Spiritual Growth and Formation

I have been doing some thinking and reflection about the nature of spiritual growth.  We talk about it in the church, but failure, stagnation, and immaturity seem to be more common then the development of the fruits of the spirit.  The following passages have been central in guiding me in my own understanding of spiritual formation.

Matt. 28:18-20 “Go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you 1always, even to the end of the age.”

Col. 1:28 "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ."

Heb. 6:1   "Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,"

Tim. 1:5 "But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

There are common threads that run through the scriptures that these passages highlight.  Spiritual growth comes from Teaching, Teaching about the Godhead, obedience, action, and process.  Evangelical Christianity is good at teaching, but most of us have become educated beyond our ability to apply.  We know a lot, or at least we think we do.  We have sat under preaching, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, Christian radio, Christian television, books, and even personal devotions, but if you are like me you find yourself struggling, daily, to live out the kind of life that is “worthy of the Lord.” 

Yet, if God wants us to grow, then why am I still wrestling with the same issues that have plagued me since becoming a believer?  Why is my progress spiritually more like walking backwards?  Over the next few weeks I will be blogging about the spiritual growth process, and looking at what is necessary for spiritual growth to take place, and why, when I seem to desire it most, I fail in the process.

Three broad themes will help guide us as we take this journey together:

In The Beginning – How it was suppose to be.

Out of the Garden – How the fall affects our growth

Being Made New – God’s reclamation process

Spiritual growth is not an option for the believer.  If we are not growing, progressing in our faith, then there is a disconnect between the Father and us.  My hope is that together we will renew a process that began at our conversion, and leads us into a deeper relationship with the Father, in the Son, through the Spirit.  I’m just saying….