5 signs you’re growing as a Christian

Ever wondered what it means today to grow in Christian faith? Believers of bygone ages nurtured their faith in contexts far different from ours. Christian growth remains a comprehensive experience of grace that provides convictions of faith even within changing contextual challenges. The biblical injunction is still to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).

So, what does the realization of this directive look like in contemporary Christian faith?

There are current distinctives of this growing relationship with the Lord Jesus. Here are 5 signs that I believe will mark the life of today’s growing Christian.

1. Growing discernment of the internet

The wisdom of Proverbs continues to encourage, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths” (3:6). The challenge today is that electronic visual appeal is highly influential while the ways of God remain intangible. The colorful internet is now the default teacher and skeptics of Christian faith are noisy. Growing Christian faith, however, will learn to discern false rhetoric and become increasingly unafraid of the alleged defeaters. “My sheep hear my voice,” said Jesus, “and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). It’s not that growing Christians today are blindly devoted to God while ignoring all modern challenges. Rather, they continue to possess an inward conviction that God remains faithful and they discern that online skepticism is rhetorically driven, with biases and no foundation. Growing Christians will continue to find their faith resonating with the statement of Peter and the apostles who said, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

2. Trust in God remains uniquely incomparable

As “trust in the Lord” increases “with all your heart” (Prov. 3:5), conviction will acknowledge that the Lord’s promises remain uniquely incomparable even with tantalizing temptations to swap faith for the tangible. Unprecedented self-improvements are pitched alluringly, but growing Christians will continue to experience inward fulfillment of grace that continues to address every part of contemporary life. So even in this Babylonic-electronic age, growing believers can still faithfully answer the question of Jesus to His disciples: “Do you want to go away as well?” … “Lord, to whom shall we go? … we have believed and come to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:67-69).

3. Grace and its personal antidote

Identifying the problems of the world is now found in everyone’s pocket. Breaking news alerts are constantly informing us of how one thing or another has gone awry. Meanwhile, deep within the heart of a growing Christian remains trust in grace as the special antidote for humankind. Even in this chaotic world, growing Christians are steadfast that Jesus can provide life-changing forgiveness and peace for the repentant who can then influence the world for God’s greater good. For a growing Christian, the introduction of God’s grace by John the Baptist remains as antidotal today as it was then: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)!

4. Genuine compassion

Genuine Christian faith has always shown compassion towards humanity’s plights and ready to “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). In our world of inexhaustible problems, a growing Christian will have a heightened awareness of humanity’s brokenness and be increasing in the exercise of fruitful compassion. Altruism will be a continued hallmark of growing Christians. Their distinct acts of compassion will not be commensurate to one’s monetary status. Let’s never forget the timeless lesson taught by Jesus who noted how the “poor widow put in two small copper coins” (Luke 21:3-4). Compassion will come from the heart in the form of volunteering, serving, and giving monetarily with “a cheerful heart” (2 Cor. 9:7). Being compassionate, however, does not imply unconditional passivity. Neither does it suggest telling people what they wish to hear for the sake of friendliness and inclusivity.

5. Love abounds courageously

Genuine love for people requires courage. Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you … And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you” (Luke 6:32-33)? Jesus taught that following Him would entail the reality of loving even those who would inevitably be antagonistic to His message. Contemporary culture often claims to be offended by the Gospel’s message of sin and repentance. A growing Christian will know that it’s not genuine love to avoid the risk of displeasing people and so choosing agreement. Growing in “the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior” means communicating His ageless truth while courageously demonstrating genuine care for people. Loving people will mean to wish all of God’s best for them, and a growing Christian will be courageously “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).

As noted, distractions abound in this Babylonic-electronic age and they are not going away. So growth in Christian faith must occur in this contemporary context. Even though electronic means of deception are now rampant, growing Christian faith will continue to provide aspirational fulfilment and will not be “tossed … by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph. 4:14). The Good News of grace will continue as the antidote to humanity’s sin and brokenness, and growing Christians will be increasingly cognizant of being “the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13).