WHY SOME FAIL TO GROW Post 4

The Ongoing Struggle

The distinguishing mark of spiritual adolescence according to 1 John 2:13-14 is victory over the Evil One. We can conclude from this that normal spiritual development is characterized by growth in obedience as well as growth in knowledge. The believer's skill in say­ing no to sin and yes to God increases as he or she progresses in the Christian life. This does not necessarily mean that our struggle with the flesh diminishes as we mature. In some cases it may even grow more intense. This is because understanding of sin deepens as we mature, to the point where it not only includes our actions but also the motives that prompt them.
One obvious implication of this is that not every Christian is in the same place spiritually. Spiritual growth is progressive. It moves from infancy to adulthood. We shouldn't be too surprised, then, to find a range of spiritual levels in the church. The church's strategy for disci­pleship must take this into account by providing a range of opportu­nities for believers at every level of development. This is also good to know if I am at an early stage in my spiritual development.
Perhaps you are someone who has just recently trusted in Christ and is feeling a little frustrated. It may seem to you as if everyone else is confident and self-assured in their Christian experience. You have thousands of questions about your faith, and others do not appear to have any. You struggle with the changes you need to make in your life, and they do not appear to share your struggle. Some of the things that you read in Scripture seem so lofty that you fear you will never understand them. If this sounds like your situation, don't become dis­couraged. In time you will grow. It is very likely that you have already grown more than you realize.