The Growing Faith of Maturing Disciples

And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him” (Luke 2:39-40).

Jesus grew as any normal child grows. He grew physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But we must not forget that in this Child, God emptied Himself and while still fully God, was born to be fully human like us… “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7). The undeniable evidence that Christ was God incarnate was gradually revealed as He subjected Himself to all the stages of human life. The wisdom and grace of God was revealed in Him as He grew physically. As we reflect on Christ as a child, our Teacher, the Spirit of Truth, shows us how we are to grow as maturing disciples. As we grow up into Christ we become stronger, wiser, more confident Christ followers as we experience the growing faith of maturing disciples.

Maturing disciples grow in obedience to “the Law of the Lord”. The Spirit teaches us through the pen of the Apostle Peter that real disciples are born of God’s Word… “You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). Just as an infant craves the nourishment of a mother’s milk, so true disciples hunger for the spirit-nourishing truth that comes only from the Word of God… “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—  if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3). Evidence of our salvation and growing faith is an ever-increasing hunger for and obedience to the deeper spiritual laws from God’s Word… “Everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:13-14).

Maturing disciples grow in victory over the flesh as we “become strong”. In Christ, God became like us creatures of flesh… “We all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:3). But as we grow up into Christ, like Him, we become stronger in the war between flesh and spirit… “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other” (Galatians 5:17). For growing disciples physical strength really means victory of the sinful desires of the flesh… “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Evidence that we are truly born again is Christ in us giving us the power to crucify the flesh and live in the Spirit… “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

Maturing disciples grow in truth as we are “filled with wisdom”. Genuine disciples have received Christ who embodies the wisdom of God… “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Evidence that we are growing in Christ is we are growing away from the foolishness of the world and we are reflecting the wisdom of God to the physical and spiritual worlds that surround us… “Through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10).

Maturing disciples grow in grace as we experience “the favor of God”. As He grew, Jesus was filled increasingly with the grace of God… “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us… full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Evidence that we are growing disciples of Christ is less of us and an increasing measure of God’s grace in us… “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

As we grow up into Christ we become more confident, effective Christ followers as we experience…

The Growing Faith of Maturing Disciples.