Every Christian desires to grow in Christ and His ways, but not everyone experiences growth or at least at the rate they would like it to happen. No matter how hard they try, some find it hard to grow or find it hard to grow fast enough to be able fulfill God's call in their lives.
The problem is not really much in the desire to grow because everyone desires to become better and to not stay stagnant in their faith. The threshold of spiritual maturity, however, is limited by our willingness to change.
Here is the hard truth: People want to grow, but they are unwilling to change -- to change their sinful nature, to change the contents of their heart or to change their beliefs.
2 Peter 3:18 tells us, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." We are called to grow in the grace and saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and His grace will always cause internal change. To resist change is to resist the power of the gospel.
God is calling a change of heart
Another common misconception that blinds us from the truth is that God is calling for external change -- for us to follow a set of rules and regulations. Jeremiah 4:14 says, "O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved."
We can change our behavior all we want, but unless there is an internal change of the heart by the removing of sinful desires and the in-filling of God's presence in us, there will be no real and lasting change. A change of the external produces Pharisees, while a change of the internal creates believers of Christ.
God is asking us to allow Him to change us
Acknowledging that we are to receive a change of heart is only the beginning. The real question really is who is the one who will change it for us? Although our willingness to change is the starting point, we definitely cannot change our own hearts.
The psalmist king David once said in Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Only Christ can change our hearts, and all we are to do is give Him full control and full access to it.
The Gospel is our key to growth
When we get tired of hearing the message of salvation thinking we already know that Jesus died for us, we miss the point. Christ's death, burial and resurrection are not only the starting point, but the formula to every day of our lives. We are transformed, healed and liberated by the power of the cross.
I need the cross today just as much as I needed it the moment I gave my life to Christ, and I will continue to need the redemptive work of Christ in every area of my life. It is the key to lasting change that starts internally and moves on to fruits brought about by the Holy Spirit.
