS OF SPIRITUAL

GROWTHGROWTH There are many terms in the NT whichdescribe the Christian.

He is a disciple, a branch, a sheep, a liely

st!ne, a s!ldier and a saint."ach !# these re$ects s!me %&ality !r traitthat sh!&ld characteri'e the Christian.

r!m the standp!int !# the new birth, a

Christian is a child !# !d.

*t +rst, he is a babe in Christ.


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GROWTHGROWTH&t each Christian is epected t! r!w t!spirit&al mat&rity.

The means !# spirit&al r!wth is the w!rd

!# !d. As newborn babes, desire the pure milk

of the word, that you may grow thereby.

(1 Peter 2:2)


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GROWTHGROWTH&t each Christian is epected t! r!w t!spirit&al mat&rity.

The means !# spirit&al r!wth is the w!rd !#

!d.&t there are seeral aspects !# b!th physicaland spirit&al r!wth. There will be:

Chanes

Challenes

Pain

/!y


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THERE WILL BE CHANGESTHERE WILL BE CHANGES

0&r children chane daily, th!&hrad&ally, riht be#!re !&r eyes.

Their physical appearance chanes.

Their eatin habits chane. Their m!!ds chane.

Their abilities chane.

0&r hearts are t!&ched by children wh!ser!wth is st&nted, #!r this is n!t nat&ral.

e epect !&r children t! r!w and wereali'e that this in!les chane.


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CHANGES IN A CHILD OF

GOD* chane in relati!nship #r!m serant !#sin t! serant !# rihte!&sness


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But God be thanked that though you wereslaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart

that form of doctrine to which you weredelivered. And having been set free fromsin, you became slaves of righteousness.(6!m. 7:18-19)


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* chane in 5n!wlede and &nderstandin


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For though by this time you ought to beteachers, you need someone to teach youagain the rst principles of the oracles ofGod! and you have come to need milk and

not solid food. For everyone who partakesonly of milk is unskilled in the word ofrighteousness, for he is a babe. But solidfood belongs to those who are of full age,that is, those who by reason of use havetheir senses e"ercised to discern both goodand evil. (Heb. :12-1;)


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* chane in #aith and l!e


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#e are bound to thank God always for you,brethren, as it is tting, because your faith

grows e"ceedingly, and the love of everyone of you all abounds toward each other.

(2 Thess. 1:3)


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* chane in attit&des


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But the fruit of the $pirit is love, %oy, peace,longsu&ering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self'control. Against such there is nolaw. And those who are (hrist)s have cruciedthe *esh with its passions and desires. +f we livein the $pirit, let us also walk in the $pirit. Let us

not become conceited, provoking one another,envying one another. (al. :22-27)

+, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you

were called, with all lowliness and gentleness,with longsu&ering, bearing with one another inlove, endeavoring to keep the unity of the $piritin the bond of peace. ("ph. ;:1-3)

Therefore if there is any consolation in

(hrist, if any comfort of love, if anyfellowship of the $pirit, if any a&ection andmercy, fulll my %oy by being likeminded,having the same love, being of one accord,of one mind. Let nothing be done throughselsh ambition or conceit, but in lowlinessof mind let each esteem others better than

himself. Let each of you look out not only forhis own interests, but also for the interestsof others. (Phil. 2:1-;)


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* chane in attit&des

* chane in acti!ns


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That you put o&, concerning your formerconduct, the old man which grows corruptaccording to the deceitful lusts, and berenewed in the spirit of your mind, and that

you put on the new man which was createdaccording to God, in true righteousness and

holiness. ("ph. ;:22-2;)

Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of youspeak truth with his neighbor,- for we are members

of one another. Be angry, and do not sin- do notlet the sun go down on your wrath, nor give placeto the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, butrather let him labor, working with his hands what isgood, that he may have something to give him who

has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of yourmouth, but what is good for necessary edication,that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do notgrieve the /oly $pirit of God, by whom you weresealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness,wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put awayfrom you, with all malice. And be kind to oneanother, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, %ustas God in (hrist forgave you. ("ph. ;:2-32)


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THERE WILL BETHERE WILL BE

CHALLENGESCHALLENGESChildren #ace many challenes at ari!&sstaes !# li#e as they r!w t! physicalmat&rity.

!&r- and +e-year-!lds, preteens andteenaers all hae their pec&liarchallenes.

&t, in spite !# these challenes, we still

enc!&rae physical r!wth.

e simply try t! help them rise t! thechallenes we 5n!w they will #ace.


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CHALLENGESCHALLENGESpirit&al r!wth als! in!les challenes.

The +e-talent man (


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For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelingto a far country, who called his own servants anddelivered his goods to them. And to one he gaveve talents, to another two, and to another one, toeach according to his own ability! and immediatelyhe went on a %ourney. Then he who had receivedthe ve talents went and traded with them, and

made another ve talents. And likewise he who hadreceived two gained two more also. But he who hadreceived one went and dug in the ground, and hidhis lord)s money. After a long time the lord of those

servants came and settled accounts with them. $ohe who had received ve talents came and broughtve other talents, saying, )Lord, you delivered tome ve talents! look, + have gained ve moretalents


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besides them.) /is lord said to him, )#ell done,good and faithful servant! you were faithful over afew things, + will make you ruler over many things.0nter into the %oy of your lord.) /e also who hadreceived two talents came and said, )Lord, youdelivered to me two talents! look, + have gained twomore talents besides them.) /is lord said to him,

)#ell done, good and faithful servant! you havebeen faithful over a few things, + will make you rulerover many things. 0nter into the %oy of your lord.)Then he who had received the one talent came

and said, )Lord, + knew you to be a hard man,reaping where you have not sown, and gatheringwhere you have not scattered seed. And + wasafraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.)


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)Look, there you have what is yours.) But hislord answered and said to him, )1ou wicked and

la2y servant, you knew that + reap where + havenot sown, and gather where + have not scatteredseed. $o you ought to have deposited my moneywith the bankers, and at my coming + wouldhave received back my own with interest.Therefore take the talent from him, and give it tohim who has ten talents. For to everyone whohas, more will be given, and he will haveabundance! but from him who does not have,even what he has will be taken away. And castthe unprotable servant into the outer darkness.There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.)-(


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CHALLENGESCHALLENGESpirit&al r!wth als! in!les challenes.

The +e-talent man ( itmeans the challenes et bier.

The m!re we 5n!w and &nderstand ab!&tHis w!rd, the m!re !d epects !# &s inret&rn.


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(ome now, you who say, Today or tomorrow

we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a prot-!whereas you do not know what will happentomorrow. For what is your life3 +t is even a

vapor that appears for a little time and thenvanishes away. +nstead you ought to say, +fthe Lord wills, we shall live and do this orthat.- But now you boast in your arrogance.

All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to himwho knows to do good and does not do it, tohim it is sin. (/ames ;:18)


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hat child has n!t eperienced pain whiler!win &p?

* baby tries t! wal5 b&t #alls d!wn and s5ins

his 5nees. @!es the parent say, AB d!n4t wantmy baby4s 5nees s5inned, s! B4m n!t !in t!teach him t! wal5? 0# c!&rse n!tD

Children et their share !# b&mps and

br&ises while learnin t! swin, r!ller s5ate,ride a bicycle, etc., b&t it4s all part !# r!win&pD

THERE WILL BE PAINTHERE WILL BE PAIN


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pirit&al r!wth als! in!les a certainam!&nt !# pain.

e m&st eercise !&r spirit&al senses.

But solid food belongs to those who areof full age, that is, those who by reasonof use have their senses e"ercised todiscern both good and evil. (Heb. :12-1;)



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pirit&al eercise E!dlinessF isprotable for all things, having promiseof the life that now is and of that which isto come.- (1 Tim. ;:9)

pirit&al eercise is stren&!&s.



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4o you not know that those who run in a

race all run, but one receives the pri2e3 5unin such a way that you may obtain it. Andeveryone who competes for the pri2e istemperate in all things. 6ow they do it to

obtain a perishable crown, but we for animperishable crown. Therefore + run thusnot with uncertainty. Thus + ght not as onewho beats the air. But + discipline my body

and bring it into sub%ection, lest, when + have preached to others, + myself should becomedis7ualied. (1 C!r. G:2;-28)


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(Heb. :1;)pirit&al eercise E!dlinessF is protablefor all things, having promise of the life thatnow is and of that which is to come.- (1 Tim.

;:9)pirit&al eercise is stren&!&s.

Christians are !#ten called &p!n t! ma5edic&lt, pain#&l decisi!ns.



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4o not think that + came to bring peace on

earth. + did not come to bring peace but asword. For + have come to )set a man againsthis father, a daughter against her mother,and a daughter'in'law against her mother'in'law)! and )a man)s enemies will be those ofhis own household.) /e who loves father ormother more than 8e is not worthy of 8e.

And he who loves son or daughter morethan 8e is not worthy of 8e.-

(


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Then 9eter began to say to /im, $ee, we

have left all and followed 1ou.- $o :esusanswered and said, Assuredly, + say to you,there is no one who has left house orbrothers or sisters or father or mother or

wife or children or lands, for 8y sake andthe gospel)s, who shall not receive ahundredfold now in this time''houses andbrothers and sisters and mothers and

children and lands, with persecutions''and inthe age to come, eternal life.- (


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pirit&al r!wth als! in!les a certain am!&nt!# pain.

e m&st eercise !&r spirit&al senses. (Heb.:1;)

pirit&al eercise E!dlinessF is protable forall things, having promise of the life that now isand of that which is to come.- (1 Tim. ;:9)

pirit&al eercise is stren&!&s.Christians are !#ten called &p!n t! ma5edic&lt, pain#&l decisi!ns.

!me!ne has said, AN! pain, n! ain.



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There will be I!y in a parent wh!se childrenhae r!wn &p and bec!me s&ccess#&l in li#e.

Bt is ecitin t! see them learn new

thins and deel!p new s5ills.Children als! eperience I!y as they r!win 5n!wlede, &nderstandin and ability.

Ji5ewise, spirit&al r!wth is I!y!&sD

C!nsider the w!rds !# /!hn the ap!stle.

+ have no greater %oy than to hear thatmy children walk in truth. (3 /!hn ;)

THERE WILL BE JOY THERE WILL BE JOY


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Bt is ecitin t! see them learn new thins

and deel!p new s5ills.Children als! eperience I!y as they r!win 5n!wlede, &nderstandin and ability.



e are t! be I!y#&l in !&r !wn r!wth.



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For this reason we also, since the day we

heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and toask that you may be lled with theknowledge of /is will in all wisdom andspiritual understanding! that you may have

a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing/im, being fruitful in every good work andincreasing in the knowledge of God!

strengthened with all might, according to /isglorious power, for all patience and

longsu&ering with %oy. (C!l. 1:G-11)


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Bt is ecitin t! see them learn new thins

and deel!p new s5ills.Children als! eperience I!y as they r!w in5n!wlede, &nderstandin and ability.



e are t! be I!y#&l in !&r !wn r!wth.

e are een t! be I!y#&l in trib&lati!n.



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There is !nly !ne alternatie t! spirit&al

r!wth.

Jet &s grow in the grace and knowledgeof our Lord :esus (hrist.- (2 Peter 3:19)

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Aspects of Spiritual Growth