Grace to You’s Back to Basics: The ABC’s of Christian Living lists some misconceptions of spiritual growth that we must remember. These are taken directly from this resource.
- Spiritual growth has nothing to with our position in Christian.
A person does not grow into becoming a Christian; conversion is an instantaneous miracle. - Spiritual growth is not a matter of God’s Love. According to Romans 5:1-11, God loved us when we were sinners. We were His enemies, alienated from Him before we ever came to Christ. When you became a believer, God continued to love you.
- Spiritual growth is not about time. There are many people who have been saved for a long period but have grown very little. There are many people who have been saved for a brief period and have grown very much. Certainly time is a factor in spiritual growth in some cases (those who continue to grow over a long period of time will be more mature than one who has grown over a shorter period). But the amount of time isn’t what is important; it is a commitment to the principles of growth that makes the difference. We don’t measure spiritual maturity by the calendar
- Spiritual growth is not about accumulated knowledge. Sometimes we equate spiritual maturity with what we know, but that isn’t the key. Knowledge alone is not the issue; the issue is what you do with what you know.
- Spiritual growth is not about activity. Some people think that if they have been active in the church (e.g., they served on a committee or sung in the choir), then they have grown spiritually. In other words, if you’re busy enough, you must be spiritual. This is not always the case.
- Spiritual growth is not about prosperity. Don’t equate positive circumstances with God’s approval of your spiritual maturity.
Spiritual growth is about matching my practice with my position.
