Spiritual Growth – Part One

 “…Grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” II Peter 3:8

Spiritual growth is an elemental essential for spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is essential for contentment, joy, and fulfillment. There is a spiritual progression that is helpful in the process. Note that progression as follows.

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence,

add to your faith       

virtue, to virtue knowledge

to knowledge self-control,

to self-control perseverance, 

to perseverance godliness,

to godliness brotherly kindness,

to brotherly kindness love.

For if these things are in you and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” (II Peter 1: 5 – 9) Memorize this.

Faith is foundational to all. It is the bedrock on which to develop the others.

It is also the essential cement that holds these building blocks together. Faith is confidence in Jesus and His word. Then trust Jesus to transform you into the image it projects. To accomplish this, feed your mind on the Word. Build each of the following progressively on the other.

                “….add to your faith ….”

Virtue is moral excellence; goodness; righteousness. It is a  code resulting in the conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness; rectitude. In summary virtue is moral excellence, moral goodness.

A summary listing that collectively defines virtue is: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..” (Galatians 5: 22, 23)

These admirable attributes are aspects of virtue. They are core values in a virtuous life. They are admirable habits on which persons can rely. Virtues must become a lifestyle. Virtue is to be habitual conduct.

Virtue is a living out of the internal quality of one’s life based on the Word of God.