Eat to Grow: Engaging Scripture as a Means to Maturing in Christ

What glorious and precious truths are contained in those two sentences! As I chatted to some visitors after a recent morning service, I heard about how they were saved when a pastor coming to their house to—of all things—perform an exorcism.

They had the idea that there was an evil spirit in their home at the time and so they called a pastor to come and deal with it. One thing led to another and they were confronted with the gospel and saved into a Charismatic church.

But then they began to read the Scriptures and very soon realised that they needed a church where they could grow, which ultimately brought them into contact with Reformed theology.

A few years ago, I worked with an Eritrean man who had come to South Africa to study dentistry and was saved while studying here. During his studies, there was a coup in Eritrea and Christians quickly became targets. Instead of returning home, he and his wife remained in South Africa as refugees.

I remember having very interesting conversations with him, because, at the time, he was attending a Pentecostal Church and, as he was reading his Bible, he was seeing all sorts of inconsistencies between the scriptural teaching on worship and the way his church did things. He was concerned by the man-centredness of the church. He was also being deeply challenges by Paul’s letter to Rome.

I suspect that many reading this were similarly saved into nominal, shallow, or downright heretical churches, but God graciously rescued them. Perhaps some reading this are concerned about their church and are looking for a more faithful option.

The point is this: Growth begins when believers read Scripture. In fact, this is exactly what the Holy Spirit used to give the Protestant Reformation traction five hundred years ago. Until Luther, the Scriptures were available almost exclusively in Latin, which was only accessible to the clergy. But as Martin Luther began to read the Bible himself, he realised just how far the church had strayed. He worked hard to translate the Bible from Latin to German and, once that happened, the truth spread like wildfire.

Living entities grow. In fact, growth is one of the scientific requisites for something to be defined as “living.”

The passage quoted above (Romans 8:29–30) speaks to the inevitability or certainty of Christian maturity and growth. Those whom Christ saves will grow. Some grow fast; others grow more slowly. Some quickly yield a hundred-fold while others take years to display any significant growth. But all who have been born again grow.

One of the fundamental ways in which Christians grow, as I’ve noted through observation, is as they read  and study the Scriptures. Do you want to grow? Have you tasted and seen that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8)? Come further up and further in by reading and loving the Scriptures.

Here are some practical suggestions for doing this.

First, assuming your church publishes this information ahead of time, read the passage to be preached before the service. Do this multiple days in a row if you can, and write down any questions that arise. These questions will either be addressed by the preacher, or you could raise them during small group discussion or directly with the preacher. If you are unsure about the text to be preacher, ask your pastor how you can know what text will be preached each week.

Second, set aside time every day to work through Scripture systematically. Commit to this. Select a realistic goal, whether it be time-based (e.g. ten minutes a day) or volume-based (e.g. three chapters a day). Commit to this and don’t let a day go by without doing it. You probably do not willingly let a day pass without eating, so don’t willingly starve yourself of the bread of heaven (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Third, consider listening to Scripture, instead of a podcast or music, while you exercise, drive, or clean up. As you do so, consider listening to the same passage or book of the Bible repeatedly to become really familiar with it.

Fourth, ask questions of your elders and other church members when you don’t understand something. But before doing so, meditate on it carefully to see if the Lord reveals anything to you. This will make any answers you get from fellow believers more meaningful and memorable.

Fifth, see how you can pray the Scriptures back to God. Is there a command you’ve read that you need to obey? Ask God to help you. Is there an attribute of God you can praise him for? Use it to fuel your worship. Is there something from old covenant Israel that Christ has fulfilled? Praise him for it.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:15, and Peter in 1 Peter 2:2, to “grow up” into Christ and salvation, and we cannot do that without the Scriptures. May the Lord bless you as you seek to plumb the depths of Scripture to the glory of God.