Grow up in Spiritual Growth

Growth is woven into everything God has made. A seed doesn’t remain hidden in the soil—it pushes through, sprouts, and matures into a tree that produces fruit. A baby doesn’t stay an infant—it grows into a child and eventually into a mature adult. In the same way, our spiritual life is meant to follow this pattern of growth. Sadly, many believers remain stuck—blinded, distracted, or deceived—never moving beyond the first steps of faith. But God’s purpose is clear: He calls us to keep growing as we walk closely with Him.

The Book of Hebrews offers us powerful guidance on how to grow into spiritual maturity.

[Hebrews 6:1-2 NIV] 1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Desire for Growth – Every believer in Christ longs to grow in spiritual maturity. But to grow, we must first recognize the difference between elementary teachings and deeper truths. Without knowing where we currently stand, we cannot move forward.

The Foundation of Faith

• Good News – Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour.

• Faith in Christ – It’s the foundation of all Christian living.

• Sin – Understanding how sin separates us from God, and learning about repentance and forgiveness through Jesus.

• Salvation – Jesus secured our salvation through the cross of Calvary. By obeying Him and remaining faithful, we receive the promise of eternal life.

• Baptism – Water baptism makes us new creations in Christ, while the Holy Spirit fills us with new life.

• Fellowship – Staying rooted in Christ through prayer and the Word.

What It Means to Grow Up Spiritually

• Personal Growth – Maturing in character and faith.

• Heavenly Living on Earth – Walking by the Spirit as a foretaste of eternity [Galatians 5:22-23 NIV] 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

• Worship & Glory – Honouring God in everything we do.

• Knowing His Heart – Serving in ways that delight Him.

• Bearing Spiritual Fruit – Reflecting Christ through our lives.

• Discerning the Times – Growing in spiritual discernment to recognize truth from deception and guard against false prophets.

• God’s Judgment & Holiness – Understanding His holiness, fleeing sin, and living set apart.

• Working for God – Using our gifts to serve Him, bearing fruit that impacts others.

• Burden for Souls – Carrying God’s heart for the lost.

• Servanthood – Living as God’s servant, not seeking our own glory.

How to Grow

• Evaluate Your Level – Honestly assess where you stand: beginner, growing, or mature. (Read my Blog - Where Are You in Spiritual Growth ?)

• Strive to Grow – Take intentional steps—Ask, Seek, Knock—to deepen your walk with God. [Matthew 7:7-8 NIV] 7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

• Just as we use five physical senses of taste to enjoy food, we also need to develop five spiritual senses if we truly desire to grow in our walk with God

Develop These Spiritual Senses

Just as God created us with five natural senses to experience and enjoy the world, He also gave us five spiritual senses to experience His presence and grow in Him. Every physical sense has a spiritual counterpart, and unless we awaken and use them, our growth will remain stunted. Let’s explore these five spiritual senses:

1.        The Spiritual Sense of Taste

• We are invited to taste God’s goodness—to delight in His presence and enjoy His fellowship, sweeter than honey itself.

• [1 Peter 2:3 NIV] 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

• [Psalm 34:8 NIV] 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

2.        The Spiritual Sense of Hearing

• Just as the ear receives sound, our spiritual ear must be tuned to hear God’s voice. Through His Word and His Spirit, He speaks life and strength to our souls.

• [Isaiah 55:3 NIV] 3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

• [Revelation 2:7 NIV] 7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

3.        The Spiritual Sense of Sight

• Sin blinds us, and Satan works to keep us in darkness. But when God opens the eyes of our heart, we begin to see His truth, His plans, and His glorious inheritance.

• [Psalm 119:18 NIV] 18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

• [Ephesians 1:18 NIV] 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

4.        The Spiritual Sense of Smell

• Worship releases the aroma of God’s presence. Just as good food delights us more with its fragrance, so worship, praise, and sacrificial giving rise before Him as a pleasing aroma.

• [Isaiah 11:3 NIV] 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;

• [Philippians 4:18 NIV] 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

5.        The Spiritual Sense of Touch

• Our spiritual sensitivity allows us to discern sin, truth, and the presence of God. A tender heart responds to Him, while a hardened heart drifts away into darkness.

• [2 Kings 22:19 NIV] 19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people--that they would become a curse and be laid waste--and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the LORD.

• [Ephesians 4:18-19 NIV] 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

The Spiritual Nots

If spiritual senses help us grow in maturity, then there are also “Spiritual Nots”—attitudes and habits that tie us in knots and prevent growth. These are dangers Scripture warns us about. If left unchecked, they can choke our fruit, harden our hearts, and even lead to falling away from God. Let’s look at a few of them:

1.        Drifting Away

Hebrews warns us about the tragedy of those who once tasted God’s goodness yet turned away: [Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV] 4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

• Mature believers who abandon Christ are in danger of becoming like Judas, betraying the One they once confessed.

• Drifting away brings judgment: [Hebrews 6:8 NIV] 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

• Jesus is clear—branches that do not bear fruit will be cut off [John 15:5 NIV] 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Takeaway:

• No gardeners allow plants that don’t bear fruit for long. Sin’s / Our personal preference that keeps God’s work at bay must be pruned.

• If ground is blessed by rain but refuses to bear fruit, no one blames the farmer for burning it. The idea shows that growth and bearing fruit are important to keep from falling away. When we really bear fruit, we abide in Jesus and are in no danger of falling away.

• Examine your life. Where fruit is missing, prune away sin and compromise (Matthew 5:29–30). God prunes because He desires to give fruits to us [Hebrews 6:7 NIV] 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.

·       Many times drifting away makes us impossible to get back to Gods planned way unless we correct and yield to God.

2.        Laziness

[Hebrews 6:12 NIV] 12 (a) We do not want you to become lazy,

• Laziness is a characteristic of Satan to give us, Satan is active, he roams around the world and heaven, but he wants us to be lazy.

• Scripture warns: “Lazy hands make for poverty…” (Proverbs 10:4), and “The one unwilling to work shall not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

  • [Proverbs 19:15 NIV] 15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.

  • [Proverbs 10:4 NIV] 4 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

  • [2 Thessalonians 3:10 NIV] 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat."

• Spiritually lazy people grow cold, prayerless, and weak.

Takeaway:

• Reject laziness. Diligence brings growth—both physically and spiritually.

Laziness is often connected to disobedience in our spiritual growth. When we delay what God has asked us to do, we open the door for laziness, giving Satan room to plant excuses in our hearts. For example, if we fail to read and meditate on God’s Word, it’s usually because we’ve allowed undisciplined habits to take control. Staying up late on our phones makes it harder to rise early and seek God. Once the morning slips away, we excuse ourselves with daily chores—and the cycle of laziness continues. The root issue is not just laziness, but a lack of discipline in how we manage our time, especially with distractions like mobile use.

3.        Impatience

[Hebrews 6:12 NIV] 12(b)  but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

• Just like a farmer waits for his crops, we must learn to wait for God’s timing.

• Patience is a fruit of spirit

• Impatient is a characteristic of Satan, he gives us by ticking our senses of impulsiveness to become impatient, the world we live we need instant answers. God’s timing and our timings many times don’t align. It’s for a reason.

• James exhorts: “Be patient… until the Lord’s coming.” (James 5:7)

  • [James 5:7 NIV] 7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

• There will be times of Spring / Time of Dryness (autumn) / times of rain and wind (struggles) - wait on him and look to his eyes.

Takeaway:

• Dry seasons, storms, and times of waiting are not setbacks—they are part of God’s growth process. Patience, a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), must be practiced and cultivated.

• Often, God allows delays to test whether we will trust Him to act or rush ahead in our own strength. Learning to wait on Him is a key attitude for spiritual maturity.

• When we are patient, we receive the best of God’s plans in His perfect timing. But when we act impatiently, we are in effect telling God, “I don’t depend on You; I will handle it myself.”

4.        Pride

Pride is one of the greatest enemies of spiritual maturity. It whispers, “You are better, more holy, more spiritual than others.” . The self-righteous attitude leads us to spiritual pride

• Paul reminds us: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment.”  [Romans 12:3 NIV] 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

• God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble [1 Peter 5:5-6 NIV] 5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Takeaway:

• Pride blinds; humility opens the way for grace. Pray for a sober mind, a humble spirit, and the ability to see everything as God’s gift, not your achievement.

• Humble yourself to God and remind yourself that you are a clay in God’s eye.

• Pride gives room for Satan to grow. So humble and seek God and ask God to give you a servant attitude to serve him.

5.        Lovelessness

Our human nature bends toward selfishness—we love ourselves first, we crave recognition, and we seek attention. But God’s love is radically different: it is selfless, sacrificial, and giving. The tragedy is that as we grow older, our love often grows colder. We begin to mirror the lovelessness of the world—holding on to spiritual gifts, knowledge, and even acts of faith, yet missing the one thing that gives them meaning: love. Without love, everything else is empty. Paul declares this powerfully in 

• All the spiritual gifts are empty without Love - [1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV] 1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

• Love is the greatest spiritual gift of all - [1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV] 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Takeaway :

• Humble yourself before God and invite Him to search your heart. Ask Him to rekindle His love within you—the same love you experienced when He first saved you.

• In Revelation, God’s message to the church in Ephesus (1st Church of 7 Churches) —the “loveless church”—was clear: repent, return, and live out the love you once had.