As I work through my thoughts on Day by Day discipleship, my mind keeps coming back to the questions I have previously raised about the interaction between a Christian's physical and spiritual natures. The question of the difference between growth and progress has also been added into the jumble of my thoughts.
I welcome any feedback you might wish to offer.
Starting question: Can we experience spiritual growth in the midst of continued sin?
What is an evidence of spiritual growth?
The Fruit of the Spirit
What are the Fruit of the Spirit?
The Fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Can non-Christians display the Fruit of the Spirit?
Yes
Does this create a problem?
By not emphasizing the elimination of sinful things we (as brothers and sisters in Christ) cannot tell if someone is really changing.
Does God know they are changing (growing)?
Yes, but we don't. It makes it harder for us to know if they are doing the right things.
But are their lives showing Fruit?
Yes, but they are still doing bad things; they are living a sinful life.
Do you still do bad things?
Yes, but I can ask for forgiveness of my bad things
Does asking for forgiveness take away the consequences of doing the bad things?
No, but it helps to put me back in alignment with God.
So the attitude of remorse is as important of an evidence of spiritual growth as the displays of the Fruit of the Spirit?
No, but it is evidence that I take my sin seriously.
Do you take your sin move seriously than God?
No.
God took your sin seriously enough to allow himself to be killed for it. It has been taken care of forever. Does he want us to remain shackled to it when, in his eyes, it died with him on the cross?
No. But you're not growing if you keep doing the same bad things over and over.
Is that one of the Fruit of the Spirit? Sinning less? More consistent overcoming of temptation?
No, but self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit.
So God wants us to take more control of our lives. From whom are we taking control? From God? From ourselves?
From ourselves. From our sinful nature.
From our physical nature? That is temporary? That will be recreated to reflect the recreated spirit that was reborn when we answered call of the Spirit and our relationship with God was restored?
Our physical nature may be temporary but it still has an impact, an effect, on our spiritual nature.
In what way?
Ending question: Does our physical nature, and the things that are done to satisfy it, impact or effect our spiritual nature?
Additional questions raised in the midst of this inner conversation: If our physical nature impacts/effects our spiritual nature, in what ways is this impact/effect evidenced? Does the impact/effect stunt our spiritual growth? Will we continue to experience spiritual growth when we exist in the new heaven and new earth? If, after becoming a believer in Jesus we continue to sin too much, will we be in a remedial spiritual growth class in the new heaven and new earth? Will we experience less of God?