Luke 18:9-14 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Christian growth is much more than meeting a mere checklist of things that you do not do. As the passage above shows, many religious people in a wide range of religions are outwardly moral – but morality and religion do not make someone pleasing to God.
The Apostle Paul takes this note one step further and reveals that true spiritual growth is not to be based on what you can do or know. He said in Galatians 3:3 that: “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Remember that these were believers. They were saved by faith – but they mistakenly came to believe that spiritual growth was perfected by things that the flesh can accomplish.
The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable above thought he had arrived spiritually and that God would accept Him. He was self-made and had no need. On the other hand, the publican (a hated tax collector that worked for the Roman government) had no “credits” but only had a need – which God graciously met.
Similarly, no matter how much Christian growth you have experienced since you became a believer, you will always have need to depend on the Holy Spirit to work through you. It will always remain true what Jesus told the disciples: “without me ye can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5).
Like Paul, we must be careful to say: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended” (Php. 3:13), or reached perfection. The minute that pride enters the picture – that is the very moment that God ceases to use you or me. Again, like Paul, we must “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Php. 3:8).
In the Bible, God’s greatest servants were nobodies! Growing spiritually means to let Him use you in all things and at all times so that His will is accomplished through you so that He can get all the glory! We are just vessels for Him to fill and use as He desires. He will give you all the strength you need to serve Him!