What is spiritual development?
Answered from the commentary of Hamilton Smith, Truth & Testimony, F. B. Hole and 8 others
Spiritual development is the growth of the divine life in the believer: increasing in the knowledge of God and of Christ, and becoming more like Christ in character and conduct. It is growth in what we are, as faith develops into courage, knowledge, patience, godliness, kindness and love; it is not merely an increase in what we know.
This growth comes as the Holy Spirit uses the Word to nourish us and occupy our hearts with Christ, in dependence and communion with Him. As Christ becomes the heart’s object, His character is formed in us and shown in our lives. The growth is gradual, with stages from babes to maturity, and is expected of every believer. Its fruit includes stronger faith, love for others, discernment, and a life that reflects Christ.
Trials can serve this growth by teaching patience, dependence and a deeper knowledge of God, though trial itself does not confer grace. Growth is hindered by worldliness, self-will, evil left unjudged, and attachment to human wisdom or religious forms; where growth gives way, backsliding follows.
Verses: 2 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 4:13, Ephesians 4:14, Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:16, Colossians 1:9, Colossians 1:10, Colossians 1:11, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Timothy 4:7, 1 Timothy 4:8, Philippians 1:9, Philippians 1:10, Philippians 1:11, Hebrews 5:12, Hebrews 5:13, Hebrews 5:14, Galatians 5:22, Galatians 5:23, 1 Peter 2:2, Ephesians 4:22, Ephesians 4:23, Ephesians 4:24
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
We thus see that while our standing before God is perfect and unchangeable and independent of everything connected with ourselves, our enjoyment of the blessing connected with it is most intimately connected with our walking in the Spirit. It is only as the truth is made good in our hearts by the Spirit that we are practically fashioned and governed by it. And thus there is progress in the work by which Christ is formed in us, and in our growing up to Him in all things, until in the end each one is presented perfect in Christ. (Col. 1:28.) There is no progress as to the standing itself, but there is progress in the apprehension and realization of it by faith, and in practical conformity to it.
So why, then, do others say progressive s anctification is Scriptural? Well, because they mean an entirely different thing. They speak about the fact that a Christian (hence a person sanctified once for all and having no reason whatsoever to engage in introspective analysis and doubts on the matter) should grow spiritually. As he does, his affection for Christ will increase, he will ‘follow … holiness’ (Heb. 12:14) and live in an increasing realisation that he is set apart for Christ.
In our previous lesson we observed that a Christian is one who has been born again and received a new nature, a divine and holy nature from God. This is the "new man" spoken of in Colossians 3:10 which the Christian has put on. This new nature must be fed and developed if the Christian is to grow and become strong. The apostle Peter exhorts us as to this growth and development. He tells us that we should "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Again he says, "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18).
Growth therefore is altogether a question of what we are. — The very epistle that exhorts us to "grow in grace" opens with a fine statement of what it really is. It runs thus: — "Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity" (or love) (2 Peter 1:5-7).
He views believers as forming the family of God, and he uses the relationships of the ordinary life — fathers, young men and babes — to set forth different stages of spiritual growth in the apprehension of the truth and in Christian experience. He does not use these terms to set forth stages in the natural life, but, rather, distinctions in spiritual growth. A person converted at an advanced age would be spiritually but a babe, whereas a believer comparatively young in years might, by spiritual progress, become a father. The Apostle sets forth, moreover, the special snares to which believers are exposed at different stages of growth.
In writing to each class the Apostle uses the words “because you have”, showing there was a point of sympathy between himself and each class. It was practically saying, I write to you because you are enjoying what I am enjoying. The three stages cover the whole ground of practical Christianity. The one possessing all these characteristics would be a fully developed Christian.
Before we look at the details, it might be as well to say that, as in physical development, normal spiritual progress is steady and gradual. It does not happen in fits and starts. Being continuous and gradual, it perhaps cannot be seen from one day to the next, but rather in the medium to longer term. However, for the sake of emphasis, and to recognise necessary features of spiritual progress, the Apostle John was led by the Holy Spirit to highlight three recognisable stages of progressive development, that is, "babes", "young men" and "fathers".
Even if every believer on the Lord Jesus possesses eternal life, there are stages of growth with regard to the enjoyment of eternal life and the degree to which we - our actions and attitudes - are characterised by it. In analogy with natural life, the apostle John refers to different groups within the family of God as 'little children;'2 'young men', and 'fathers' (1 John 2:13,14). All children of God have the new nature all possess eternal life, and yet there are stages of growth. Exactly as in the case of natural life, it would be highly regrettable, if there were no growth in the spiritual lives of those who have received eternal life.
This process of spiritual growth finally reaches its height in that Christ Himself is seen in the believer. Living by the Spirit conforms us to the image of God's Son (Romans 8:14, 29). This is shown in type by the last two sons of Jacob, Joseph and Benjamin, beautiful types of the Lord Jesus. Christ Himself is the climax of our blessing, the crown of our happiness. In Joseph we see Him both in His rejection and in His exaltation, and our lives should be in agreement with this. On the one hand Christ in His utter humiliation is our model (Philippians 2); on the other hand Christ in His heavenly glory is the goal of all our ambitions (Philippians 3). If He is formed in us in this way, our life will be more and more under the Lordship of the Man at God's right hand, who allows us to partake in the results of His victory (Benjamin divides the spoil). Thus we reach spiritual maturity, which is so often mentioned in the New Testament, and the image of Christ is clearly seen in us (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Galatians 4:19; Ephesians 4:12-16; Colossians 1:28).
Ministry promotes growth with full maturity in view that we may not remain spiritual infants and thereby threatened by prevailing influences in the world, or tossed around by every wind of doctrine, shifting from one direction to another. There are plenty of people ready to do Satan's deceptive work -- scheming, manipulating, rationalizing, always on the watch to entrap others and undermine any honest faith in the living God. But God has made provision to preserve us from this, in the positive instructions of verse 15, "holding the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head -- Christ." Such growth requires firm decision to hold securely the truth God has given us both in mind and in practice, although not in a harsh, legal way but in genuine love. The growth is "into Him" or "unto Him" who is our Head, and involves a growing conformity to His character.
Verses
- 2 Peter 3:18but grow in grace, and in [the] knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and to [the] day of eternity. Amen.
- Ephesians 4:13–1613until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, at [the] full-grown man, at [the] measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ; 14in order that we may be no longer babes, tossed and carried about by every wind of that teaching [which is] in the sleight of men, in unprincipled cunning with a view to systematized error; 15but, holding the truth in love, we may grow up to him in all things, who is the head, the Christ 16from whom the whole body, fitted together, and connected by every joint of supply, according to [the] working in [its] measure of each one part, works for itself the increase of the body to its self-building up in love.
- Colossians 1:9–119For this reason we also, from the day we heard [of your faith and love], do not cease praying and asking for you, to the end that ye may be filled with the full knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10[so as] to walk worthily of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing by the true knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all power according to the might of his glory unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy;