Mens's Studies
Taking Charge of Your Spiritual Health Part II
11/06/09 16:25
Take charge by making an action plan to grow more:
Some aspects of spiritual growth are the same as physical growth. Spiritual growth requires food, exercise, and time -- just like human physical growth. God's Word is spiritual food, and acting on God's Word exercises the human spirit.
The human spirit is the part of us that is born again. What is born of the Spirit of God is the human spirit -- which is the real you.
How Can We Grow Spiritually?
Acts 20:32 ". . . the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Spiritual food and spiritual exercise cause spiritual growth. God's Word is our spiritual food. We can feed ourselves, or let others feed us God's Word by listening to teaching and preaching.
Ephesians 4:11-15 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children. . . 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ” This indicates others in the Body of Christ will nourish us. God intends for us to receive from others. We will never grow as God planned unless we are teachable and receive instruction from others.
John 3:6-7 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 ". . .`You must be born again.' You are a spirit-being, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). You live in a body, and you have a mind (soul). And you can develop in each area -- spirit, soul, and body.
1st Thessalonians 5:23 “. . . may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord. . . .”
Milk
1st Peter 2:2 “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” Peter wrote down the above scripture. Two other New Testament verses, written down by others, refer to milk and growth. Peter is saying something more than that just babies eat milk. He is saying we grow by what we get from the Word of God. The "milk" of the Word, what the Word provides as we feed on it, causes spiritual growth. To get "milk" from the Word often requires more than just reading the Bible. To really digest the Word, you need to meditate on that Word. Then your spirit will be strengthened.
Exercise
Acting in obedience to God's Word exercises your spirit. Whenever you follow your spirit -- instead of letting your flesh or reasoning dominate -- you exercise your spirit.
Galatians 5:16 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Anytime you use faith, you exercise your spirit.
Look To Jesus
Just as a tree does not seem to grow while you are watching, so we must not constantly try to measure our spiritual growth. Instead, we should look away from ourselves, and keep our attention fixed on Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. . . .” John 15:4-5 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
2nd Corinthians 3:18 “But we all . . . beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image. . . .” We are transformed as we behold
the Lord. Focusing our attention on ourselves, whether our successes or our shortcomings, will retard our spiritual progress. A spiritual, mature believer realizes they are nothing without Christ, and so allows Christ to live in them. Let Jesus Christ live His life in and through you, by being continually filled with His Spirit, and walking in the spirit, obeying God's Word.
Words Tell
James 3:2 “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” Self-control is a fruit of the spirit. The words people speak measure their spiritual maturity. Jesus told us in Matthew 12:34 that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Unless you are with a person a great deal of time, you probably will not have opportunity to listen to them when their guard is down.
Many people, through self-will, are able to control their words, and put on a false front for a while. But, when trouble or stress comes, and they drop their guard, what comes out of the mouth reveals their spiritual condition.
Matthew 12:33-34,36-37 ". . . a tree is known by its fruit. 34 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Led By Spirit
Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
The Greek word for "sons" in Romans 8:14 is not the only Greek word translated as "sons" in our Bibles. The one used here means more mature sons, not babies. Being led by the Spirit of God is something you get better at as you grow up spiritually.
Christ Formed In You
Galatians 4:19 “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,”
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. . . .
Ephesians 4:13,15 “till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 15 . . . may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ -- The more we grow spiritually, the more like Christ we will become.
Christians Grow
2nd Thessalonians 1:3 “. . . your faith grows exceedingly. . .” Faith increases, or grows, but faith is difficult to measure. Comparing people -- saying one has greater faith because of their possessions, or what they have accomplished -- is a mistake. Measuring faith may be useful for self-examination, but not for comparison between people.
Babies Are Carnal
1st Corinthians 3:1-3 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” Carnal, or sense-ruled, people are not spiritual. Carnal refers to the flesh -- where the five senses operate. Where there is envy, strife, and divisions, people are carnal. Carnality marks baby Christians.
God Prunes
John 15:1-2,5 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. . . .”
Healthy growth often requires pruning or cutting back in some areas. Jesus said the Father prunes fruitful believers.
God Trains His Children
Hebrews 12:5-7,11 "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives." 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
The word translated "chastening" in the above verses means child-training. These verses clearly reveal God's training program for our spiritual development will not always be fun. But, God's training will be good for us. Our walk is by faith and not by sight, so we will not always understand everything happening -- but it will become clear later.
How To Measure Spiritual Growth
Spiritual level is defined by a number of contributing factors. In the following points we have discussed some of the more important parameters that contribute to a person’s spiritual level and how they vary with spiritual growth.
Some aspects of spiritual growth are the same as physical growth. Spiritual growth requires food, exercise, and time -- just like human physical growth. God's Word is spiritual food, and acting on God's Word exercises the human spirit.
The human spirit is the part of us that is born again. What is born of the Spirit of God is the human spirit -- which is the real you.
How Can We Grow Spiritually?
Acts 20:32 ". . . the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Spiritual food and spiritual exercise cause spiritual growth. God's Word is our spiritual food. We can feed ourselves, or let others feed us God's Word by listening to teaching and preaching.
Ephesians 4:11-15 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children. . . 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ” This indicates others in the Body of Christ will nourish us. God intends for us to receive from others. We will never grow as God planned unless we are teachable and receive instruction from others.
John 3:6-7 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 ". . .`You must be born again.' You are a spirit-being, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). You live in a body, and you have a mind (soul). And you can develop in each area -- spirit, soul, and body.
1st Thessalonians 5:23 “. . . may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord. . . .”
Milk
1st Peter 2:2 “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” Peter wrote down the above scripture. Two other New Testament verses, written down by others, refer to milk and growth. Peter is saying something more than that just babies eat milk. He is saying we grow by what we get from the Word of God. The "milk" of the Word, what the Word provides as we feed on it, causes spiritual growth. To get "milk" from the Word often requires more than just reading the Bible. To really digest the Word, you need to meditate on that Word. Then your spirit will be strengthened.
Exercise
Acting in obedience to God's Word exercises your spirit. Whenever you follow your spirit -- instead of letting your flesh or reasoning dominate -- you exercise your spirit.
Galatians 5:16 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Anytime you use faith, you exercise your spirit.
Look To Jesus
Just as a tree does not seem to grow while you are watching, so we must not constantly try to measure our spiritual growth. Instead, we should look away from ourselves, and keep our attention fixed on Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. . . .” John 15:4-5 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
2nd Corinthians 3:18 “But we all . . . beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image. . . .” We are transformed as we behold
the Lord. Focusing our attention on ourselves, whether our successes or our shortcomings, will retard our spiritual progress. A spiritual, mature believer realizes they are nothing without Christ, and so allows Christ to live in them. Let Jesus Christ live His life in and through you, by being continually filled with His Spirit, and walking in the spirit, obeying God's Word.
Words Tell
James 3:2 “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” Self-control is a fruit of the spirit. The words people speak measure their spiritual maturity. Jesus told us in Matthew 12:34 that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Unless you are with a person a great deal of time, you probably will not have opportunity to listen to them when their guard is down.
Many people, through self-will, are able to control their words, and put on a false front for a while. But, when trouble or stress comes, and they drop their guard, what comes out of the mouth reveals their spiritual condition.
Matthew 12:33-34,36-37 ". . . a tree is known by its fruit. 34 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
Led By Spirit
Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
The Greek word for "sons" in Romans 8:14 is not the only Greek word translated as "sons" in our Bibles. The one used here means more mature sons, not babies. Being led by the Spirit of God is something you get better at as you grow up spiritually.
Christ Formed In You
Galatians 4:19 “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,”
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. . . .
Ephesians 4:13,15 “till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 15 . . . may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ -- The more we grow spiritually, the more like Christ we will become.
Christians Grow
2nd Thessalonians 1:3 “. . . your faith grows exceedingly. . .” Faith increases, or grows, but faith is difficult to measure. Comparing people -- saying one has greater faith because of their possessions, or what they have accomplished -- is a mistake. Measuring faith may be useful for self-examination, but not for comparison between people.
Babies Are Carnal
1st Corinthians 3:1-3 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” Carnal, or sense-ruled, people are not spiritual. Carnal refers to the flesh -- where the five senses operate. Where there is envy, strife, and divisions, people are carnal. Carnality marks baby Christians.
God Prunes
John 15:1-2,5 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. . . .”
Healthy growth often requires pruning or cutting back in some areas. Jesus said the Father prunes fruitful believers.
God Trains His Children
Hebrews 12:5-7,11 "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives." 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
The word translated "chastening" in the above verses means child-training. These verses clearly reveal God's training program for our spiritual development will not always be fun. But, God's training will be good for us. Our walk is by faith and not by sight, so we will not always understand everything happening -- but it will become clear later.
How To Measure Spiritual Growth
Spiritual level is defined by a number of contributing factors. In the following points we have discussed some of the more important parameters that contribute to a person’s spiritual level and how they vary with spiritual growth.
1. One of the important parameters of the spiritual level of a person is the amount of self that has been removed and how much he identifies himself, with the Soul within. 2. A clear sign of a higher spiritual level than the average person is a reduced attention to one’s own happiness. Paradoxically even though we attend less to our happiness as we grow spiritually, one of the benefits of growing spiritually is that we get access to greater amounts of happiness in our lives.
3. As our spiritual level increases, our service to God increases both in quality and in quantity. Our capacity to serve is like growing ‘spiritual muscles’. The more we stretch ourselves to do God’s work, the more we grow our ‘spiritual muscles’.
4. As one grows spiritually, one achieves a more balanced state of mind and no longer does one oscillate between highs and lows due to events around us.
5. Spiritual emotion towards God is experiencing an intense awareness of the existence of God in everything. That is, feeling God’s presence while carrying out day-to-day life activities. A person at a lower spiritual level may be full of himself and his intellectual skills after sealing a big and prestigious deal. A person at a higher spiritual level in similar circumstances will be overwhelmed with spiritual emotion and full of gratitude to God for His kindness in gracing him with the deal.
The spiritual level that we are at is a key function in how we live our life and how we are impacted by life’s situations and destiny.