Stan & Lana Putalov – Founders & Senior Leaders of Jesus Unltd & GodIsGoodTV Satellite Television Network
Dear Friends and Partners,
Let us take a moment to ask yourselves: are we growing spiritually? Maybe at some point you lost your interest in spiritual things, and now you go to church just out of habit. But each of us should pursue spiritual maturity and not remain spiritual children.
Spiritual growth is a supernatural process. It is a miracle from God. At the same time, we also play a role in how quickly we grow—or how we lose closeness with God and begin to drift. If your Bible is covered in dust, you are depriving yourself of spiritual nourishment. You cannot move toward maturity without it.
Let’s remember that there are three spiritual stages: spiritual children, young believers, and spiritual fathers. Each stage reflects where we are and shows what we need to work on.
Who are spiritual children? They are believers who are just starting their journey of faith. Every stage has strengths and weaknesses. The strength of new believers is that they are open and receptive. Like a sponge, they absorb what God wants to place in their hearts. They gladly read the New Testament and want to know God better.
But they also have weaknesses. They cannot yet feed themselves spiritually. They need someone to explain spiritual truths in a way they can understand. They depend on those who teach them God’s Word. New believers need care, because they are not yet ready to serve others.
They also struggle with sinful habits. Their thinking and behavior often don’t match Scripture. Many areas of their lives are not yet transformed by God’s Word.
That’s why the apostle Peter says: “As newborn babies cannot live without milk, so you cannot live without the Word of God. Love the Word of God and feed on this pure spiritual milk so that you can grow spiritually and gain salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).
New believers must learn to digest God’s Word, not reject it. They need to think about it and act on it. Then they will grow and move forward in their faith.
As a person grows, they reach the next stage. What is the difference between spiritual children and young believers?
The Bible says: “Young believers, I want to remind you once again that you have overcome Satan, because God’s Word has filled your hearts and made you strong” (1 John 2:14).
As people grow spiritually, they learn to resist the attacks of the enemy with God’s Word. At this stage, they can apply Scripture in real life. They begin to overcome sinful habits. They can also support others and help guide them in faith.
But this stage has its challenges too. Just like young people in the natural world struggle with authority, young believers may question others’ decisions. They want independence. They may think they already know everything. Even though they have grown, they still need mentors to guide and support them.
Friends, think again: are you growing spiritually? Let’s look honestly at ourselves. The Bible says:
The people of this world created their own ideals and values that are contrary to God’s Word. So do not love the world or what it offers you. But the one who puts worldly values first rejects the love of God the Father and does not understand how much God loves him. These are the things that the people of this world value. They follow the lustful desires that their sinful nature drives them to do. They envy the success of others and brag about their achievements to create an image of success and impress others. These things have nothing to do with God the Father. Only the people of this world live like that. The time will come when the values of this world and its sinful desires will disappear. But those who do the will of God will live forever. (1 John 2:15–17)
Now ask yourself a simple question: how much do you love God? And how much do you hate sin? If you are growing in Christ, your love for God will increase. Your attachment to the world will weaken. Remember, every sinful desire can be defeated by the power of God’s Word. Do not ignore Scripture. Speak it with faith. Then sinful habits will lose their power over you.
Each of us must dedicate ourselves to the Lord, no matter where we are spiritually. Follow Jesus with your whole heart. And you will see how radical dedication opens the door to radical transformation in your life.
#FromHeartToHeart Stan & Lana
Founders & Senior Leaders of Jesus Unltd
& GodIsGoodTV Satellite Television Network
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