Essay: The keys to spiritual growth

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Growth is an important principle in the natural world and in one's spiritual life too.

The mustard seed is a small seed that grows into a beautiful tree.

"Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." - Jesus Christ

Spiritual growth is the process of fundamental transforma­tion involving drawing closer to God; growing in faith, improving one's character, thoughts and behavior (greater love, wisdom, humility, compassion, etc.), deepening one's understanding and awareness of the divine and how one's thoughts and actions affects others, and living with greater purpose in terms of God's will.[1]

The Apostle Peter wrote:

“ His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 2 Peter 1: 5-8 [2] ”

Contents

Recognize a Christian's purpose in life

Bible verses:

"He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'" - Matthew 22:37 (NRSV)

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-10 (NRSV)

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Spiritual hunger and spiritual growth



"As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?" - Psalm 42:1-2

Articles on spiritual hunger and spiritual growth:

The keys to spiritual growth and Christian maturity

See also: Christianity

"The Resurrection" by Carl Heinrich Bloch.

Christianity.com on the importance of spiritual maturity:

“ Spiritual maturity is something that should be a priority for every Christian. It’s important in our lives for how we serve God, interact with other people, and take care of our families.

Many people claim to be Christians, but there is a difference between being a fan of Jesus and a follower of Jesus.

Our spiritual maturity can define what side of the fence we are on. To be a follower of Jesus is to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him. “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’” (Mark 8:34).[3]

”

Importance of spiritual maturity and the keys to spiritual maturity

Articles and videos on spiritual growth

Articles:

Videos:

Prayer and spiritual growth

Bible verses relating to spiritual growth and Christian maturity

See also: Sovereignty of God and Christian's position in Christ

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time.[4]

Between 5 to 7 billion Bibles have been published.

"His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is blind, suffering from eye disease, forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you." - 1 Peter 1:3-11 (NRSV)

"Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." - 2 Peter 3: 14-18 (NRSV)

"Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness." - Romans 12: 4-8, NRSV

Lists of Bible verses on spiritual growth and Christian maturity

Repentance

The very first public announcement by Jesus Christ
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
— Mark 1:15[5]

See also: Repentance

As far as the New Testament, according to the Greek Orthodox Diocese of America:

“ The Greek term for repentance, metanoia, denotes a change of mind, a reorientation, a fundamental transforma­tion of outlook, of man's vision of the world and of himself, and a new way of loving others and God. In the words of a second-century text, The Shepherd of Hermas, it implies "great understanding," discernment. It involves, that is, not mere regret of past evil but a recognition by man of a dar­kened vision of his own condition, in which sin, by sepa­rating him from God, has reduced him to a divided, auto­nomous existence, depriving him of both his natural glory and freedom. "Repentance," says Basil the Great, "is salvation, but lack of understanding is the death of repentance."[6] ”

Repentance is primarily a change of the heart and mind,[5] or rather a change in the mind (Greek metanoia—meta "change" + noia "mind"); a personal metamorphosis. This is what repentance means in the context of salvation: Luke 13:1-5 "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Jesus is telling the people they need to change the way they think. In this context, a change of mind represents also a reversal of one's previous moral judgment, a repudiation of one's previous behavior.[5] There is a command to believe: "Repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15). How can anyone believe in Christ if they don't change their thinking? No one naturally sees themselves as a sinner; when you repent, you know and realize you're a sinner. You change from thinking "I'm a basically good person." to "I'm a sinner; I need Jesus." That is the third definition of repentance. "Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." John 5:14. "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." John 8:11. "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance" Matthew 3:8. (See Corporal and spiritual works of mercy.)

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." - Matthew 3:1-2 (NRSV)

Repentance is a turning away, to cease. Example: Revelation 2:16 "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth." The Holy Spirit is warning the church of Pergamos to stop their fornication.

Bible verses on repentance

"If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

"Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out." - Acts 3:19 (NRSV)

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." - Matthew 3:1-2 (NRSV)

"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." - Revelation 2:4-5 (NRSV)

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NRSV)

Other Bible verses on repentance

Articles/videos on repentance

Videos on repentance:

Sanctification

The Holy Spirit inhabits all who desire His presence.

See also: Sanctification

Sanctification is a Christian theological concept that refers to the process of becoming holy or sacred, or being set apart for a special purpose for God. It is a gift from God that involves becoming more pure, blameless, and separated from sin.

The Holy Spirit plays a vital and primary role in the process of sanctification, acting as the agent that actively works within a Christian to transform their character. The Holy Spirit makes Christians more like Jesus Christ by enabling and empowering them to resist sin and live a life that is reflective of God's holiness. The Holy Spirit is a driving force behind spiritual growth and development in a Christian's life.[7] The Holy Spirit is a driving force behind spiritual growth and development in a Christian's life.[8]

Saint Paul wrote about the fruit of the Spirit: "By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things." (Galatians 5:22-23 NRSV).

Articles:

Importance of the doctrine of sanctification

The doctrine of sanctification stresses the importance of the ongoing process of being made holy by God. Through this process believers are progressively transformed to live a life more in accordance with God's will, separating themselves from sin and allowing them to become more like Jesus Christ throughout their life. This process results in a closer relationship with God and the promise of eternal life in heaven. It's a key component of Christian growth and living a holy and righteous life.[9][10][11]

Articles on the importance of the doctrine of sanctification

Process of sanctification

John Wesley was the founder of Methodism.

The Holiness Movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism.

Mike Mazzalongo articles on the process of sanctification:

Bible verses on sanctification

Key Bible verses on sanctification

"But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth." - 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NRSV)

"And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." - 1 Corinthians 6:11 (ESV)

"For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." - Hebrews 10:14 (ESV)

"Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." - John 17:17 (ESV)

Pietism and sanctification

See also: Pietism

Pietism has roots in late 17th century German Lutheranism following the Protestant Reformation. Pietism is a Protestant reform movement that emphasizes sanctification (living a holy life),as a result of conversion and spiritual rebirth. Pietists believed that the Holy Spirit transforms people through conversion and that this transformation leads to sanctification. The ongoing theological disputes that were dividing Christianity into competing factions prompted some Christians to emphasize the need for a heartfelt, less intellectually oriented (less "scholastic") faith. In this atmosphere, Pietism was born. In The Oxford Companion to Christian Thought, Trond Enger offers a very favorable view of Pietism and describes it as "the most intense and profound attempt in the history of the church to realize the power of early Christianity."[12]

Benefits of sanctification

Jesus Christ and his apostles taught a gospel of love.[13] For example, the New Testament teaches that a husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25).

1. Access to inheritance: Born-again children of God have an inheritance in Christ, and sanctification secures access to it (Hebrews 12:14; James 2:14-26; Matthew 25:31-40; 1 Timothy 18-20).

2. Improved prayer answers: Avoiding sin and repenting of sin can help answers to prayers from being hindered (1 Peter 3: 7).

3. Character improvement and avoiding sin (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8). One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). See also: Virtue

4. Divine health: Living a holy life, where godliness is a lifestyle, often leads to sounder health and vitality. For example, avoidance of gluttony and Sloth is good for the body.

5. Christlike love and forgiveness: Sanctification manifests itself in Christlike love and forgiveness (1 John 4:7-21). See: Agape

6. Stability and empowerment: Sanctification can make people more stable and less prone to failure (Psalm 1:3; Proverbs 12:24).

7. Empowerment engaging in service: Sanctification empowers people for service such as the Great Commission and good works.

8. Avoidance of God's discipline: God disciplines disobedient children, and may even end their lives on earth if their sin is serious enough (Hebrews 5:6; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 11:29-30).

Article:

Emphasis of pietists

The Pietists emphasize:

  • The importance of right living, characterized by more than just thinking the right things about God by living in ways that demonstrate one's commitment to God.
  • A truly reformed church, characterized by small group Bible studies and increased lay participation in various aspects of ministry
  • Individual devotional lives revolving around Bible study and prayer
  • The importance of a "heart-felt" faith, sometimes called the "new birth."

Key spiritual disciplines

Jesus praying in Gethsemane.

1. Prayer and Christian meditative prayer: Ask for God's presence and transformation. As to be delivered from evil.

2. Bible reading: Better understanding of God and biblical principles; spiritual food to make one spiritually grow and become spiritually stronger; increased faith; and way to better avoid sin. See: Bible reading and human flourishing and The Bible and the word translated understanding

3. Bible study: Studying the Bible is vital because it helps one learn about God and understand how to live a life that is faithful and pleasing to God.

4. Bible memorization: In his 40 days in the desert, Jesus had memorized words of the Bible to rebuke the devil with.

5. Fellowship: A way to find support, encouragement, and accountability in a Christian community

6. Worship: A way to worship God every day and more spontaneous through the development of a better attitude

7. Giving thanks to God. See also: How to be more grateful to God

8. Simplicity: A way to desire less and better prioritize your focus and time better (See also: Time management). Don't allow the affairs of everyday life to entangle you (1 Timothy 2:4)

9. Fasting: surrender to God, cultivate, develop more self-control, strengthen your relationship with Christ and be more willing to accept suffering. See also: Bible verses on fasting - NRSV

10. Silence: A way to find inner seclusion and better hear the voice of the Holy Spirit

11. Generosity and serving others: Give and it shall be given to you. Spiritual growth and blessing can come from generosity.

12. Journaling related to spiritual growth: A way to question your heart, test your various desires, and confront them with the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God

Key Christian spiritual disciplines articles

Theological virtues of faith, hope and love

See also: Virtue

A summary of William E. Mann's work Theological Virtues indicates:

“ The three theological virtues of faith, hope and love, referred to frequently by the apostle Paul in his letters, play an indispensable role in Christian theorizing about a person’s duties with respect to God. Thomas Aquinas is responsible for the most thorough and influential philosophical theory of the theological virtues. According to him, faith, hope and love are virtues because they are dispositions whose possession enables a person to act well to achieve a good thing – in this case, the ultimate good of salvation and beatitude. Without them, people would have neither the awareness of nor the will to strive for salvation. Despite the fact that they are infused in persons by God’s grace, one can wilfully and culpably fail to let them develop.[14] ”

Increasing biblical love

Bible verses on love

Articles on increasing biblical love

Loving of God:

Loving your neighbor as yourself:

Having faith

Abraham Sacrificing Isaac by Rembrandt

"Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham." - Galations 3: 6-7 (NRSV)

Faith "is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 NRSV

Bible verses on faith

Saint Paul declared: "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." - Romans 10:17

Below are Bible verses in faith:

Biblically sound principles concerning faith

Below are some biblically sound principles concerning faith:

1. Bible reading/Bible memorization. "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ" - Romans 10:17 (NRSV)

2. Prayer. Ask God for more faith.

Mark 9:23–25:

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that sa crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” - Mark 9: 23-25 (NRSV)

3. Have complete faith without wavering in double-minded doubt when praying to God

"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord."

4. Avoiding and repenting of sin can help answers to prayers from being hindered (1 Peter 3: 7). See: Sanctification

"Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman—though the weaker vessel, they are joint heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers." - 1 Peter 3: 7 (NRSV)

5. Be firm in your faith, have your walk with God be rooted and built up in God.[15][16] Have a grateful heart towards God (See: How to be more grateful to God)

"For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your orderly conduct and the firmness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." - Colossians 2: 6-7 (NRSV)

6. Ask God, but do so appropriately without selfish/bad motives

"You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures." - James 4: 2-3 (NRSV)

Articles on how to nurture faith

The divine virtue of hope

A dove carrying an olive branch is a symbol of hope, peace, and renewal. The image appears in the Bible and in Christian art and iconography.

See also: Hope

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." - Romans 15:13. See: Bible and Christianity on joy

In Christian thought, hope is one of the three key divine virtues. The Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:3 (NRSV).

In the original Greek word used by Saint Paul can be translated as "hope" and also as "expectation". Hope as a virtue means something stronger than a more simple desire that something will happen: it also necessitates confidence or faith that it will come to pass (consider the phrase "sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life" from the funeral liturgy). Christian hope is the assured and confident expectation of good guaranteed by the unbreakable promises of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.[17]

Bible verses on hope

Growing in hope

Christian's position in Christ

See also: Christian's position in Christ

In the Bible, the phrase "in Christ" mainly refers to the relationship between Christians and Jesus Christ. It means to be united to Christ spiritually and all that entails. In addition, it also indicates that a Christian is a part of the Christian church who are also in Christ.

Lists of what it means to be in Christ

The role of the Holy Spirit in a Christian's life. Enthusiasm and Christianity

In the Bible, a dove is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit.[18]

See also: Evangelism and Christianity and social stability and Christianity statistics and Enthusiasm

The Holy Spirit's primary purpose is to be God's active and powerful presence in the world. Specifically, the Holy Spirit empowers Christians and guides them towards God's perfect will. The Holy Spirit plays these key roles in a believer's life: empowerment, seals their salvation, reveals truth, guides them to Christ, and transforms Christians into His likeness.[19]

"The most enthusiastic people in the world ought to be those who are following Jesus. In fact, the word enthusiasm comes from two Greek words: en and theos, or God within. It is Christ within us that enables us to live with passion and meaning." - The Secret of Enthusiasm by Scott Pauley

"In Christianity, the Holy Spirit is often associated with "enthusiasm" and "zeal," meaning a passionate and fervent devotion to God, where the Holy Spirit's presence inspires a strong desire to serve and live according to God's will, often expressed through active participation in religious practices and sharing faith with others; essentially, the Holy Spirit is seen as the source of this inner drive and energy to live a dedicated life for God."[20]

Articles:

Videos:

Personality changes due to religious conversion

See also: Change in personality traits due to religious conversion and Conversion and Personality and Big Five personality traits and Neuroplasticity and the ability of individuals to change their personality

Big Five personality traits

Personality is the way people think, feel, and behave.[21]

Jesus Christ said: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:36-40 NRSV). In addition, the Bible says to be holy and zealous in good works and to not be lukewarm (Revelation 3:16).

The Big Five personality traits (the basis for the five factor model) are the five traits psychologists use to describe an individual's personality. While other traits exist, these are thought to define a large part of individuality. The Big Five personality traits are: Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism (See also: Emotional stability) and Openness.

Personality changes due to religious conversion

“ Religious conversion is one of the life events most strongly associated with personality change, because it often reshapes someone’s identity, daily habits, values, and social world. But the magnitude of change is usually not unlimited—it tends to be moderate rather than extreme, and uneven across the Big Five traits.

Average change: Studies suggest that religious conversion or increased religiosity is associated with about 0.3 to 0.7 standard deviations of change in certain traits over time.

Maximum documented change: In rare, profound cases (e.g., dramatic “born-again” conversions or entry into highly structured religious orders), people can shift by 1+ standard deviation on some traits, but that’s exceptional.[22]

”

There is a significant amount of historical and scientific evidence that Bible reading has greatly increased human flourishing such as people's physical health, psychological well-being, character and virtue, and social connections (See: Bible reading and human flourishing).

For more information, please see: Change in personality traits due to religious conversion

Incorporating the various strengths of the various branches of Christendom to be spiritually stronger

See also: History of Christianity

Branches of Christianity.jpg


Recently, a Catholic friend of mine who is fairly ecumenical concerning other Christians, strongly encouraged me to attend church services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday and I was really impressed by Catholic/Lutheran churches services that I attended during Holy Week. This experience showed me that if one wants to be the spiritually strongest that he can be, one should take the strongest aspects of the various branches of Christianity. For example, American Protestants read their Bible much more often than American Catholics (In 2018, the Religion News Service reported that "Only 17 percent of Catholics read the Bible every day as compared to 38 percent of Protestants."[23]). On the other hand, the Catholics celebrate the eucharist every Sunday like the early church did. In addition, high church Christians such as the Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and Eastern Orthodox more frequently have magnificent churches that give you a sense of reverence and awe when you are in them.

As far as my own church membership, I am a member of a Lutheran church and member of a Catholic church. There are Catholic churches in my area that have Saturday masses so it makes it easy to be a member of a Catholic church, yet still be a member of a Lutheran church.

In 2025, God willing, I will visit an Eastern Orthodox Church. In 2024, I saw the movie Man of God about the Greek Orthodox Christian Saint Nektarios of Aegina plus I heard that the Eastern Orthodox Church is growing in the USA. In addition, I attended a Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church event in 2024 (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church music is very beautiful music). These matters sparked my interest in the Eastern Orthodoxy.

Lastly, John Wesley led an exemplary life and there are a lot of admirable things about conservative Methodism.

Strengths of Protestantism

The Harvard University historian Niall Ferguson declared: "Through a mixture of hard work and thrift the Protestant societies of the North and West Atlantic achieved the most rapid economic growth in history."[24]

See also: Protestantism and Protestant cultural legacies and Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Various forms of high church Protestantism, such as Lutheranism and Anglicanism, regularly practice giving the sacraments. In addition, they have many beautiful churches.

As far as Lutheranism, while many Lutheran denominations, particularly those in Scandinavia, ordain bishops in historical lines of apostolic succession. In addition, within theologically conservative Lutheranism, there is a commitment to the teachings of the Bible and the early Christian creeds, which are based on the teachings of the apostles.[25]

The article "The Surprising Discovery About Those Colonialist, Proselytizing Missionaries" published in Christianity Today notes:

“ In his fifth year of graduate school, Woodberry created a statistical model that could test the connection between missionary work and the health of nations. He and a few research assistants spent two years coding data and refining their methods. They hoped to compute the lasting effect of missionaries, on average, worldwide...

One morning, in a windowless, dusty computer lab lit by fluorescent bulbs, Woodberry ran the first big test. After he finished prepping the statistical program on his computer, he clicked "Enter" and then leaned forward to read the results.

"I was shocked," says Woodberry. "It was like an atomic bomb. The impact of missions on global democracy was huge. I kept adding variables to the model—factors that people had been studying and writing about for the past 40 years—and they all got wiped out. It was amazing. I knew, then, I was on to something really important."

Woodberry already had historical proof that missionaries had educated women and the poor, promoted widespread printing, led nationalist movements that empowered ordinary citizens, and fueled other key elements of democracy. Now the statistics were backing it up: Missionaries weren't just part of the picture. They were central to it...

Areas where Protestant missionaries had a significant presence in the past are on average more economically developed today, with comparatively better health, lower infant mortality, lower corruption, greater literacy, higher educational attainment (especially for women), and more robust membership in nongovernmental associations.

In short: Want a blossoming democracy today? The solution is simple—if you have a time machine: Send a 19th-century missionary."

...at a conference presentation in 2002, Woodberry got a break. In the room sat Charles Harper Jr., then a vice president at the John Templeton Foundation, which was actively funding research on religion and social change. (Its grant recipients have included Christianity Today.) Three years later, Woodberry received half a million dollars from the foundation's Spiritual Capital Project, hired almost 50 research assistants, and set up a huge database project at the University of Texas, where he had taken a position in the sociology department. The team spent years amassing more statistical data and doing more historical analyses, further confirming his theory.

...Woodberry's historical and statistical work has finally captured glowing attention. A summation of his 14 years of research—published in 2012 in the American Political Science Review, the discipline's top journal—has won four major awards, including the prestigious Luebbert Article Award for best article in comparative politics. Its startling title: "The Missionary Roots of Liberal Democracy."

...over a dozen studies have confirmed Woodberry's findings. The growing body of research is beginning to change the way scholars, aid workers, and economists think about democracy and development.[26]

”
John Wesley

David Beidel wrote in his article The Bloodless Revolution: What We Need to Learn from John Wesley and the Great Awakening

“ In the 18th Century, most of Europe was on fire. Bloody civil wars and revolutions were decimating nation after nation. Unrestrained injustice, government and Church corruption, slave trade and the oppression of the poor created a powder keg for violence. Miraculously, Great Britain escaped the horrors of civil war and the brutal savagery that revolutionary anarchy engenders.

Few ancient monarchies are still in place today. The mystery of the UK’s capacity to honor the old guard, while raising up a more democratic system without a revolution, is a sociological wonder. Many credit the Great Awakening, in particular the Methodist movement, launched by John Wesley, for this extraordinary and peaceful transition.

Methodism unleashed an army of “little Christ’s” all over Europe. They cared for the poor, took in unwanted and abused children, fought unjust laws and labor conditions, visited prisoners, and battled against slavery; They joined hands with the Apostles and “turned the world upside down.” Eventually compassion became fashionable...

America is in desperate need of a Christ-infused revolution of compassion. We are a land of churches, who are well positioned to hear and answer the cries of our struggling communities. If a critical mass of congregations committed themselves to radically sharing the Gospel and passionately serving under-resourced/at-risk communities, we will see peace powerfully rise in these times of trouble. This will also enable, as in the days of John Wesley, wise reformation to take place because the true Christian Church is theologically hardwired to bring about peaceful, meaningful change that benefits all. I have written much about this in my book, Samaria, The Great Omission, and treasure every opportunity to strategize with churches who have a heart to minister in this way.

Let us stand in the gap as cultural/community peacemakers and healers in this season of sorrow and division. May our magnificent obsession be Jesus, the everlasting, ever loving, rescuer of the oppressed and Father of all.[27]

”
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church event in Buffalo, NY

Strengths of Evangelicals/Pentecostals: Fire in their belly and a strong desire to evangelize.

The strengths of the Anabaptists (Amish, Mennonites, etc.) is humility, community, and separation from sinful influences (2 Corinthians 6:17. Also, bad company corrupts good morals as per 1 Corinthians 15:33).

The strength of the Anglicans: Produced the King James Bible. British politeness.

Strengths of Catholicism

Catholicism has many strengths, including its virtues (For example the virtues of faith, hope, love and fortitude), sacraments, and its social teachings.[28] The Catholic Church also indicates that it has ties to the apostolic church. There are many beautiful Catholic churches.

Strengths of the Eastern Orthodox churches

The Eastern Orthodox faith has many strengths, including a focus on personal relationship with Jesus Christ, prayer, sacraments, community service, and virtues like love, humility and sacrifice. The Eastern Orthodox faith also indicates that it has ties to the apostolic church.[29][30] There are many beautiful Eastern Orthodox churches.

Oriental Orthodox branch of Christianity

Joyous Ethiopians singing and dancing in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Drum beating. Dancing priests. Several feasts in a month. Approach suffering wisely. If Jesus suffered on the cross, why shouldn't we suffer?

Coptic Christianity has the strength of 1,700 years of rock hard endurance. Persecution under the Muslims with no persecution complex. Strong when it comes to fasting disciplines. Some form of fasting 210 days a year that creates rock hard humility.

Church of the East

They went furthest East to spread the gospel - Persia, India and China. Missionaries often had zero backup provisions. Adaptability without a big budget (No ships with plenty of provisions. Just a Bible and a donkey). They baptized Mongols and Nestorians in Beijing. Long liturgy. Stubborn survival despite persecution.

Pictures of Christian churches

The Lutheran Ascension Church at Augusta Victoria Foundation, Jerusalem
Cologne cathedral in Germany at dusk.
St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai, India
Christ Church in Shimla, India is the second oldest church in North India.

The pipe organ in the church is largest organ in India.
Reknown blue domes of the Church dedicated to St. Spirou in Firostefani, Santorini island (Thira), Greece. See also: Greek Orthodox Church
St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, Ukraine
St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev, Ukraine.
Saint Volodymyr's Cathedral in Ukraine.

Books

  • The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ by Bill Hull. ‎NavPress; Annotated edition (November 6, 2006)
  • The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. NavPress; Enlarged edition (November 3, 2016)
  • The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges. NavPress (June 1, 2016)
  • The Keys to Spiritual Growth: Unlocking the Riches of Godby John MacArthur. Crossway; Revised, Expanded edition (May 24, 2001)
  • Spiritual Growth by A.W. Pink. ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (May 7, 2014)

See also

Christian music:

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ 2 Peter 1: 5-8 NRSV
  3. ↑ Is Spiritual Maturity Important?, Christianity.com
  4. ↑ The Bible is the best selling book of all time, Guinness Book of Word Record
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 David W. Gooding & John C. Lennox (2013 (1st Edition 1997)). "8.Repentance", Key Bible Concepts. The Myrtlefield Trust, 65–73. ISBN 978-1-874584-45-2. “The very first public announcement by Christ was this:...” 
  6. ↑ Repentance and Confession - Introduction, Greek Orthodox Diocese of America
  7. ↑
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ The Doctrine of Sanctification, Gospel Coalition website
  10. ↑ The Primary Importance of Sanctification, Grace to You Ministries
  11. ↑ Students About Sanctification
  12. ↑ The Lessons of Pietism -- Dr. Lowell Zuck, The University of Chicago Divinity School]
  13. ↑ The Triumph of the Gospel of Love by Monk Themistocles (Adamopoulo)
  14. ↑ Theological virtues by William E. Mann's. DOI 10.4324/9780415249126-K101-1
  15. ↑ What does Colossians 2:6 mean?, Bibleref.com
  16. ↑ Matthew Henry Commentary on Colossians 2 - Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
  17. ↑ Conservapedia's Hope article
  18. ↑ Why Is the Dove Often a Symbol for the Holy Spirit?, Christianity.com
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ Holy Spirit and enthusiasm and zeal
  21. ↑ Great Ideas in Personality
  22. ↑ How big of personality changes are possible via religious conversion?
  23. ↑ Listening to God’s word between Christmas and Lent, Religion News Service, 2018
  24. ↑ The Protestant Work Ethic: Alive & Well…In China By Hugh Whelchel on September 24, 2012
  25. ↑ Lutheran Apostolic Succession
  26. ↑ Christianity Today, "The surprising discovery about those colonialist, proselytizing missionaries", January 8, 2014
  27. ↑ The Bloodless Revolution: What We Need to Learn from John Wesley and the Great Awakening by David Beidel
  28. ↑ Strengths of Catholicism, Google search]
  29. ↑ Strengths of Eastern Orthodox Church, Google search
  30. ↑ Strengths of Orthodox Christianity, Google search
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