The following is a testimony written by my son-in-law Bro. Shane Gaydon.  This testimony was turned in as term paper for the class on “Spiritual Maturity” at the Greensboro Bible Institute in November 2006.  I have felt led of the Lord to publish it on the web site and I hope that It may be a blessing to you.

Testimony of D. Shane Gaydon

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.

II Corinthians 5:17

These words, written by the Apostle Paul in his second epistle to the church at Corinth, are some of the most profound words in all of holy writ concerning the inevitable change that takes place in the heart and life of someone who has come to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The significance of this text became clear to me shortly following my very own salvation experience in the spring of 2005.  After an extended bout with skepticism and doubt, I found myself submitting my life to a God I had never seen and to a Man I had never met.  This would have seemed to me an absurd thing to do at one point in my life but as I type these words I must confess that what once would have seemed to be an act of absurdity became the crowing moment of my earthly existence.  Being born again into the family of God was the start of my Christian experience and the beginning of a life long journey toward Christ-likeness.  This essay will be a bit of a personal testimony of how my life has changed since accepting Christ and how I have begun to grow as a new believer.  My hope for this paper is that it may edify, encourage, and provide some insight for other Christians as we all travel the road toward spiritual maturity.

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.

I Peter 2:2

The first step a believer must take toward spiritual maturity is to get into the Word of God.  Neglecting Bible study is the quickest way for a Christian to stunt their growth and to render themselves ineffective in reaching others with the Gospel message.  Three years before I was saved, my girlfriend (now my wife) presented me with my first Bible.  The Book collected dust up until I was converted but afterwards became my constant companion as I developed a desire to study the Scriptures.  This was the most important thing I could have done to start my growth as a Christian and I believe the importance of study is often ignored by believers who are more concerned with entertainment or having a “spiritual experience” rather than developing the discipline of Bible study.  Objective truth should never be replaced by subjective feelings and all of our truth is found within the pages of God’s Word.  The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, and we as Christians must put forth the effort to feed upon its words if we are to move forward toward maturity.  As the Apostle Peter stated it, newborn babes in Christ must seek the milk that the Word provides for growth.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25

Another all-important step to make toward spiritual maturity is to find a Bible believing church and devote yourself to being faithful to it.  By God’s providence, I was saved in such a church and as my Christian journey unfolds, I have not only been given the opportunity to sit under sound preaching and teaching but to teach myself.  This is what a growing believer should experience.  We are to learn then release what we have learned to others that are seeking to grow.  The training ground for this is the local church.  Not attending church services can lead to staleness and apathy and this can lead to spiritual backsliding.  Fellowshipping and worshipping with God’s people is absolutely imperative to Christian growth.

And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Acts 5:42

A third step I would suggest to a believer seeking growth would be to engage non-Christians with your testimony and the Gospel.  This can be intimidating at first and understandably so when considering how quickly the culture is becoming anti-Christian.  But, we must remember that we are under a divine mandate spoken by our Lord in Matthew 28:19 and we must be obedient no matter what the cost.  We have to keep in mind that people’s souls are at stake and we have the life changing message of salvation.  As I have experienced growth in spiritual maturity I have become more eager to witness and I believe that as we submit in obedience to the Great Commission and reach out to a lost world we will not only overcome our fear but we will experience the ultimate joy of being a Christian…leading others to Christ.