Proclaiming Christ for Maturity in Christ
Spiritual growth isn’t climbing higher—it’s resting in the One who already brought us to fullness in Him.
Insights from Bob Hoekstra | Day by Day by Grace
The heart of this devotional is clear: growth in Christ isn’t about effortful striving or self-improvement. It’s about knowing Jesus. True spiritual maturity flows from proclaiming, hearing, and responding to Him. As Paul said in Colossians 1:28, it’s Christ we proclaim—not moral standards, not self-discipline, not lofty philosophies—but Him. And the purpose of this proclamation is that we may be presented mature in Christ—not in ourselves, not as a better version of Adam, but as those conformed to the stature and fullness of Christ.
Spiritual growth is not something we manufacture. It’s something God causes through a deeper revelation of Jesus. As we learn more about who He is—Son of God, Son of Man, Lamb of God, Mediator of the new covenant, Alpha and Omega, our all in all—we begin to realize that the Christian life is not just about imitating Him, but about being joined to Him. Growth isn’t climbing a moral ladder. It’s abiding in a Person. Every spiritual blessing, including maturity, is already ours in Christ. So as Christ is proclaimed, as hearts are captured by Him, we find ourselves growing—not because we’ve tried harder, but because He is forming Himself in us.
Personalized Journal Entry in the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture:
I am the One who dwells within you, the hope of glory. I have sealed you for the day of redemption and placed you in the Son whom I love. You are already complete in Him. As you behold Him, you are being transformed from glory to glory—this is not your work, it is Mine. I have called you not to strive for maturity, but to abide in My Son. It is Christ I proclaim to you, not as a distant example but as the One who lives within you.
You have received not a spirit of fear or performance, but of adoption. I remind you that Christ is your life now. You have died, and your life is hidden with Him in Me. When He is revealed, so will you be, in glory. Until that day, I work in you both to will and to do for My good pleasure—not by your might or effort, but by My life flowing through you.
He is the Vine; you are the branch. Your growth comes from being joined to Him, and it is from Him that the whole body grows with the increase that is from Me. I reveal Him to you—Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Lamb who takes away sin, the Mediator of the new covenant, your Alpha and Omega, your all in all.
Fix your eyes on Him. Let your heart be anchored in the truth that all maturity comes by knowing Christ and yielding to His indwelling presence. I will bring you into the fullness of stature that belongs to Him.
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(Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 3:18; John 15:5; Galatians 4:6; Colossians 3:3–4; Philippians 2:13; Colossians 2:19; John 1:34; Matthew 8:20; John 1:29; Hebrews 9:15; Revelation 22:13; Colossians 3:11; Ephesians 4:13–15)
Prayer of Confident Trust:
Father, thank You for placing me in Christ and filling me with Your Spirit. I trust that as I continue to hear and rest in the truth of who Jesus is, You are forming His life in me. I don’t need to chase spiritual maturity as if it were a reward to be earned—I simply yield to the One who lives in me. You are growing me up into Christ, and I rejoice in Your faithfulness to finish what You began. May Christ be seen more fully in me—not by my effort, but by Your abiding presence. I rest in You today.
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