Belief #11: Growing in Christ

March 31, 2022 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Greetings, friends! Today we are going to look at the exciting topic of growing in Christ—what does it mean, and how does it happen?

Growth takes time. We see this in many aspects of life. If you have ever planted a garden, you know it takes time and care before you enjoy the fruits of your labor! A precious baby is born. It takes many years of careful nurturing and growth before he becomes a full-grown adult.

Friendship is another example. When you first meet someone, it takes time and commitment for the relationship to grow. But the more you put into the relationship, the closer you become.

Growing in Christ is a wonderful privilege we have once we accept God’s incredible gift of salvation through Jesus. It is the way in which we get to know Him better and become more like Him.

And this new life in Christ begins with an amazing dichotomy—it begins with death! The death of Christ on the cross makes possible our new life.

In Colossians 1:13 and 14 we read that God “has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

And Romans 8:1 assures us, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

But “to walk in the Spirit,” requires another death—death to self. Paul explains in Galatians 2:20—”I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

The closer we get to Christ, the more we love Him. And the more we love Him, the more we want to be like Him. But how does this work? We read this beautiful explanation in The Desire of Ages, page 173:

“When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God” (The Desire of Ages, p. 173).

What an amazing, loving God we serve–who can bring about such a transformation! This concept of growing in Christ is so important that it is one of the Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which reads as follows:

Fundamental Belief #11: “Growing in Christ.”

“By His death on the cross Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. He who subjugated the demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has broken their power and made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus’ victory gives us victory over the evil forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance of His love. Now the Holy Spirit dwells within us and empowers us. Continually committed to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we are set free from the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the darkness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our former way of life.

 “In this new freedom in Jesus, we are called to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him daily in prayer, feeding on His Word, meditating on it and on His providence, singing His praises, gathering together for worship, and participating in the mission of the Church. We are also called to follow Christ’s example by compassionately ministering to the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of humanity. As we give ourselves in loving service to those around us and in witnessing to His salvation, His constant presence with us through the Spirit transforms every moment and every task into a spiritual experience.”

If you would like to learn more about this Fundamental Belief, I encourage you to visit the url shown at the bottom of the screen [www.adventist.org/growing-in-christ/].

In closing, I would like to just briefly share four essential, practical building blocks for growing in Christ:

1. Pray. We are told in Colossians 4:2—”Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” It is through prayer that we connect with God, speaking to Him as to a Friend, and listening to what He has to say to us as a kind Heavenly Father.
2. Read the Bible. The Bible is our faithful guide. We are told in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
3. Apply what we learn. We must not only read the Bible but do what it says. James 1:22-25 explains: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
4. Meet with other believers. God designed us to encourage and strengthen each other. Apart from the body it is harder to keep a spiritual connection alive. Together we are stronger. In Hebrews 10:23-25 we are encouraged to “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” 

Friend, you are not alone. As you grow in Christ, remember He loves and cares for you. He died to release you from the bondage of sin and give you the gift not only of eternal life, but a new life in Him today. He dwells within you through His Holy Spirit, speaks to you through prayer, and guides you through His Word. He encourages you to meet with fellow believers and to love and serve others.

Let’s thank Him in prayer just now. Father in heaven. Thank you for this great opportunity of connecting with heaven, not only on a daily basis, but on a moment-by-moment basis, through prayer and through an understanding of what your holy word tells us, how we are to not only be readers of the Word, but doers of the Word. So, Lord, all through the power of the Holy Spirit animate us, fill us, live within us and help us to accomplish that which you have in store for your remnant church. As we come to the very end of time and approach Christ soon. Second Coming. Thank you for hearing us, and thank you for the privilege of growing in Christ as we connect with Him every day, accepting his justifying righteousness and his sanctifying righteousness in Christ name, we ask it. Amen.