Spiritual Growth is from Heart to Mind to Heart (Part 2)

Spiritual Growth is from Heart to Mind to Heart (Part 2)

Renewing the Mind: The Journey to Spiritual Maturity

When you accept salvation through faith, you embark on a transformative spiritual journey. The first step, justification, secures your eternal peace with God and grants you a new identity in His kingdom. However, this is only the beginning of the fuller salvation experience. The second step, sanctification, is where the real work begins—the renewal of your mind and growth into spiritual maturity.

Think of your spiritual life as similar to your physical life. When you were born, you received an identity and began to grow, explore, and develop. You learned, set goals, and gradually adopted new patterns of behaviour. Likewise, your spiritual identity as a child of God calls for growth and development. You cannot remain a "spiritual babe." Just as an heir to an empire must mature to fully enjoy the benefits and participate in the responsibilities of their inheritance, you must grow spiritually to embrace the fullness of your future inheritance in our Father's heavenly kingdom.

What Does Renewing the Mind Mean?

Renewing the mind is the process of transforming your thoughts, values, and principles to align with the truth found in the grace doctrine. It involves studying the Word of God diligently, allowing it to reshape your understanding and guide your decisions. This growth demands dedication—feeding on spiritual "nutrition" through the Word, exercising discernment, and training yourself in obedience unto righteous ways, (Romans 6:16). It is a process of learning and developing in God's will, His ways, and His judgments.

The Apostle Paul encapsulates this transformation in Romans 12:2: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." This is a call to rise above worldly thinking and adopt a mindset rooted in the wisdom of God. Through this renewal, you grow from a carnal mind of ignorance to spiritual truths to a deep understanding of His principles. As you yield to the working of the Word within you, Christ Himself is formed within your spirit, enabling you to live out His ways.

Why is Growth Essential?

While justification assures your salvation, sanctification is the process of forming Christ within you, in the here and now. This spiritual growth equips you to live out your new identity and contribute to God’s kingdom in the present but is also to establish you in your heavenly inheritance in the ages to come. Many Christians overlook this vital step—they remain at the cross, satisfied with salvation, but neglect the journey of knowledge, growing in spiritual maturity by adoption and application of the grace doctrine. Without growth, much of the inheritance in the Father’s kingdom will be lost, similar to a physical baby not being eligible for a position of power in their father’s business or empire.

Your eternal inheritance in God's kingdom is linked to your spiritual maturity. The measure of Christ formed within you determines the fullness of your inheritance. Neglecting sanctification not only limits your spiritual potential for God in this present world but also impacts your role in the kingdom to come.

What Does Spiritual Growth Look Like?

Studying the grace doctrine begins in Romans which provides key principles, aka: spiritual nutrition, to grow in spirit. Knowledge is the starting point, getting our mind filled with the initial values and principles of grace. Paul outlines essential principles for spiritual growth in Romans 6-8, providing a foundation for believers to mature in their faith. Central to this is to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive under the grace of God, which frees us from the dominion of the law and sin. Paul writes, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:11). He adds, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2). By trusting the Word and adopting this mindset through faith, we are empowered to live righteously and no longer serve the desires of the flesh. Paul explains that as we yield to the Word of God and obey its influences in us, it produces righteousness and sanctification, shaping us into the image of Christ.

Obedience to the Word of God is essentially to walk after the Spirit. This new way of life, governed by the Spirit, replaces the old law of sin and death with the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Walking in the Spirit brings liberty, life, and peace, as it aligns our hearts and minds with the will of God, shaping the character of Christ more fully in our daily walk. By embracing these principles, we are equipped to grow spiritually and live victoriously, overcoming the power of sin through the work of Christ and the guidance of the Spirit of the Word.

Encouragement to Pursue Transformation

Now is the time to embrace the process of renewing your mind. Dive into the curriculum laid out in Scripture, from Romans to Philemon, and commit yourself to studying the Word. As you grow in knowledge and understanding, allow God's truth to transform your thoughts, values, and actions. Press on toward maturity, adopting His ways and judgments.

Remember, sanctification is not about earning salvation—that is already secured through justification. It is about growing into the fullness of your spiritual identity and preparing for eternity while living out the principles of God’s kingdom today. This journey requires your attention, diligence, and willingness to be transformed. The race is before you, the prize is waiting, and your inheritance depends on your maturity as a son of God.