John 3:3 (NKJV) — “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'”

No one can see or enter into God’s kingdom unless they are born again. Jesus then said flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to spirit. It is the rebirth of the human spirit that makes him a child of God and gives him eternal life. God is a spirit and fellowship with Him must occur on the spiritual plane. 

Paul speaks of three categories of people: The natural man who has not been born again and therefore cannot understand or have fellowship with God. The carnal man who is born again, but has not developed spiritually and therefore acts in a childlike manner. And finally, the spiritual man who has taken time to develop and mature their spirit to be transformed into the image of Christ. 

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The New Testament speaks of three categories of Christians: Baby Christians, Christians in a childhood state, and Christians who are mature adults. When we are first born again, our spirit is newborn and must grow into childhood and adulthood. The pattern of spiritual growth mirrors natural growth in many ways. 

1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV) — “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”

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What do infants need to grow? They need milk, and they need help getting it. Peter tells us that God’s word is like milk to the new believer. A steady diet of the milk of God’s word is what is needed for a new believer to grow into a childhood state. The right spiritual nutrition is vital to growth. 

Ephesians 4:11-15 (NKJV) — “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers … that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine … but … may grow up in all things into Him who is the head.”

God gives us ministry gifts, such as pastors and teachers, to help us grow and mature spiritually. The number one reason for spiritual immaturity is the lack of quality, bible-based teaching. If God’s word gets watered down too much, it loses the nutritional value necessary for growth. Jesus also referred to God’s word as bread, and Paul speaks of God’s word as solid food. So we see that a steady diet of God’s word is the requirement for growth at every level of spiritual maturity. 

Another key to spiritual growth is beginning to exercise your spiritual muscle by acting upon God’s word. That is, learning to live a life of obedience to God. Just as growing children and teenagers must learn to take more responsibility, be honest and dependable, the same is true spiritually. 

Paul also said the mature have a mind set on reaching the high calling that God has for their lives. 

Philippians 3:12-15 (NKJV) — “Not that I have already attained … but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me … I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind.”

Regardless of our level, let’s all give ourselves to spiritual growth.

1 Timothy 4:15 (NKJV) — “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.”

Jason Haskell is pastor of New Creation Church in Craig and a missionary to the nations. He can be reached at pastorjason@ncccraig.com.