Spiritual Growth

Mike Johnson

Although numerical growth is significant, spiritual growth is also essential for churches today. Someone once asked a fellow Christian if the congregation where he attended had grown any. He responded by saying, “yes.” However, he then added, “We have not grown numerically, but we have grown spiritually.” He was saying they had grown, but this was probably not the sense the questioner had to mind.

Many passages speak of the importance of spiritual growth for the individual Christian. Peter, for example, commands (I Pet. 3:18) we are to grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ. Thus, we do not have a choice about spiritual growth. Further, the writer of Hebrews says (6:1), “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” The Hebrew writer (5:12) also rebukes these early Christians for lacking growth. He said, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food” There are also many passages which speak of the need for Christians to be “perfect,” i.e., complete and full-grown (Mk. 5:48, II Cor. 13:9-11).

However, it is essential to understand that numbers do not always determine the strength of a congregation as spiritual strength needs consideration. For example, in this way, a congregation of 50 people (to the surprise of many) may be stronger than one of 200. For instance, the church at Philadelphia (of the seven churches of Asia) had only good things said about it by Christ. Jesus said that they only had a “little strength” (Rev. 3:8). This expression does not refer to their spiritual strength, as they were strong in that respect. Most likely, Jesus spoke of their small numbers. They were much stronger than the church at Laodicea, which was probably a large, prestigious, and wealthy congregation (Rev. 3:17). However, Christ wanted to spew this lukewarm church out of His mouth (Rev. 3:16) while having only praise for the little church at Philadelphia. 

Numerical growth is significant, but spiritual growth is also of great value. The quest should be to achieve both.