Spiritual Growth Eph.4:11-16.               continuation
Another obstacle to Spiritual Growth is-Character Flaws.
What are they? They are defects in our character or personality which we see as natural but if not corrected can become hindrances to Spiritual Growth. These can be genetic faults in our character or simply habits, not necessarily sinful but nevertheless they can spoil our spiritual nature. Some of these flaws are:
Over-sensitivity, deep sense of unworthiness, quick temper, etc. Over-sensitivity can be a positive quality in life but if it is over the limit it can have negative effects in us. As believers we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the things of God as well as to our fellow human beings. Sensitive in the sense that we must be aware of God's demands upon our lives and be mindful not to offend the Holy Spirit in any way.
We need to develop sensitivity towards the way the Holy Spirit operates in our lives else we shall not be able to answer His call, a thing that can lead us to disastrous ends. We need to show sensitivity towards our fellow human beings, whether believers or unbelievers, so that we can treat then in love and care for their well being.
Insensitivity towards our neighbour will cause us to live lives no different from ungodly people, caring only about ourselves and being conscious about nobody's needs. Christianity is a religion of love and God's Spirit makes us sensitive to this end. Insensitive people do not care whether they hurt you or not. The other end of sensitivity is Over sensitivity or commonly known as 'Touchiness'.
Oversensitive people are constantly hurt and imagine that everybody wants to hurt them. Such people live lives that are insecure or are constantly 'up and down'. A frown or a rebuke is enough to cause them a serious upset or depression. This is a shallow way of living.
How does Over sensitivity develop in a person's character? Usually from deep hurts that are caused in a person's life, often from childhood. 
Such people will often magnify trivial problems in their minds and imagine that other people criticize them or are against them. Oversensitive people have a great struggle in their Christian lives because they attribute to God and to their fellow believers feelings and attitudes that neither hold water or are true.
What is the remedy for Over sensitivity? Ps. 139:23-24, calls us to search the heart by the Holy Spirit who can bring into the open the very problems hidden deep in the heart and bring cleansing in the life and character.                                                To be continued

Spiritual Growth Eph.4:11-16.             Continuation
The question often asked is, How should we face Temptation?
There is only one example to follow in Scripture, that of the Lord Jesus, the way He faced the Devil and his temptation. We need to note the strategy of the Devil and how the Lord dealt with it.
The Lord did not face temptation in His own strength but with the Word of God. That is the weapon God placed in our hands and we must use it-Luke 4:3-4. The Devil has no authority against the Word of God, only lies and more lies.
Many believers are not wise enough and get into an argument with the Devil. Never do such a thing. He knows his job better than we do, but it is vital to discern where temptation comes from. Apart from the Devil it can come or originate from our own carnal desires. Temptation can usually start in our own minds as thoughts and if we allow them to take hold of our will they will lead to sin. A thought is not necessarily sin, provided we deal with it there and then in the Name of Jesus. If the thought persists in coming back in an uncanny way beware! It is probably from the Devil. The Devil will work closely with our flesh but Jesus said, 'If your eye offends you....'-Matt.18:9.
Do not let temptation overcome you but overcome temptation with God's Word. The Devil will do his best to control your mind with sinful thoughts. Keep your mind under the Power of the Blood. Every day plead the blood upon you to protect you from the devil's fiery darts. You cannot stop a bird flying round your head but you can stop it making a nest in your hair.
We have to face temptation but sometimes run away from the agent of temptation (c.f. Joseph's action against Potipher's wife.)
How does Temptation affect our spiritual Growth? Usually, by making the person feel continually that sin has been committed or there is failure in the Christian life, but it is written 'Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh...'-Gal.5:16.                                 To be continued

Spiritual Growth Eph.4:11-16.       Continuation
Another reason why believers fail to grow spiritually is because they do not understand the Biblical strategy for living a Victorious life-Victory over Sin and Temptation.
Sin and Temptation plague believers of all ages and types. Sin will bring devastation in the life of the person who commits it and will destroy that life spiritually and otherwise. A man is not a sinner because he sins but he sins because he is a sinner. God makes it clear in His Word that the person who sins shall die-physically and spiritually. Firstly comes spiritual death, that is separation from God and then physical death. Sin is always called sin in His Word, whether small or great.
However, to understand the need to live victoriously over sin we must be able to understand what sin is and how we commit it. There so much confusion in people's minds over the term Sin. The actual word means to 'miss a mark or to do something wrong. Sin has become a dirty word for most people nowadays. They associate it with horrible crimes, therefore they are happy to commit sin that they consider acceptable in their minds.
Primarily, we commit sin against God but we also commit sin against people. David is Ps.51 clearly states that his crime was against God and that he had to reckon with God. It is not enough to make up things with the people we have offended so that our conscience is at rest. When we sin we break God's commands and we must face the result of our actions one day. When we sin against man our responsibility is to put things right with that person-Luke 17:3-4. What do we do with sins? Confess them and forsake them-Pro. 28:13. We can choose to hide our sins but we shall find that we have to live with a guilty conscience and an angry God.
One thing is clear in Scripture. God cannot tolerate Sin from whatever quarter it comes. He wants us to be free from its grip and effect. He has made everything possible for us to live lives free from sin and guilt. He has in fact paid the price for all our sins at the Cross and does not remember then anymore-Ps.103:12.
Sin is like a cancer. No amount of grief or self pity will drive it our of our lives. Only God's surgical knife will purge it out of our systems.
What are the effects of sin in the life of the person who commits it? The effects are both physical and spiritual: Guilt, lack of peace, stress and anxiety, fear, distress of soul and spirit, and many more. All these will lead to all sorts of spiritual and physical ailments which in turn lead to physical and mental deterioration leading often to premature death.
'Behold your sins will find you out'.                              To be continued

Spiritual Growth, Eph.4:11-16.
Another obstacle to Spiritual Growth is- Resentment and Anxiety.
Resentment is a poison in the life of the believer. It will turn the person who resents into a prisoner and will lead to frustration, inner conflict, neuroses, etc. Resentment or bitterness must not be accepted or justified under any circumstances and must be put out of our lives at any cost- Heb. 12:14-15.
These verses show us that resentment can often be deep within our heart and play havoc with our spiritual life. Like a root, it will often bring up shoots to the surface to trouble us in many ways. Problems from childhood can often remain deep within us and if not dealt with effectively will trouble us in different ways, not always recognizable.
Resentment against parents, siblings, colleagues, circumstances, against God, against authority and many more are common causes for problems. Resentment defiles the christian character and we need the cleansing of the Word to be made whole again.
How do we deal with Resentment? Uproot it, in the same way we pull out roots from the ground to free things from their grip-Job 42:7-8. Job, though blameless, had to pray for his friends before he could be set free by the Lord. The roots of bitterness against his friends had to be cleansed before God could bless him. Bitterness in our being will stop God's hand working in our lives, and we shall find that spiritual progress will escape us.
Anxiety is directly related to lack of Growth-Matt.6:25-29. We grow in the Faith by not being anxious about growth but by how much we can absorb from God. Look at the simple example about nature. Those things do not grow by their own ability but by how much they can receive from God for their needs. When the care of things rests upon us through anxiety, God is left out of the process.
The Heavenly Father is very concerned about our spiritual growth. He watches over us to give us all that is necessary to this end, just as He feeds the birds, etc. A lot of believers try to achieve growth by effort, through activities, talents, etc., but the Lord called us to grow by feeding on His Word and by exercise (Prayer). Remember, God loves us for what we are and not for what we do. When we are anxious about tomorrow, the care of tomorrow rests on us, not on God.
Luke 10:41-42. Martha's care speaks for most of us. Jesus did not encourage Mary to be idle but showed Martha that she had got her priorities wrong.

Spiritual Growth Eph.4:11-16.                 Continuation
Another Obstacle to Spiritual Growth: Fear.
Fear is one of the strongest instincts within us and almost every human being is affected by it, some less some more. Where does it come from?
Fear is a direct product of Sin. We meet it right at the beginning of Creation in the Garden after the Fall-Gen.3:9-10. At that moment Adam and Eve did not fully understand the implications of their sin, yet fear gripped their hearts. This shows that fear is a direct result of sin. The person who is full of fear is gripped by it and cannot live a healthy life. Fear will keep him away from the presence of God and make him disloyal. Adam and Eve hid from the presence of God. They could not face a Holy God. The person who fears will be unreliable because he will always think of the consequences of his actions.
There are so many references in the Bible about Fear which show that God wants us to deal with it and be free. But to do that we need to have a right view of Fear, even though so many believers have such a distorted view of it.
There are Two kinds of Fear in the Bible:
1. The Fear of the Lord (Right Fear)
2. The Fear of man (Wrong Fear)
In Pro.9:10 we are told that the fear of God is the 'Beginning of Wisdom'.
This kind of Fear causes Reverence for God in the soul for His Word, His Commandments and causes us to walk in His ways-Pro.16:6.
This kind of Fear is a cleansing Fear and leads us to live healthy lives-Pro.19:23.
The opposite is true for the fear of man-Pro 19:25. When we fear man we want to please that person and therefore we will do things that are contrary to our will and beliefs.
Not all fear is negative and damaging in our lives. Natural fear as an instinct will prevent us from all kinds of dangers. When wrong fear fills our hearts it will make us unstable and will make us want to give up at the first trial or obstacle that comes along in our lives. One of the commonest fears in our lives is the fear about 'Failure', being afraid of losing the game of life or simply being a failure.
For most people the problem of fear is a result of the way that they were brought up, most usually in an environment bereft of love and security which becomes the breeding ground for all sorts of fears.
What is the Biblical answer to Fear? Perfect Love-1 John 4:18.
We cannot hold two opposite emotions in us simultaneously. Let perfect Love (Jesus) take control
and Fear will depart. Christ gives security in life. It is not difficult to see why Fear has such a suppressing effect on our Spiritual Growth. It is a deadly poison we have to wash out of our systems if we want to Grow in the Faith. Let the Lord cleanse us by His Love.

To be continued....

Spiritual Growth Eph.4:11-16.                Continuation
More obstacles to Spiritual Growth.  
Another Obstacle to Spiritual Growth is the Lack of Deep Roots in the person's life.
The analogy taken from plant life applies equally to human growth. This means a shallow existence. On the surface everything seems to be normal but under the surface there is insecurity.
Most plants, especially house plants, have little roots so you can easily uproot them, whereas to trees etc., the opposite applies. This also speaks of the life of the believer. The deeper we are embedded in the Rock of Faith the more difficult it is for the storms of life to affect us and move us from the foundation- Christ. Eph.3:14-19, refers to the necessity of being rooted in sure ground. 
The purpose of roots is twofold:-
First-to support the plant in the soil and,
Second- to draw out the vital chemicals necessary for the plant.
Our spiritual roots should serve the same purpose in our lives. We need to be firmly embedded in the soil of God's love so that our Christian lives are firm. Apart from this, we must also draw our spiritual life and strength from our loving God to flood our hearts and fill our souls.
Why do so many believers lack deep roots? What is the cause of this problem? In Matt. 13:5-6, 20-21, the Lord gave us answers. The heart, likened to the soil, is described as 'Stony Ground'. The seed of course is the Word of God. A rocky or stony ground has no depth of soil to support growth and so it cannot root properly. When the trials and storms of life come life withers.
What causes a heart to be hardened and offer no good soil? In Mark 16:14, we have the basic problem-Unbelief. It acts as a kind of rejection. The seed falls and finds no hospitable soil to root. It is rejected. What is the remedy for such a soil? We moisten it. The farmer upturns the soil with his plough and then the rain penetrates it.
In a similar way we need to do the same. Plough the heart to upturn it for the Word of God and then soften it with the tears of prayer. Cry out to the Lord of Mercy-Ps. 42:3.
                                                                                To be continued

Spiritual Growth - Eph.4:11-16.
Obstacles to Spiritual Growth.
One of the most serious obstacles is the lack of a clear Conversion. It stems from the lack of a clear representation of the Gospel of Salvation.
We are saved by responding to God's Grace. The response is in us, all else is in God. It is His work. Conversion demands a surrender of self, we turn to God in total surrender. This of course is not flattering to our ego, that is why many people keep going round in circles, always learning but never coming to the knowledge of a full and unreserved commitment to the Word. This kind of state will never bring release and true joy to the person but only deception and instability. The person tries with his mind to serve God but with his heart serves the world. James 1:8 tells us that a double minded person is unstable in all his ways.
A person may go to Church, pray, sing hymns, read the Bible, but he may not be converted or born from above. Many people confuse church going with Salvation. Unless a person experiences a Spiritual Rebirth, followed by a clear change of direction in his life then all that happened to him was a sham conversion. Proverbs 28:13; The person who receives Mercy and Forgiveness from God is the one who forsakes the old life.
One of the common failures in the Church is people who have only experienced a conversion in their minds but not in their hearts. They seem eager to learn but the life of Christ is not evident within them. It is a case of worshiping the Lord with their lips but not with the heart, because the heart has not been converted to Christ.
What is a True conversion, what example do we have in the Scripture? Phil.3:11. One of the most moving conversions is that of the jailer in Philippi-Acts 16:28-34, What must I do to be saved? Here, we have true conviction of sin and repentance. The outward signs: Commitment to Christ, treats his captors with love and care (the brethren), baptized in water. A change of mind that leads to a change in course. There must be evidence of a new life and we need to see that.

Spiritual Growth-Eph.4:11-16
As said before, Two more agents are needed for Spiritual Growth- 1.The Holy Spirit and 2.a Suitable Environment.
The Holy Spirit is the Agent for life and works in us not only to keep that life but also to develop it towards perfection. The goal of the Holy Spirit working in us is to bring us to full maturity in Christ.. God will give us Grace and all the encouragement we need to grow as Christians. We must also be aware of our own responsibility in this. We must ensure that the Holy Spirit is free to indwell us and that He can work freely in our lives.
When we are saved, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives to stay with us and lead us in the path of God by revealing the truths of His Word. However, this is not sufficient. The Holy Spirit not only comes to live with us but He also wants to indwell us and fill us. Why? So that we become the sole possession of God and receive power to be effective witnesses to the person of Christ. It is up to us to let the Holy Spirit take control of our being. He will not do so by force but as we surrender our will to His and yield our members as instruments of holiness.
The Lord Jesus, before leaving this earth, promised His followers to send another Comforter who would remind them of all that He said and taught. The same promise holds true for us also and for every believer who belongs to God by Faith in Jesus Christ-Acts 2:37-39.
The followers of Jesus were people taught by Him for approx. three years yet lacked the full maturity and power of God in their lives. However, after Pentecost we see different people. They came to maturity and power overnight. Why? The infilling of the Holy Spirit who revolutionized their lives. It will do the same for us. We must not be satisfied with what we received from God at Salvation and stay at that. We need to claim all the fullness of God for our lives.
Paul, the Apostle, met some believers at Ephesus, Acts 19:1-7, one day and put this question to them: "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?"
There is no excuse for such ignorance. God commands us to be filled-Eph.5:18, ALWAYS.
The other Agent for Spiritual Growth is a Suitable Environment.
When Saved; God, by an act of Grace, transplants us into His Kingdom and Family from the Kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan. We thus join God's Family, the Church. The Holy Spirit will then lead us to join a local Church or Fellowship. As far as the individual believer is concerned it is the Local Church or Fellowship that is of vital importance to him.
The role of the Local Church or Fellowship is to care, instruct and help believers to grow in the Faith. For his part the believer must see to it that he functions as part of this spiritual community according to the Word of God. It is in the local Church or Fellowship that the individual believer will identify with the Body of Christ and will channel all his christian activities. How well a believer will function and progress in the Faith depends on his ability to receive proper sustenance from that spiritual body he is in and how well his christian activities will fit into that body - Col.2:18-19.
Most believers are happy to identify with the Universal Church of God or Body of Christ but often find it difficult to identify with a Local Church or Fellowship. Though they find fault with most local bodies they fail to find fault with themselves. They look for a perfect body to join but will admit at heart that they are not suitable to fit into a perfect Church  or Fellowship.
The Holy Spirit will place us where He thinks best for us to be and function as believers. We, unfortunately, think we know better. Just like a plant that flourishes well when placed in a suitable soil so will a believers flourish when placed in a proper Christian environment.
What are the criteria for such growth?
Simply what a plant needs for growth-Is.53:2. The Lord Jesus Christ as a tender plant grew before His Heavenly Father while on this earth and we too have to grow likewise.
A plant has three basic needs:
Good soil
Water
Good care
A Christian has to be planted in the good soil of spirituality where he will enjoy fellowship and be watered by the Word of our God. He will also need the loving care of a body which the family of God can provide. When all these things work together then God's Grace will work for real growth in the individual life.