How to Grow Spiritually: Unpacking the Journey to Christian Maturity
Have you ever noticed how physical growth in children is both predictable and demanding? Parents of growing kids know the cycle well. A child who has eaten the same amount of food for months suddenly begins to consume meals at an alarming rate. Before you know it, you are heading to the store to buy new jeans because they have completely outgrown their old ones. This physical growth is a predictable, observable, and natural consequence of proper nourishment and time.
In the Christian life, we are called to a similar type of growth. Spiritual maturity is not a mystery that happens by accident; there are specific practices we can cultivate that lead to a predictable and transformative outcome. But what does it actually look like to grow spiritually? How do we balance the active, effort-driven commands of Scripture with the truth of God’s grace?
This blog post lays down a biblical blueprint for spiritual growth. It emphasizes that maturity is not a destination; it is a bit-by-bit, time-over-time journey. To navigate this journey successfully, we must understand the theological foundation of our growth, strive with intentionality, surround ourselves with godly influences, and live with an eternal perspective.
The Theological Foundation: Justification vs. Sanctification
To understand spiritual growth, we must first resolve an apparent contradiction in the writings of the Apostle Paul. In Philippians 3, Paul warns that relying on anything other than Jesus ruins our spiritual "resume". Salvation is by grace alone—our relationship with God is secure exclusively because of what Jesus has done for us, not because of our works.
Yet, immediately after establishing this, Paul uses intense, athletic language, urging believers to "strive," "press on," and "strain forward" in their pursuit of Christ. Is this a contradiction? Not at all. To understand how these two concepts coexist, we must distinguish between two vital theological terms: Justification and Sanctification.
Justification: Made Right with God
Justification is the one-time, legal declaration by God that a sinner is made right with Him. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, humanity was separated from a holy God. Justification is the process of being made right, which was foreshadowed by the Old Testament sacrificial system and fully accomplished through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross. You do not get to heaven based on your works; you get there based on Jesus's work alone. God does not love you more because you do good things, and you cannot earn His favor. Justification is entirely a work of God’s grace, received through faith alone.
Sanctification: The Process of Maturing
Once you are a Christian, a new process begins: Sanctification. This is the ongoing, lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ in character and conduct. Unlike justification, which is instantaneous and passive on our part, sanctification is a cooperative process. It is a daily partnership between the believer, God, and the Holy Spirit.
When we read Paul’s commands to press on and strive, he is not teaching us how to save ourselves. Rather, he is explaining how we grow. Our spiritual effort is not an attempt to appease God or earn His love; it is an act of worship in response to what He has already done. We strive because Christ Jesus has already made us His own.
Pillar 1: Striving for Growth with Absolute Intentionality
In Philippians 3:12, Paul writes, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own."
By the time Paul penned these words, he had been a faithful Christian, church planter, and apostle for twenty-five to thirty years. Yet, he openly models humility by admitting he has not "arrived". If the Apostle Paul recognized his ongoing need for spiritual growth, how much more should we?
The Power of Emphatic Effort
The Greek roots for "pressing on" and "striving" are athletic, intense terms. They describe a runner straining every muscle, pouring all their energy into reaching the finish line. This reveals a critical truth: spiritual growth requires intentional effort. It does not happen by accident while we slide through life on autopilot.
Paul demonstrates a singular, laser-focused mindset: "But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal..." To grow spiritually, you must adopt this "one thing" focus, which requires two intentional movements:
Forgetting What Lies Behind: Before his conversion, Paul was climbing the ranks of the Pharisees, building a sterling reputation. But he abandoned that old resume, treating it as worthless so he could focus his energy on Christ. Similarly, we must let go of past achievements that tempt us toward spiritual pride, as well as past failures and sins that tempt us toward shame and paralysis.
Straining Forward: No matter his current circumstances—even while writing this letter from a dark Roman prison cell with execution as a distinct possibility—Paul kept his eyes fixed on the ultimate prize: the resurrection and his fully perfected, glorified state in Christ.
The Monotony of Elite Growth: Lessons from Michael Phelps
To showcase the kind of dedication required for such growth, consider the training routine of legendary Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and his coach, Bob Bowman. To win an unprecedented number of gold medals, Phelps committed to a routine centered on absolute monotony, massive physical volume, and extreme mental conditions.
From age 13 to 23, Phelps trained 365 days a year. He did not take a single day off—not for Sundays, Christmas, his birthday, or vacations. Coach Bowman calculated that training on Sundays alone provided Phelps with 52 extra days of preparation each year compared to his competitors. Over a five-year training cycle, this amounted to a full extra year of elite preparation. While we must guard against letting spiritual disciplines turn into performance, the principle remains: remarkable growth is built on the daily schedule. Spiritual maturity is not developed through occasional, dramatic emotional experiences, but through the consistent, quiet monotony of daily spiritual rhythms.
Cultivating Practical Spiritual Disciplines
How do we translate this into our modern schedules? As we transition into new seasons, such as the natural routines of autumn, we have an excellent opportunity to audit and reset our calendars. If we claim we do not have enough time to pray or read Scripture, we must confront what theologian John Piper noted about social media: the invention of platforms like social media is ultimate proof that we have plenty of time. Our weekly screen-time metrics reveal that we do not lack time; we lack intentionality.
To build a routine of spiritual training, consider integrating these practical disciplines into your daily life:
Reviewing Sermon Notes: Keep your notebook open, underline key passages in your Bible, and review your notes throughout the week to let the truths sink deep into your heart.
Memorizing Scripture: Hiding God’s Word in your heart is a powerful defense against temptation. Start with small sections, such as a verse a week from Philippians 3.
Keeping a Prayer Journal: Write down your prayers and track how and when God answers them. This builds a tangible history of God's faithfulness.
Leveraging Technology: Set recurring prayer alarms on your phone or watch to prompt you to pause, step away from your work, and connect with God throughout the day.
Worshiping on the Go: Use headphones to fill your mind with worship music while commuting or doing chores.
Pillar 2: Pursuing Godly Influences and Protecting Your Heart
Spiritual growth is not a solo sport. In Philippians 3:17, Paul writes, "Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us." Who you surround yourself with will inevitably determine who you become. The journey to maturity requires us to be highly intentional about our relationships and influences.
The Power of Close Imitation
Paul invites the Philippian believers to imitate him. But you cannot imitate someone simply by watching them on a stage on Sunday mornings. To truly learn from a mature believer, you need to see them in their natural environment. You need to see them have dinner with their family, watch how they interact with their spouse and children, observe how they handle the stress of their job, and navigate everyday trials.
This level of imitation requires vulnerability and proximity. Unfortunately, modern culture pushes us to be deeply private. We are comfortable gathering in rows on Sunday, but we resist letting people see the "real" us on Mondays. True discipleship happens when we open our lives, inviting others to walk alongside us in the unpolished realities of daily life.
Understanding Private vs. Public Currency
To highlight the profound impact of peer influence, consider a psychological study conducted by Florida Atlantic University. The study examined how different types of peers shape our behavior, identifying two distinct types of "currency" that operate in our social spheres:
Private Currency: This encompasses our internal emotional struggles, academic and personal integrity, core life problems, and how we respond to adversity. The study revealed that our close, face-to-face friends are the ones who monitor and shape our private currency. They are the ones who influence our character, our values, and our deepest habits.
Public Currency: This includes outward appearance, social media management, status-seeking behaviors, and material acquisitions. The study showed that social media influencers and popular peers—whom we do not actually know intimately—only influence our public currency. They make us desire what they have and drive us toward status-seeking behaviors, but they have zero positive impact on our internal character.
This distinction underscores why small groups are absolutely vital for spiritual maturity. We need close, godly, face-to-face Christian friends who can observe our actions, encourage us when we struggle, and celebrate our spiritual victories. If your closest friends are not believers, you do not need to abandon them, but you must intentionally limit their influence over your heart. You should live as a model of Christ for them, rather than letting their earthly priorities pull you down.
Guarding Against Earthly-Mindedness
Paul contrasts godly examples with those who walk as "enemies of the cross of Christ". Through tears, Paul warns that their end is destruction, because "their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things."
What does it mean for someone's god to be their "belly"? It means they are entirely ruled by their earthly appetites, living to satisfy their temporary desires and worldly pleasures. An earthly-minded person makes this present world the absolute center of their life—their desires, identity, ambitions, satisfaction, and hope are entirely bound to the things of this world.
We can easily diagnose our own hearts by looking at what metrics we use to measure our lives:
Earthly Metrics: Is money your primary measure of success? Is physical pleasure your source of happiness? Is human approval the ultimate source of your self-worth?
Kingdom Metrics: Is your primary measure of success your walk with God? Is your source of happiness the fact that your massive debt of sin has been freely and fully forgiven? Is your sense of worth rooted in the reality that Jesus loved you, died in your place, and called you His own?
Pillar 3: Living with an Eternal Perspective
The final step in the journey to maturity is shifting our perspective from the temporary to the eternal. Paul provides a glorious contrast to the earthly-minded: "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ..."
This statement carried massive political and social weight for the Philippians. Philippi was a Roman colony, and its citizens were fiercely proud of their Roman status, dressing, acting, and living in a way that broadcast their allegiance to Rome. But Paul tells them that their true allegiance belongs to a far greater kingdom. They are not ruled by Caesar; they are ruled by Jesus.
Hardship and the "Basic Training" of Life
When we recognize that our citizenship is in heaven, it completely reframes how we experience suffering and hardship on earth. We can compare the Christian life to military basic training. When a recruit joins the military, they voluntarily subject themselves to intense hardship and strict discipline. They do not complain because they entered the environment willingly, knowing that the hardship is temporary and serves a far greater, long-term goal of preparing them to serve their country.
As Christians, we must view our earthly trials through this exact lens. Our lives on earth are a mere drop in the ocean compared to the tens of thousands of years we will spend in eternity. Because our citizenship is secure and cannot be stripped away by any earthly kingdom, we are free to live with a holy abandonment toward God, enduring temporary hardships with our eyes fixed on our eternal home.
Resurrection: Restoration, Not Just Consolation
This eternal hope is the promise of physical, glorious resurrection. In Philippians 3:21, Paul writes that Jesus "will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." This resurrection is the ultimate resolution to the brokenness of this world. In his book The Reason for God, theologian Tim Keller beautifully articulated this biblical hope:
"The biblical view of things is resurrection... Not a future that is just a consolation of the life we've never had but a restoration of the life you've always wanted. This means that every horrible thing that has ever happened will not only be undone and repaired but will in some way make the eventual glory and joy even greater."
This is the promise that keeps us moving forward. Every physical ailment, every broken relationship, and every dynamic of suffering we experience on earth will not just be smoothed over—it will be completely undone, repaired, and woven into a glory that far surpasses our current imagination.
Conclusion: Activating Your Journey to Maturity
As we look at the high standard of spiritual maturity laid out in Scripture, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. The truth is, you don't have what it takes on your own. Here is a sobering quote from the Puritan theologian John Owen:
"A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit."
If you try to achieve spiritual growth through sheer willpower, you will fail. True spiritual growth is not a self-improvement project; it is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. If you do not know Jesus, the invitation today is to stop striving to earn God’s favor and instead repent, receive His forgiveness, and let Him make you His own.
For those who are in Christ, the call is to step out of spiritual passivity and step into intentional partnership with the Holy Spirit. As you plan your calendar and orient your schedule for the upcoming season, make an intentional decision to prioritize your soul. Commit to a small group, set a prayer alarm on your phone, open your sermon notes, and begin straining forward, day by day, toward the prize that awaits you in eternity.
The journey to maturity is not complicated or mystical. It is simply a daily, faithful decision to live for God instead of self, serving others, and trusting the Holy Spirit to transform you bit by bit. Make that decision today. Write down your spiritual goals, organize your schedule, and take your next step on the journey.