2 Peter 3:18 – But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Grace is unmeritted favour, endowment or virtue. For us to enjoy increased grace it is important that we also grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus. To grow is to increase in capacity and capability. Growth here is not about years or age or physical stature but it is about SPIRITUAL MATURITY. Someone may be fat or tall physically but a dwarf spiritually. Let us look at THE STAGES OR LEVELS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH

STAGE 1:
BABES IN CHRIST:
1Corinthians 3: 1-5: And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

Babes in Christ are those who not necessarily just got born again, but have not grown at all. They are Christians with no spiritual insight, they complain that the service is too long, nobody came to visit me, nobody loves me and so on, they are carnal and immature. They are full of strife, divisions, envy and bitterness.

A BABE IS UNSKILLFUL IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. According to Hebrews 5:13 KJV For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

Hebrews 5:13 CEV says People who live on milk are like babies who don’t really know what is right. So a babe is a Christian alright but he will still argue about paying tithe. He might have been born again for 15 years but he will still justify the need for him or her to drink alcohol.

Babes will argue about tithe, alcohol and other issues because they are not yet discipled. Do not argue with babes rather pray for them and teach them the Word.

If you are a Spiritual Babe you need to STIR UP YOURSELF …HOW?
i) If you want to grow, FIRST, you must drop petty things. 1Peter 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings.

ii) THEN DESIRE TO GROW BY STUDYING THE WORD. 1Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.

STAGE 2:
b) A CHILD OF GOD
Anyone born again is a child of God. A child is easily influenced, has no mind of his own. swings like a pendulum, tossed to an fro by every wind of doctrine. A child is a SERVANT, controlled by tutors.

According to Galatians. 4:1-3 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.

YOU NEED TO STIR UP YOURSELF AND GROW
Grow by building capacity, as you have shunned petty things and you are constantly drinking the milk of the Word, you develop capacity. WHEN YOU BUILD UP, GOD WILL SHOW UP. If you want more from God, then grow yourself. It is your responsibility to develop your capacity. Grow yourself by reading, teaching yourself and seeking knowledge. Read your bible as well as other books on development.

You also grow by exercising your faith. When you are in any situation where your faith is being tested, stand firm on the Word of God.

STAGE 3:
c) SONS OF GOD
Do not just operate as a CHILD OF GOD , but you mature to become A SON OF GOD. You begin to operate as a HEIR. Sonship is about dominion and inheritance in Christ. Galatians 4: 4-7:

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

As a Son of God, you are a carrier of the manifestation of God according to Romans 8:19 :

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

It is only SONS that manifest. Spiritual babes still walk in fear, because THEY DO NOT KNOW THAT GOD HAS NOT GIVEN THEM THE SPIRIT OF FEAR. They have limited knowledge of the Word of God because they do not read the Word.

Spiritual Children are immature, they are like spiritual slaves still controlled by the powers of this world. Slaves to money, addictions, tossed to and fro and are unstable.

According to Galatians 4:1-3 CEV Children who are under age are no better off than slaves, even though everything their parents own will someday be theirs. This is how it was with us. We were like children ruled by the powers of this world.

AS A SON OF GOD you carry tremendous spiritual capacity, you have impact. You do not react to issues like carnal men but from a spiritual angle. In the midst of the storms of life you are stable because you carry weight in the spirit.
Sons of God walk in DOMINION and not in fear. Sons of God walk in authority. They know their inheritance in Christ and call things which be not as though they are.
Sons of GOD fulfill their God ordained PURPOSE in life because they are well equipped.
Sons of God feed on strong meat and not milk according to Hebrews 5:12-14

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Sons of God operate in the Spirit of Holiness according to Romans 1:4

And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4 KJV)

STIR UP, BREAK UP YOUR FALLOW GROUNDS, PUSH AHEAD. Even Jesus Christ was born as a babe in a manger and grew to be a Child and then to Sonship. God himself announced Jesus in Luke 9:35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. (Luke 9:35 KJV)

SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT IS NOT A CHOICE IT IS MANDATORY. Even the disciples could not cast out the demon because they lacked capacity, but later the shadow of Peter healed the sick. The spiritual capacity that you develop will determine your level of success in life.

You grow by feeding, read the Word, hear the Word from God’s servants. Jeremiah 3:15 says And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Then you increase your capacity by exercising your faith based on the Word. Stir up the gifts of God in you. Walk in dominion, enter into Kingdom service, potential is released in the place of sacrificial service. Develop yourself and get relevant information where needed.

Purpose to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God’s Word.
Shalom
Busola Jegede.