Growth is a lifelong journey
Do you know what happens when a baby is born in a hospital? Not surprisingly, there are a lot of things.
Right after my four children were born the doctor quickly handed them off to a nurse who whisked them away to make sure everything was OK. Procedures and processes are in place, all within the first five minutes of birth, to do everything possible to make sure the baby is on the right track – so that he or she can grow and develop into a mature and healthy adult.
Now, what happens when someone is born the second time? Jesus told us that the change that happens in someone when they become a follower of Jesus Christ is so profound that it’s like being born a second time.
When someone is born, we go to great lengths to make sure they are put on the pathway of health and development. They’re supposed to sleep in a certain position, they’re supposed to be fed certain things and at certain times and they’re protected from things that could harm them. But most of the time when someone is “born again” we simply shake their hand, maybe hand them a book or card and push them out into the world.
As a result, we see in our churches, homes and workplaces people who have been converted but never disciplined. They’ve been born but they’ve never grown. They’ve been made new but never made mature. It doesn’t matter how old they are. Spiritual infancy abounds regardless of whether a person came into the faith one minute ago, one year ago or 80 years ago.
2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
In this passage Paul says that “we all…”. In other words, spiritual growth is not for just a few but it’s for every Christian. No one is born again miraculously spiritually mature. We all need to grow.
Added to that, this growth is a lifelong journey. We must never believe that we have reached some mythical pinnacle and we can stop growing. The apostle Paul, near the end of his life wrote, “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it…” (Philippians 3:12).
Secondly, it’s clear from the passage that we’re being transformed “into the same image”. And what image is that? It’s the image of Jesus. This is our spiritual goal, our intended destination. It’s not happiness. It’s not success. It’s to become more like Christ. Spiritual maturity is bringing our thoughts, feelings, actions and attitudes in line what that of Jesus.
Finally, all of this is empowered by the Holy Spirit. It would be foolish to attempt to become more like Christ without the power of the Holy Spirit. Transformation is a supernatural activity; one that no human is capable of.
It’s encouraging, then, that this progression into the image of Christ is “from the Lord who is the Spirit.” Our spiritual maturity is not just a matter of hard work and effort. I’m not sure about you but I find that very comforting. It’s not all up to me. It’s a partnership. It’s through the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Are you growing? If not, you’re either not trying or you’re trying on your own.
Rev. John Evans is pastor of Community Baptist Church, Charlottetown. A guest sermon runs regularly in Saturday’s Guardian and is provided through Christian Communications.