If You're Seeing These Signs, You're Growing in the Spirit

But you might be surprised to learn that many times it's not that spiritual growth isn't happening, but it's rather that it's so gradual that many Christians don't see it. I wanna help you see it by giving you signs that you're growing spiritually. Let's begin by laying a foundation here. Go with me to Hebrews chapter 5. I'm gonna begin reading at verse number 12. You have been believers for so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn't know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. Hebrews 6:1. So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. Now here, the writer of Hebrews isn't trying to communicate the idea that we shouldn't repeat the gospel or hear truth again and again. Rather, it's that we mustn't forget those basic things as we move on to maturity. But every believer has the responsibility to respond to what God is calling them to do, to obey how the Holy Spirit is leading them. So you, as a Christian, must choose to submit to God's process of maturing you. Now we know that we should mature, but often we become discouraged because, as I said a moment ago, we're not really seeing the progress that we wanna see? Why is it that we become so frustrated with ourselves? Why is it that we can serve God for several years and seemingly see no progress? Well, again, this is because in many instances, now this is not every case, but in many instances, because it's happening over time, over several years. You see, when you first got saved, that spiritual growth you experienced from when you first got saved for maybe the first 6 to 9 months, there was rapid development because everything was new. The foundation was being laid. There was a quick work happening. Now, this isn't to say that God stops working in our lives or that we should lose the fire or the passion, not at all, that's not what I'm saying. But this is to say that over time, the change becomes in many instances more gradual. And so you're not, it's not that you're not growing, it could be that you're not seeing it. So here are some of the indicators, some of the signs that show that you actually are growing spiritually. So do some honest self-assessment as we move through these. Number 1, you forgive like Christ forgave. This is to mature in forgiveness and in grace. Luke 23:33-37 say this, when they came to the place called the Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified, one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, Father, forgive them, For they know not what they are doing. And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. He saved others, they said, let him save himself if he is really God's Messiah, the chosen one. The soldiers mocked him too by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself. So here in the midst of Jesus's struggle and pain, While he is being crucified, while he is being tortured, people are mocking him. But even in the midst of this pain, Jesus says, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing. That's grace. That's to forgive. That is divine love. Now, nobody was treated worse than Jesus. So we are without excuse when we are offended, when we are hurt, when we are taken advantage of. Now, by no means am I saying that you should continue to allow people to mistreat you unnecessarily, or that you should allow for people to take advantage of you in unhealthy ways. It's healthy to set good boundaries. It's healthy to put your distance between you and maybe someone who is not treating you properly. I understand that. But at the same time, we have to remember that we are called to forgive like Christ forgave. Now, culture doesn't like this. Modern-day culture is more about revenge than it is forgiveness, but this is a biblical Christian principle that we forgive with a divine grace. So if you notice that you're able to let things go more easily, that you're not really holding grudges like you used to, that you're being gracious with people and giving them other opportunities to make things right, that's a sign that you're maturing in your faith. in your faith, that you're growing spiritually. Number 2, and now this is a big one, you can receive correction. This demonstrates humility. Before Christ, maybe you always wanted to win the argument. Maybe you always wanted to prove the point. Maybe you wanted others to look to you as intelligent or the smartest person in the room. But as you begin to walk with Christ, you mature to the place Where it's no longer the most important thing to you to be right all the time, but now you actually begin to receive correction. Proverbs 9:8-9 says this, so don't bother correcting mockers. They will only hate you, but correct the wise and they will love you. Instruct the wise and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous and they will learn. Even more. Righteous people not only tolerate correction, they welcome it. Why? Because it means that they're being purified through that correction. You have to be able to admit that perhaps you were wrong about that doctrinal stance. Perhaps you were wrong about a particular situation where there was conflict. And by the way, maybe even you have to go back and apologize to people. You have to be able to admit that you were wrong, maybe about a person. For example, I see my friends attacked all the time on social media. I'll read snarky comments under my friends' content. They'll say things like, well, this person was already exposed by this person. And I'm thinking they were exposed or they were slandered? And they'll say, do your research on these people. Well, by that, they mean watch a bunch of videos criticizing them. And we can be so dismissive in that way, Never ready or never willing to admit that maybe we got it wrong. Maybe you just believed the hype. Maybe you fell into conspiracy theory Christianity, and now you're being slanderous toward a man or woman of God. You need to be able to admit that you were wrong about that. Now, I understand there is such a thing as heresy, and there are false teachers for sure, but this doesn't mean that we're always right on that. I know I myself have been skeptical of people, even a little critical of people where later on I learned actually they were true men and women of God. Actually, I was wrong about the situation and we have to be able to receive correction. So again, not just about that one instance, but that's actually something that's quite common that I see in the church today. And then when they find out that they were wrong about that man or woman of God, they'll say something to try to save face. They'll say, well, I don't know, something still seems off about this. And that of course is a lack of humility, that's ego. Maybe you were wrong, speaking of other situations now, about your approach, about your attitude, about what you did. You need to be able to receive correction. And if you notice that you're correctable, that you're teachable, in fact, bonus points for being someone who actually seeks out learning, who actually asks for help, that right there is a sign that you're maturing in Christ. This is graciousness. This is humility. You're able to receive correction. Number 3, you're not easily offended. Hebrews 12:14-15 say this, work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out That no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Now notice that bitterness here is referred to as a poisonous root, meaning bitterness is the source of many damaging things. Bitterness can cause other ungodly things to grow. Out of bitterness comes contention. Out of bitterness comes pride. Out of bitterness comes slander. Out of bitterness comes immature actions that ultimately bring damage to your relationships in the kingdom of God. Remember, paranoia is not discernment. We have so many believers who are so worried about so many things. They're wound up and tense and angry and critical. Why? Because they've been hurt. And because they've been hurt, they've built up walls in their heart and they're hyper-paranoid. And they're looking out for anything and everything that can possibly harm them. And so they're very, very touchy about everything. Now, this is not a healthy way to live. And again, you need to do some healthy self-assessment. Ask yourself, was that church environment toxic, or did they just speak a truth that I didn't like? Was the individual actually, as many would say, gaslighting me? This is a common term thrown around. And I find that these terms are often used to shift blame around. We, as Christians, We don't have a victim mindset. We as Christians have the victor's mindset. So you'll notice that often this term, and especially in this generation, gaslighting, gaslighting, what do people mean by that? Well, it's true that sometimes gaslighting takes place, but not every time someone disagrees with us is that gaslighting. Not every time someone pushes back on something that we believe is that gaslighting. Sometimes that's just disagreement. But again, if we're not careful, we can allow the hurt in our heart to make us so touchy, so paranoid, so ready to criticize that we become filled with bitterness, we're easily offended. So perception of the offense is different than the offense itself. And you have to realize that there's always gonna be a balance between people when it comes to a conflict. Whenever you find yourself at odds with a brother or sister in Christ, maybe at your local church, maybe in your family, you find yourself at odds with someone, You have to remember that there's the way you perceive it, there's the way they perceive it, and somewhere most likely in the middle is the truth, is reality. And we have to recognize that different people have different perspectives. Not that everyone can be right about everything all the time, but that we can question things without questioning each other's motives. We can question things without assuming the worst about each other. And this is what it means to live at peace with one another. You need to learn to let things go. And if you're finding that you're able to let things go, if you're finding that you're able to give people the benefit of the doubt, if you're finding that you don't always assume people's motives, like they didn't shake my hand, so surely they meant this, or they looked at me kind of funny, so surely they were thinking these thoughts toward me, right? That's this kind of paranoia I wanna address. And again, let me balance this. Don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying stuff like that doesn't ever happen where people are mean, Or people are rude, or people talk bad about you. That happens, of course. But what I am saying is that when we jump to worst-case scenario thinking, because we're so easily offended, that's a sign that we're not maturing. So a sign that you are maturing is that you're not jumping to that worst-case scenario. You're approachable. People don't feel like they're walking on eggshells with you to where you're always moody and angry. And that is because as you're growing, you're not easily offended. Number 4, You're calm and kind under pressure. Galatians 5:22-23 say this, but the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things. So notice here that the scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit produces peace. Well, that's despite the pressures that come against us. I recall a story about a gentleman who was on a plane that needed to refuel, but they weren't able to land. I believe it was because of a storm, but whatever the reason, they were preparing to crash land or possibly have to crash land. That never actually ended up being the case, but they were preparing for the possibility of it. And so the people on the plane are all being woken up. They go to wake up this man and they say, listen, we're preparing for a crash landing potentially. and there could be some issue that we run into, so we're preparing everyone in the cabin. And he says, Jesus slept through the storm, I'll sleep through this. Well, talk about being calm under pressure. That's proof that you're maturing. Maybe just a little while ago, months ago, years ago, any type of inconvenience came up and you just lost your mind. Maybe there was, there was an issue where the plans went a little differently and you just became all wound up and tense. But now, maybe if the plans change, maybe if things don't go as you desire, maybe if there are some disappointments, some upsets, some inconveniences, instead of freaking out, now you keep your calm. You know the Lord's got it. And while others around you are losing their minds, you're staying calm and they're able to approach you for prayer, for counsel. You become grounded in the Lord himself. And because of that, you're stable now. Well, that's a sign that you're maturing, and you have to celebrate those wins. So instead of saying, well, I'm not as calm as I want to be, well, thank God you're not as tense as you used to be. You're responding a little better to these situations. You're able to keep the pace of grace, even in the midst of struggle and chaos. And you're still kind under that pressure. Remember this, pressure breeds hurry and harshness. Let me say that again. We need to catch this now. Pressure breeds hurry and harshness. Sometimes when we get under pressure, we have work responsibilities, responsibilities at home, responsibilities with the family, responsibilities in our ministries. We get so wound up by all of these responsibilities. The pressure gets, gets on us to such a way where now we become moody. We're short with people. We're not really communicating like we should with those around us. Maybe while talking with people, our mind is somewhere else. Well, That's a sign that the pressure is getting to you. But you'll notice that as you mature, even under pressure, you can pause to be kind. Even under pressure, your tone of voice is soft. Even under pressure, you're being patient with people. Even under pressure, you're not rushing beyond people as if they're not important. Why? Because you're maturing now, because there's strength coming to you. Here's a good sign here. Have you noticed that as you grow in Christ, people find you more approachable, even though you're under a lot of pressure? Maybe back then people were afraid to do this. They knew, oh, don't go near so-and-so because they're under a lot of pressure right now. But now people can't even tell when you're under pressure anymore. Maybe they don't quite see it as obviously now, and that's a good thing because even under pressure, you're staying kind. So you're calm and kind under pressure. Now, the next sign I wanna show you, this is a little bit difficult for some because it's very easy. In fact, it's human nature to focus on the negative. I'm gonna share that next sign with you, but first, If you're being challenged by this content, make sure to leave a like. And by leaving that like, you're actually helping us to spread this livestream even further so that more people can see it. Also, if you want more teachings on spiritual growth and you wanna see videos of the power of the Holy Spirit in action, then make sure you subscribe to my channel. And don't forget to click that notification bell when you subscribe so that you don't miss any of the content coming your way from this channel. Okay, number 5, as I said, a little bit difficult, why? Because it's human nature to look at only the negative. Number 5, you're thankful in trials. This is big. This is, this, I mean, these are all big, but this is a good sign right here. Now you're learning to let go of mindsets like entitlement. Those old attitudes are beginning to melt away. The Holy Spirit's doing a work in you. James 1:2-4. Dear brothers and sisters, When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow. For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. Consider it an opportunity for joy when troubles come my way? That doesn't even sound possible. let alone desirable. And this is a tough scripture to receive because the Bible is telling us to consider the trials an opportunity for joy. It's not saying be happy about the trials themselves, but be happy about the opportunity that the trials are presenting to you. That is, this now is a chance to make an offering to God that costs you something. I want you to hear this, believer, to give an offering to God that costs you something. I'm not talking about money. I'm talking about the heart of worship. I'm talking about an attitude. I'm talking about you worshiping God in the midst of the wilderness. You thanking God for his presence, even when everything else around you is being stripped from you. Now, some believers wait until God answers their every prayer before they allow themselves to be thankful. They're not settled in their hearts. They're living in the next moment always, never present, just dissatisfied, frustrated, wanting to move on to the next thing, distracted in the mind. Why? Because they're living in a future ideal situation that doesn't even exist yet because they're trying to escape their present troubles. And they say, well, you know, I'm thankful, but I'm not really settled. I'm not really, I'm not really focused on that right now. I'm just kinda, I wanna get there and then I'll settle my heart and be thankful to God. Then I'll settle down and pursue the call of God. You're waiting until you meet the right person to marry. You're waiting until you finish school and graduate. You're waiting until you get that job or that promotion. You're waiting until you close on the house. You're waiting until you move to that state you've been wanting to move to. And all the while, well, if I reach my health goals, if I reach my financial goals, if I reach my relationship goals, Once I'm there, once I get to that place, then I can settle my heart, I can be thankful, and I can begin to enjoy the life that God has given to me. My friend, if you live that way, you're always gonna be waiting for the next thing to be grateful, because there's always something more, even when you get what you've always wanted. So even if you meet those goals, you're gonna get to that place, and you're gonna find that there are 10 more things that spring out of having met that goal, that now you're worried about. So instead of being worried about all those things, instead of feeling entitled, like God has to answer your every request, like God has to do everything just as you desire he do it, this is no way to live. This is to live out of entitlement. We feel like God owes us the miracle. And if he doesn't do it, we say things like, well, God never answers my prayers, or God's never there for me, or God's abandoned me, or God's been ignoring me for 20 years, 30 years. God is not ignoring anyone for 20, 30 years. What's happening is people aren't seeing his responses because they're so focused on the negative. I know that that's offensive to some, but I'm telling you this because I love you. You may be saying things like that, God has ignored me for 20 years. God has not responded to me in 30 years. Oh, decades I've been praying, or years I've been praying. God doesn't do anything for me. Almost like feeling sorry for yourself. Well, my friend, your trials are an opportunity to praise God. And if what I'm saying is offending you, then you need to receive this truth more than anyone. Because as you mature in Christ, you're gonna find that there will always be a reason to feel down if you look for it. And there will always be a reason to be grateful if you look for it. I'm not saying you can't have emotions. I'm not saying you can't be frustrated. I'm not saying you can't experience sorrow. Jesus himself wept. I'm saying that we have to change the attitude from entitlement to thankfulness. We have to learn to be grateful for what God is doing in our lives and around us. Now, the believer who's maturing, you're gonna find that you're thankful for this one thing, the presence of the Lord. You know, I'm content because he said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. Take anything and everything else, but don't take the presence. And if you have the presence, you have all the reason you need to be grateful. The believer who matures in this way, they don't allow doubt to overtake them. Some Christians, Because they don't get everything how they want it, when they want it, the miracle in the way they perceived it would come. Now they allow doubt to creep in. They begin to doubt God's love, God's ability, because they're basing what they think about God on his actions rather than who he is. And they don't get angry with God. Maybe before you noticed that if things didn't go your way, the first thing you did was get mad at God. And now you're noticing you're just thanking him for his presence. Well, that's a sign that you're maturing spiritually. So, so far we've seen signs that you're maturing spiritually. You forgive like Christ forgave. You can receive correction. You're not easily offended. You're calm and kind under pressure. You're thankful in trials. Now watch this, number 6, here's another sign of spiritual maturity. You rejoice when others are blessed. Romans 12:15 says, be happy with those who are happy. and weep with those who weep. This is empathy. This is compassion. Now, 1 Corinthians 3:2-3 say this, I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another. Notice here that this reference to maturity is mentioning jealousy. Jealousy, envy, competitiveness, the unhealthy, ungodly ambition, those are signs of spiritual immaturity. Let's start again, verse 2. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. In other words, you haven't been maturing. And you still aren't ready. And he gives the reason why he says they're not ready. For you are still controlled by your sinful nature. What's a manifestation of that? Right here. you are jealous of one another and you quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world? Wow. Jealousy is not for the Christian. Jealousy proves you're living like people of the world. Jealousy proves you're not maturing in the faith. Therefore, the inverse would have to be true. If you're rejoicing now when others get blessed, something's changed in you. You see, maybe before, someone got a new car, someone got that job you wanted, someone got married when you've been waiting in your singleness for quite some time, somebody got blessed in ministry, somebody's ministry is becoming fruitful, yours is still kind of struggling, at least in the way you perceive it. Okay, maybe the old you would have been upset, But now the new you doesn't get jealous, you get inspired. You rejoice with others, you celebrate their wins. That's true Christianity, to look at others and rejoice. Why? Because ultimately your brothers and sisters are advancing. Ultimately, the kingdom of God is moving forward. Ultimately, God is getting glory, and in that we rejoice. You're no longer competitive or giving these passive-aggressive comments when people are blessed, and as human nature sometimes does. And you no longer fear lack just because others are succeeding. That's a scarcity mindset where we think that if God's blessing others, surely he must be taking something from me. But now you're beginning to rejoice with others. That is a sign that you are maturing spiritually. So Father, I pray you would help your people to recognize these signs as well as the others. I pray, Lord, that you would cause us to be encouraged to know That You are in fact completing that work within us. Give them faith, encourage them, uplift them, strengthen them for the days ahead. And Lord, we praise You that You are the potter and we are the clay. May we yield daily to the work of Your hand. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. 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