New Testament Growth in Christ: From Foundation to Fullness
The Foundation: A New Creation
The inception of growth in Christ is marked by a radical spiritual new birth, a foundational shift that defines the Christian experience. It is not merely a moral reformation, but a divine act of creation. The apostle Paul declares this truth in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." This new creation is initiated by faith in Jesus Christ, where believers are justified and reconciled to God through His sacrifice.
This new birth is often described as being "born a new" or "born of the Spirit," as Jesus explains to Nicodemus in John 3:3-6: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born a new he cannot see the kingdom of God... That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." This spiritual birth provides the very seed of divine life, establishing the believer's identity in Christ and setting the stage for subsequent development. The Holy Spirit, promised by Christ, indwells the believer at this foundational stage, serving as a down payment and guarantor of future inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). This initial indwelling empowers the believer and acts as the primary agent of growth and transformation.
Paul writes there are three foundational principles of growth; new birth of the spirit, faith, and love. In Ephesians 3: 16-19 he explains what is essential to growth; praying that God grants the church strength through the spirit in the inner being, Christ dwelling in the heart through faith, and rooted in love, so to be filled to the fullness of God. Paul write In Colossians 2:7,
"just as receiving Christ Jesus the Lord [through faith], also walk in him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught…”
Have you been taught this? Do you have such a foundation? To be born of the Spirit, rooted and built up and established in faith, and rooted and founded in love. You will need a firm foundation to endure to endure the thorns so to grow up to fullness.
Maturity Through Endurance: The Process of Sanctification
Once established in Christ, the journey of growth moves into a continuous process of sanctification, where the believer is being conformed to the image of Christ. This is not an instantaneous event but a gradual, often trying, transformation, renewing of the mind. It is in this phase that "maturity through endurance" becomes paramount. James states endurance has this intended purpose of maturing us.
"My brother when you encounter various trials know that the proving of your faith works out endurance, now, having endurance you have its intended purpose, so that you exist mature and whole, lacking in nothing,” James 1:1-4.
The New Testament consistently emphasizes the necessity of perseverance through trials and difficulties. Romans 5:3-4 articulates this truth: "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." Here, suffering is not like the world sees it, a detour or just something we bear through, but the trial is a divinely appointed pathway to spiritual maturity. It refines faith, deepens reliance on God, and purifies character, refining and proving us.
Furthermore, this growth is fostered through active engagement with God’s word and the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit. The study and application of God's Word are crucial. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 highlights this: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
As believers actively pursue faith and love and "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” 2 Peter 3:18, the supernatural work of God produces fruit of righteousness or obedience. God disciplines his sons, those he chode, adopted, and loves so we share in his divine nature, Hebrews 12:6. Jesus said he is the Vine and that like a branch if we abide in him we will bear fruit, John15:4-5. Maturity in Christ that bears fruit of God is really the difference between true obedience which produces works that glorify God and works of self-righteousness.
Being a son is different from being a child. A child needs to be rooted in his spiritual identity, faith, and love, of knowing the Father and that his sins are forgiven, 1 John 2:12-14. A child has testimony from God, “the Spirit himself testifies of our spirit because we exist children of God,” Romans 8:16. It is a son who overcomes, thus is obedient, “for those led by the Spirit of God exist the sons of God.” We see in scriptures maturity from, children, to sons, to adults. Fullness is to reach mature adulthood.
This maturity is evidenced by the fruit. Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—as listed in Galatians 5:22-23. These qualities are not merely human efforts but supernatural outgrowths of the God work within the heart and transformative renewing of the mind.
To Fullness of God in Christ: The Ultimate Goal
The ultimate trajectory of New Testament growth is nothing less than attaining the "fullness of God in Christ." This profound aspiration is echoed throughout the epistles, particularly in Paul's writings. It speaks to a comprehensive spiritual maturity, a deep intimacy with God, and a profound resemblance to Christ Himself.
Paul prays for the Ephesian believers in Ephesians 3:17-19: "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the fullness of God."
This "fullness" implies a complete spiritual stature, reflecting the attributes and character of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. It is a state of being completely permeated and controlled by the Spirit, where one's life fully expresses God's purposes and glory.
The goal is not just individual perfection, but also the collective maturity of the Body of Christ. Ephesians 4:13 speaks to this communal aspect: "until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
This vision emphasizes that individual growth contributes to the corporate body reaching its intended potential, reflecting Christ's complete image to the world. This fullness is not a final, static achievement in this life, but an ongoing process culminating in full glorification at Christ's return, where believers will truly be "like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
In conclusion, New Testament growth in Christ is a transformative journey that begins with the divine act of new birth, laying an unshakeable foundation in Christ, rooted in faith and love. It progresses through a trying yet refining process of transformation that renews the mind, where maturity is forged through steadfast endurance in trials and faithful obedience to God's Word.
The ultimate, glorious destination of this spiritual pilgrimage is to be "filled to all the fullness of God," reflecting the very stature of Christ and manifesting His glory, both individually and corporately, until the consummation of all things.