{
 "id": "basics-canon-growth",
 "question": "What is spiritual growth?",
 "answer": "Spiritual growth is the believer's progression from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. Unlike physical growth, it does not happen automatically: \"we choose whether to be hungry for the Word; we choose whether to be motivated; we choose whether to advance in the Christian life.\" Psalm 27 pictures this growth through seven stages of faith—salvation, study, faith-rest, spirituality, suffering, occupation with Christ, and waiting. Peter adds seven steps of spiritual advance, supplied only through the Spirit's filling and diligent study of the Word: excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Pet. 1:2–7). This growth is centered on the local church, where believers are taught the Word and equipped to function in their spiritual gifts (Eph. 4:11–15). It is \"a gift from God...given in increments and...received only by faith\"—not produced by our own strength.",
 "url": "/faq/what-is-spiritual-growth/",
 "unit": 1,
 "lesson": "1-canon",
 "lesson_title": null,
 "question_type": "canonical",
 "tier": 1,
 "faq_class": "doctrine-canonical",
 "aeo_questions": [
  "What is the believer's progression in spiritual development and how does it differ from physical growth?",
  "How does one progress from spiritual infancy to maturity in their faith and what role does the local church play?",
  "What are the key characteristics and stages of spiritual growth and how are they achieved through the Holy Spirit's filling and study of the Word?"
 ],
 "topic_anchor": "Growth",
 "derivation": "derived-canonical",
 "source_authority": "authoritative",
 "author": "Gene Cunningham",
 "book": "The Basics",
 "source": {
  "doc_id": "btbm-01-TheBasics-8-10-24",
  "ref": "The Basics — Growth (canonical doctrine)",
  "book_page": [
   4,
   278
  ],
  "segment_id": "the-basics__canon__growth"
 },
 "scripture": [
  {
   "display": "1 Samuel 17:47",
   "osis": null,
   "book_pages": [
    158
   ]
  },
  {
   "display": "Jeremiah 17:8",
   "osis": null,
   "book_pages": [
    158
   ]
  },
  {
   "display": "Galatians 5:22-23",
   "osis": null,
   "book_pages": [
    158
   ]
  },
  {
   "display": "1 Peter 5:7",
   "osis": null,
   "book_pages": [
    158
   ]
  }
 ],
 "topics": [
  "Faith-Rest",
  "Godliness",
  "Growth",
  "Local church",
  "Peter",
  "Rest",
  "Salvation",
  "Spiritual gifts",
  "Spiritual maturity",
  "Spirituality",
  "Suffering"
 ],
 "topics_context": [
  "Plan of God and Satan",
  "Job",
  "Power and Holy Spirit",
  "Power",
  "strategy and tactics of Satan",
  "Plan of God"
 ],
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