GROW in the Lord

Spoke at the baptism service of our church last Saturday where 11 candidates were baptised.  Here is the gist of what was delivered:

"And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.  Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.  Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."   Col 2:6-7 (NLT)

I would like to share 4 ways (there are more of course) in which we can grow in our faith and walk with God, eventually becoming a mighty man or woman of God.  To help you in your memory, I shall use the acronym, GROW.

Grace and knowledge of God (2 Pet 3:18); grace has to do with cultivating the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Gal 5:22) in which God wants us to grow into Christ-likeness.  Knowledge here has to do with knowing God personally and not knowing about Him. This is accomplished through reading/listening to God's Word and praying to Him.  As we get to know God and His expectations of us, we would be transformed to become more and more like Him.  


Relationships - we grow in the company of the godly; that's where fellowship with God's people is vital.  Where there're hurts and ill-feeling towards others, it has to be replaced with forgiveness and reconciliation.  Where a wrong has been done to other people, we have to seek forgiveness and provide restitution, if necessary.  As we relate to people, we grow to become like God in displaying unconditional love to one another.

Obedience - King Saul through disobedience forfeited the throne.  David through obedience was know as a man after God's heart.  Both men committed grievous sins before the Lord but what distinguishes David from Saul was his response to the Holy Spirit's conviction.  Likewise, to grow in our faith, we need to learn obedience, just as Christ did at the cross (Heb 5:7-8).  We'll fail many times in the tests of obedience, however, God expects us to repent and seek Him again.


Witness - we witness by our words and works.  Words - telling others that we are Christians, how God has saved and transformed us. It may also mean a change of vocabulary where once 4-letter words were the norm.  It may also mean an end to being part of a gossip chain or spouting lies and half-truths.  Works - no longer participating in what is not acceptable eg. patronising pub, gambling den, visiting questionable websites, etc.  It may also mean leaving a place of employment that promotes nicotine for instance.  It may also mean parting company with people who would influence us in a negative way.


The ultimate goal of a Christian is to grow to become like Jesus Christ, reflecting God's glory on earth as it is found in heaven.  Christians mean "little Christs".  May we all increasingly reflect God's glory!