Still Growing in Christ

 

 "Still Growing in Christ"

Romans 5:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:15; Hebrews 5:14; James 1:2-4

 

Theme: The chances of being sidetracked increase with trouble and pain, but we must remain focused on learning of the Lord and drawing closer to Him.

Relevance:

Scripture frames pain as a brief test that builds endurance, spiritual strength, and eternal hope.

Introduction:

The idea of maturing in Christ is a subject we have given substantial thought to and have even taught this on a regular basis. Still the possibility of distraction exists, especially during painful experiences; we must focus ourselves on spiritual growth still. The following thoughts help us do just that.

Lesson:

God even Deals with Overcoming Hardships as a Positive Means to our Continuous Growth.   

     A.  Trials test our faith and produce endurance, which leads to spiritual completion and maturity. James 1:2-4, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3, Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4, But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

     Believers can discover deeper joy during life’s hardships. Difficult times test and strengthen our faith, building patience—endurance. Enduring these tests with patience helps us grow spiritually mature, strong, and complete in our faith, lacking zero crucial qualities for life.

·       “Divers temptations” point to various trials, tests, or troubles sent to try our character, rather than enticements to sin.

·       “Count it all joy” is purposefully choose a mindset of complete holy gladness. This means changing how we view pain…reframing it to see it as a tool for growth instead of just another bad event.

·       “Patience” is steadfast endurance, perseverance, or the ability to remain strong under heavy pressure.

·       “Perfect and entire” or spiritually mature, fully developed, and whole in character, rather than completely sinless.

·       “Wanting nothing” refers to no essential spiritual quality or strength needed for life is missing.

The components that we can immediately adapt are surrounding learning—that is habitually learning with people devoted to God as the primary resource—especially those who are biblically successful in areas we desire progress. We must learn through others ministries. It may be shocking, but we really have incredibly few original thoughts.... Most biblical concepts typically came from someone else…which came from someone else…. This is fairly a humbling fact that helps us remain teachable—always seeking growth in the Lord. Yet, life is full of illustrations of brokenness eventuating into considerable growth:

·        Broken and Repaired: Pottery fixed with gold paint, showing that damage makes life unique.

·        The Heavy Load: A person carrying a big rock or giant book, showing how stress builds inner strength.

·        The Storm: A ship moving through big waves, showing bravery during scary changes.

Many Biblical and Historical Examples Demonstrate Using Faith to Face Challenges:

          ·       Joseph’s Pit to Palace: Sold into slavery and falsely imprisoned, Joseph learned humility, perseverance, and deep compassion. He later recognized that God used those hardships to preserve many lives (Genesis 50:20).

          ·       Corrie ten Boom’s Prison Experience: Imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp where she lost her family, Corrie ten Boom learned firsthand that “no matter how deep our pit, God’s love is deeper still.”

          ·       John Bunyan in Bedford Jail: Arrested for preaching without a license, Bunyan used his time in confinement to write The Pilgrim’s Progress, an enduring Christian allegory of persevering through life’s trials.

     B. Suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope, not quitting and giving up. Romans 5:3-4, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”

     Christ’s followers can rejoice during hard times because tough situations build inner strength. Enduring trials leads to proven character, which then builds a strong and confident hope. 

·       “Tribulations” are hardships, pressures, troubles, or suffering.

·       “Glory in” is to rejoice or exult in, not because pain is good, but because of what God achieves through it.

·       “Worketh patience” or produces endurance, steadfastness, or the ability to remain under pressure without giving up.

·       “Experience” is proven character, testing, or spiritual maturity that has stood the test of time.

·       “Hope” is a certain, confident expectation of God’s promises and eternal good that does not disappoint.

Believers can find joy and purpose in these hard times. Difficult trials build patience, patience builds proven character, and that character strengthens a confident, unshakeable hope in God. We conscientiously reframe suffering as a tool for spiritual growth rather than a punishment.

·       Reflect on the Refiner’s Fire: Precious metals like silver and gold are heated intensely so that impurities rise to the top and can be skimmed off. A refiner knows the process is complete only when he can see his own reflection mirrored in the metal.

·       Meditate on the Next Mile Wisdom: Reminiscent of early explorers facing a daunting 450-mile wilderness trek, the best advice is often given by an old guide: “Just think about the next mile you have to go, never about all 450.” Faith calls believers to trust God for daily, step-by-step grace (Matthew 6:34).

C. It is Extremely Helpful to Note the Spiritual Progression! These verses outline a step-by-step chain reaction in our lives:

     ·       Trial comes first.

     ·       Patience is forged by surviving the trial.

     ·       Character is shaped by long-term patience.

     ·       Hope is the final outcome, rooted deeply in God’s love.

     D.  God in His Wisdom Gives Us Visual Symbols of Growth to Help Us Stay with It and Not Quit.

·        The Mountain Climb: A small person walking up a steep and rocky hill. This shows that reaching the top takes hard work.

·        The Lotus Flower: A pretty flower growing out of thick, dirty mud. It tells us that beauty and wisdom come from bad places.

·        The Kink in the Tree: A tree trunk with a sharp bend that keeps growing tall anyway. It proves that scars do not stop life.

Conclusion:

There must be no genuine differences in our personal philosophy and these thoughts presented in the Word. Concentration in the Scriptures will always be greater than our ideas, but the impressions of mentoring, training our minds to think, and processing godly concepts are all components we must take ownership. There are helpful disciplines we must adopt:

     ·       Fix your eyes on Jesus: Hebrews 12:2 encourages looking past the immediate trial to Jesus, the author and finisher of faith.

     ·       Reframe the pain as temporary: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 notes that outer struggles are light and momentary compared to unseen eternal glory.

     ·       Keep on praying without ceasing: Philippians 4:6-7 tells us to swap anxiety for prayer and thanksgiving to receive God’s peace.

     ·       Depend on God’s daily grace: 2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us that God’s power is made perfect in weakness. 

Learning during hardships means growing stronger through hard times. We grow wiser when we face dark days, pain, difficulties, or heavy work. Beloved, learning of Christ who points constantly to God must be the goal for us. We will enjoy discovering truths and insights we’ve never seen or thought about before. Consider, the Spark in the Dark: A small light bulb or glowing star shining in a black room. It means a new idea is born from trouble.

Child of God, Recall the Deep-Rooted Sapling: Trees that grow in sheltered, easy environments develop shallow roots. Hard winds, storms, and rocky soil force a tree’s roots to go deep into the earth, resulting in a core strength that withstands future devastation. (Unknown)

The scriptures should always be the final authority in every matter. If the subject was not important enough for God to address it directly or in principle in the Bible, then it is okay for us to be quiet about it as well. You and I may have a personal preference, but that’s all it is…a personal preference. We are not free to elevate that idea to a requirement or standard for others. Know that trials deepen faith, build character, and produce resilient hope.

Today there are many avenues to ingest more Bible content and godly substance. Though we must proceed with real caution, much can be learned as we apply ourselves. We may study more Bible chapters, read more helpful commentaries and books, listen to solid podcasts, watch spiritually edifying videos, listen to inspiring individuals speak in person, set under God-centered preaching and teaching, pay close attention to a panel that’s assembled with godly growth in mind, and many other ways to expose our hearts to God’s truth. There are notable benefits relationally, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and experientially for such endeavors. God works powerfully through a willingness to submit ourselves to His authority in our lives. It is wise to cultivate a holy fear of God as we endeavor. So, take seriously this effort to intentionally learn and develop in the Lord. A life could not be better spent learning and obeying Him.