Spiritual Growth / Sanctification and Growth

  • Why Theology is Necessary

    Deuteronomy 6:4-9

    The passage chosen as the basis for today’s study calls the people of God to study His law diligently and, by extension, everything that He has revealed in the Bible. We are to examine Scripture systematically, looking at how ...Read More

  • Privileges and Responsibility

    Ephesians 4:1

    Living in a manner worthy of our calling is not following a legalistic checklist of do’s and don’ts. Instead, it is a gratitude-inspired pursuit of God-given growth in personal holiness. Even though this is our duty, it should ...Read More

  • Christ in Our Hearts

    Ephesians 3:16-17a

    Christ does not wait for us to be perfect before He takes up residence within us, and for that we can rejoice. Yet it is possible to grieve His Spirit by our sin (Eph. 4:30), and so we must ...Read More

  • Building Together

    Ephesians 2:22

    God is building us into His holy temple, but that does not mean we lack a role in the construction process. Unlike regeneration, sanctification is a cooperative work between the Holy Spirit and us (Phil. 2:12–13). Because of ...Read More

  • Life Before Christ

    Colossians 3:7-8

    One commentator has said that “we should never confuse being moral with being Christian, but we cannot claim to be Christian if we ignore morality.” An outwardly upright life is not a sure sign that somebody knows Christ, but a ...Read More

  • Putting Sin to Death

    Colossians 3:5-6

    Understanding that we are already holy in Christ should not be confused with the perfectionism that we often see in other theological traditions. We will not be free from the struggle with sin before we are glorified, but knowing that ...Read More

  • God-Given Growth

    Colossians 2:19

    There is a sinful tendency in all of us to cut ourselves off from Christ, the Head of the body of Christ and only source of life-sustaining nourishment. It may not display itself overtly in false worship as it did ...Read More

  • Christ Our Wisdom

    Colossians 2:3

    The gospel is scandalous to unbelievers even though Christ is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:18–31). But it is important to note that the message is to be scandalous, not our actions. We must take care not ...Read More

  • The Goal of Reconciliation

    Colossians 1:21-22

    Being declared righteous in Christ, we are accepted into the kingdom of God by faith alone without any consideration of our works. Still, those who are declared righteous begin to act righteous, and we grow in love for our Savior ...Read More

  • Proper Christian Growth

    Colossians 1:9-10

    It is all too easy for us to think that once we know the basics of the gospel we must then move beyond them for true spiritual growth. Yet it is not extrabiblical revelations and methods that mature us, nor ...Read More

  • True Fasting

    Isaiah 58:1–12

    The Lord does not wait for us to be sinless to answer our prayers, but we should never take that as a license to do what we please. God does not take persistent sin lightly, and we are the most ...Read More

  • The Role of Fasting

    Ezra 8:21–23

    Fasting places no obligation upon the sovereign God to respond in a way we have asked. Yet He does take special delight in us when we show our helplessness in fasting, and He will respond by giving us a greater ...Read More

  • Giving Meaning to Life

    Are you living your life “under the sun” or “under heaven?” Have you found true purpose and meaning to life?Read More

  • Looking through the Mirror

    Spend some time reflecting on the goodness of God. In what specific ways is His goodness being manifested to you right now?Read More

  • Avoiding a Hardened Conscience

    Pray this prayer with the psalmist David: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139 ...Read More