God wants to empower you through the Holy Spirit to live a Christ-directed life. As you continue to breathe spiritually (confess your sin and claim the fullness of the Spirit), you will experience a deepening fellowship with God which will lead to growth in Christ

What does it mean to grow in Christ?

It means to increase in your knowledge of Christ and become more constant in your love for him and your obedience to him.

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom you have sent (John 17:3).

Next in this series: How To Know I'm Really Saved

How can I grow in Christ?

Spiritual growth results from trusting that Jesus is living in and through you.  The righteous will live by faith (Galatians 3:11). A life of faith will enable you to trust God increasingly with every detail of your life and to practice the following:

  1. Go to God in prayer daily.
    If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you(John 15:7).
  2. Read God’s Word daily.
    Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:11).
    Begin with the Gospel of John.
  3. Obey God moment by moment.
    Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him (John 14:21).
  4. Witness for Christ by your life and words.
    Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 4:19).   This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15:8).
  5. Trust God for every detail of your life.
    Cast all your anxiety on him [God] because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
  6. Trust the Holy Spirit to direct you and empower your daily life and witness.
    So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want (Galatians 5:16-17).
    But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Communication is vital

Communication is vital to any relationship, including your relationship with Christ. Investing in these four types of communication will help you grow in your relationship with Christ as you live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

God communicates with us through the Bible, revealing His character and His will.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

We communicate with God through prayer—sharing our needs and our desire to do his will.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hears and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him (1 John 5:14-15).

We communicate with Christians to encourage one another in our faith.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Related articles: Why is Church So Important? and Why Bother With Church?

We communicate with non-Christians to help them discover what a relationship with Christ is like.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to me by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

Read [1 Corinthians 3:6-7]. God is the source of your growth. You cannot become spiritually mature by trying really hard to do so without him. As you walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, read the Bible, pray, tell people about Christ, and spend time with other believers, God will be at work in you, producing fruitfulness and maturity.

Related article: Know Your Resources as a Child of God

This is only the beginning of your Christian life. There is much more to understand than just these four lessons. The Church is God’s appointed place for Christians to learn and grow. Take the initiative today to find a Bible-teaching church in your neighbourhood and make plans to attend regularly.

You can respond to the questions below to journey with a mentor and receive prayer. You’ll be able to talk through what you have learned.


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This article, as well as this series, is an adaptation by The Life Project of Dr. Bill Bright’s material, Knowing Jesus Personally.
updated September 2019

Photo Credit: Francesco Gallarotti