How does one grow in Faith?
This is the 19th episode of the Bible study series The Gospel and Spiritual Growth. In this episode, we will look into more details on what the Bible says about growing in Christ.
Why the need to learn?
Our previous lessons taught us that the Gospel is the only power of God unto salvation. We also learned that by faith we attain spiritual growth. The Bible provides instructions on how one grows in faith. However, knowing the dynamics about how one grows in faith does not help us to achieve spiritual growth. It can however help us on the other areas which are;
To avoid being misled by well-meaning yet not well-reasoned “religious†brethren whose doctrine has already been debunked by the New Testament, and
To mature our understanding of what God wants of us based on the New Testament.

There are prevailing thoughts that have become dominant especially in this age. So much so that if we want to mature in our understanding of what God wants from us, we need to mature in our understanding of what the New Testament really says.
How does the one grow in faith?
The following are answers of fellow Bible study students on the question. The speaker further elaborates on the points of the answers.

We grow from faith to faith. It is a process.

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.â€

Faith is a cycle that begins with faith and ends with even greater faith. In other words, the gospel interacts with us such that we not only listen to it but we hear in such a way that we gain some small amount of understanding. The result for understanding is a natural desire for more understanding. From this hearing or understanding, our faith grows.

Romans 10:17 “Faith comes as a result of hearing…,†an activity itself resulting from a decision to be open and receptive to messages delivered.

This verse is in a context where Paul was trying to explain why Israel doesn’t accept Christ. He is discussing the phenomenon of hearing a message and the difference between those who audit or hear it with their ears which leads to faith as opposed to those who audit but do not share the same experience. Paul gives these explanations;

First, in Romans 10:10 “for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvationâ€

The difference is whether the hearer allows or does not allow his heart (psyche) to receive the message as valid. It involves a willful act, a work.; and

Second, in Romans 10:16 “… they did not all heed the good news…â€

Faith results from hearing and being receptive to the message in the New Testament. Growing in faith requires two elements:
One, the presentation of a truthful message presumably by a preacher or by the word of God;
Two, willingness to consider the message as valid although not easily explained by logic or experience.

It requires both to work. The willingness to accept the message as not valid will not result in faith. The same is true with merely reading the Word or listening to it. It will not increase faith if the listener’s attitude is not open to the implications of the message.

These passages in Romans do not refer only to the point in one’s life that faith is required to obey the gospel. Paul says that believing results to righteousness. He prays that those he writes to continues to grow in faith.

The formula of confronting the word of God with openness to receive, not just the logic, but the personal transforming implications of the message, is one of the keys to spiritual growth.

Ephesians 4 :15 “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head,…â€

Philippians 1: 9-10 “…that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;â€