The Process of Spiritual Growth

While analyzing my walk with the Lord I determined that there was a clear path or process that has taken place so we can grow towards completeness in the Lord. This process can take place at any time, and on all the following levels.

When we gain a new “Revelation” of God we can use the newfound truth to help us begin what I call the “THE PROCESS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH”. This process includes: Redemption, Restoration, Manifestation, Testimony, Illumination, and Demonstration. All are examples, which display the goodness and victory of God to people around us.

Being redeemed by the blood of Jesus is often the first step. The redemption of God for us comes through our humility and acceptance of failure so that God becomes our source. He has redeemed us and will reestablish us with a new life that points to His righteousness and goodness as our identity. This redemption replaces our old identity with the identity of Christ. We must surrender the idea that we deserve anything accept what God has for us. This surrender means that Jesus is LORD of our lives. When we surrender in this manner we are in “right” standing with God and He can move on our behalf. We will become at peace with what God has for us and operate in the fruit of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22-25

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The process of redemption is ongoing and is never ending. He completed it once and for all and it is our choice by faith to walk out HIS redemption for us. He is God and He has more than we can possibly receive.

Once we have established humility and identity in Christ, He will also restore us to a place of honor and respect. He is complete and perfect so this restoration is based on our choices. God is not a man and does not change so therefore we are the ones that ultimately control our restoration by simply accepting and following His plan. The new identity of Jesus will become our focal point and it will begin to grow and change the perspective of our identity to the world around us, thus establishing a new position of restoration. This restoration needs to take place, emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, relationally and even financially. God is good and His identity will restore us to amazing levels, built on HIS plan and not our own. We need to remember He is God and He has already finished the work for us.

As our relationship as a Christian grows we begin to see HIS restoration take place in our lives. That restoration is more than complete. The identity that God had for us from the beginning is always greater than our position and even our imagination. He will take us to new heights that will cause us to surrender more and more to HIS goodness.

When we seek God and his identity through redemption and restoration He begins to manifest himself into all areas of our lives. Manifestation is display, demonstration, show, exhibition and presentation. God begins to be on display in the areas of our lives that we choose to let His truth operate instead of our flesh. God will manifest himself all around us and reveal himself to others. His manifestation of Glory is clearly on display and is uncommon to the point that people will recognize that God is at work in your lives.

The manifestation of God will be on display and presented for people. This manifestation, also is associated with our testimony. Testimony is; testament to, proof of, evidence of, attestation to, witness to; confirmation of, verification of, corroboration of; demonstration of, illustration of, indication of. A person can be living the example and also speaking His testimony to others verifying the work that God has done in their lives.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

As we continue to be transformed into the same image from Glory of God the liberty and peace that is on display can cause an illumination of God to flow from you. Illumination is; light, lighting, radiance, gleam, glow, glare; shining, gleaming, glowing; brilliance, luminescence; literary illumining, irradiance.

The illumination of God shines light on the darkness of this world. This illumination is noticeable to others from when the person walks in the room. It can be seen in a person’s eyes and often felt in their touch. Spiritual Illumination comes from a deep relationship with God, humbleness, and a proven faith of God’s grace and love from the individual. This illumination comes with expectancy for God to shine around the person at all times and has nothing to do with the person, but rather his “Relationship” with God spilling over into the world. This type of illumination brings a powerful revelation of Jesus to others and is available to everyone.

Christians demonstrate God’s goodness at many levels throughout their walk. The demonstration of God includes open ministry and testimony that grows into a person’s primary goal. This type of demonstration is on display in a Christian’s life constantly and is available to help others at any given moment. Most people believe that ministry involves standing behind a pulpit. It obviously can be pulpit ministry but it is basically simply demonstrating God to others as their number 1 priority in life. When people are truly seeking God first it is on display in a way that other concede that the person has truly had a life changing experience from God. This demonstration includes a genuine and open love; joy, humility and grace that bring forth a revelation causing people to ask the question, “What does this person have that I don’t?” The answer is Jesus Christ!

As Christians we can do our part in reaching our destiny in the Lord but God is the author and finisher of our faith. He ultimately is the one that is drawing all people to Him by HIS truth. Christians should simply be vessels that have gained the revelation of His love and it is automatically on display in their lives.

If we love God, and seek him first, we can follow this awesome process of growth from Glory to Glory. When this happens people will see Jesus operating in our lives as we grow. During this growth others will see the manifestation of God’s plan actively working in our lives, therefore bringing forth the same revelation to others. When this happens we have reproduced the His plan and nature to the world. Its not necessarily a Christians plan to reveal God to others, it simply happens during the process. God becomes so “real” and awesome that it will spill over to the world around us.

It is obvious that all people are seeking the revelation of Jesus Christ. When the knowledge of God is not on display or available to them they simply don’t know what it is that they seek.

I believe it is God’s plan to reveal himself to everyone. People block this revelation by their selfish desires and they have been deceived to seek other things as their God. John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus is the way!