Growing Into A Spiritual Christian
Transformation: Growing Into A Spiritual Christian
Tuesday June 23, 2026
The year of the Lord is a year of Great Grace.
When we think of grace, we often think of the things grace enables us to do and to have. But the best thing about grace is not what it enables us to do or to have but what it empowers us to become. What we become is more important to God than what we do or have.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God, I am what I am.
Today’s teaching focuses on and celebrates transforming grace.
3 John 1:3-4 ESV For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. [4] I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
No Greater Joy
As a pastor, I am always encouraged and happy to see God do awesome things in the lives of His people. The testimonies of His power, loving care in provision, protection, promotion are all very thrilling. But nothing gives me greater joy than to see the spiritual growth of the people I have the privilege of ministering to.
Over this past weekend, I had a conversation with one of you lovely people of God that brought me this kind of joy.
My joy is made even more pronounced by the realization that growing spiritual is not automatic. It is possible for a person to come to church for years, stay under powerful and accurate teaching of God’s word and still not be transformed.
Ezekiel 33:30-33 ESV "As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses say to one another, each to his brother, 'Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.' [31] And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. [32] And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. [33] When this comes-and come it will!-then they will know that a prophet has been among them."
One might argue that that was under the Old Covenant, but Judas was with Jesus for three and a half years.
It is possible for a believer in Christ to live an unspiritual life.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 ESV But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. [2] I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, [3] for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. [2] I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, [3] for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world?
An unspiritual life has been variously called living in the flesh, living in carnality or soulishliving, as it was called in times past.
We are spirits, we have souls and we live in bodies. The soul is the seat of the mind/intellect, emotions and the will.
The soul determines the things we desire (will), how we feel (emotions) and how we think, judge, decide, (mind/intellect.)
Before coming to Christ, our spirits were dead to God. Our souls ruled everything we did in our bodies, even as the bodies themselves were slowly dying daily. The soul however catered to the body, and that is why it is called the carnal mind, or the flesh.
We were all in Adam when he sinned, and from him we all inherited a damaged and corrupted DNA. We are all born with the mind of Adam.
But now that we are in Christ, we need to transform, not replace, but transform the mind of Adam to the mind of Christ.
When we come to Christ, we are born again. We are made alive again, or regenerated.
Colossians 2:13 And you being dead in your trespasses and the circumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses
At regeneration, our spirits were brought back to life in an instant. Our minds, which have been conditioned and attuned to the world, apart from God, need a transformation. We call that the renewing of our minds.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Civil War
Our minds and our bodies have been in agreement for a long time. It is easier and the default for our minds to be carnal. Prior to being born again, there was no conflict. But when our formerly dead spirits come alive, we begin to experience internal strife. The spirit is calling our minds up so we can set our affections on heavenly things, so we can think like Christ, so we no longer allow our emotions to rule us. Our bodies however refuse to go down without a fight. The pull of the flesh on the mind is strong and given their long history together, there is an ungodly loyalty that makes it easier for our minds to yield to the flesh.
Galatians 5:16-17 NKJV I say then: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. [17] For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Galatians 5:16-17 NLT So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. [17] The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
Grace’s Process of Transforming Believers
The renewing of our minds is the process of renewing by which the mind of Adam, corrupted, conditioned and controlled by base fleshly desires is slowly being transformed into the mind of Christ. Transformation is the goal. Renewing is the process. It is not possible to arrive at transformation except one subjects oneself to the process of renewal.
Romans 12:2 NLT Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Without the transformation of our minds, we cannot understand God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man cannot receive the things of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.
Without the transformation of our minds, we cannot please God.
Romans 8:5-8 For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
[6] For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. [8] So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Even after we have become born again, anytime we act in the flesh, we are not pleasing God.
We must not conflate the love God has for us with His pleasure.
He loves us but that does not mean He is satisfied with our manner of life yet.
A Transformed Mind
When our minds are transformed, or to the extent that our minds are transformed, our will will be changed, we will desire Godly things.
When our minds are transformed, or to the extent that they are transformed, the capability of our intellect will be upgraded, and the things of God will begin to be receivable, knowable and understandable.
When our mind is transformed, or better said, to the extent that our minds are transformed, the activity of our minds will be improved, we will begin to think, judge and decide like Christ.
No matter the level of the transformation of our minds, our emotions remain largely untouched. We will still feel all the things we felt. The difference now though is that we do not allow our feelings to control us anymore. Their pull over us is no longer as strong, no longer as irresistible as they used to be. However, we must not mistakenly assume that those emotions are dead.
Ephesians 4:26 ESV Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
Ephesians 4:26 NLT And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry,
You will still feel lust, but you will not let it control you. You will no longer be at the mercy of pride, envy, fear and all the works of flesh.
The transformation of our minds upgrades our will and intellect but suppresses our emotions.
A spiritual Christian is one who chooses consistently to respond to life in accordance with the Word of God, and whose emotions are controlled by the Holy Spirit.
