Principles of Christian Growth

1 Peter 1:22–2:3

Let’s talk about spiritual growth and how our Christian life unfolds, using 1 Peter 1:22 to 2:3 as our guide. Our faith walk needs the nourishment from God’s Word, truth obedience, and genuine love for each other. The Christian life is a path of getting spiritually mature, starting as spiritual newborns and growing into full-grown adults. This makes us think about what spiritual growth actually means.

1. Growing up

Being a Christian is like going on a journey where you grow over time, just like Peter’s command to love shows us. It’s important to know that our faith is always developing. Just like young people need guidance, we also need it in our spiritual journey. Before we became Christians, we were not in line with God’s plan of saving us. But when we became Christians, a new power came into our lives, which can sometimes create an inner struggle as the old parts of us resist this change.

2. You are newborn babes

As Christians, we’re advised to rely on our community and look for guidance to grow spiritually. We can’t do it all on our own. Knowing and accepting that our sins are forgiven is a big part of getting spiritually mature. It challenges the idea that we can save ourselves. Growing spiritually means depending on God and His Word, with our main goal being to have a deep relationship with God.