Growing in Christ: The Ground, the Means, and the Ends of the Christian Life

As we conclude our series on Growing in Christ, we’ve spent several weeks considering what it means to live the Christian life faithfully in light of what God has done for us in Christ. We have looked at this theme in three parts:

The ground or basis of the Christian life,
The means God uses to strengthen that life, and
The ends or outcomes toward which that life moves.

These three—ground, means, and ends—give us a complete view of what it means to grow in Christ.

The Ground of the Christian Life: Justification by Faith

The first thing we saw was that the Christian life is grounded in something objective—that is, it is rooted outside of ourselves. Our confidence before God does not depend on how we feel from day to day, how well we think we’ve performed, or how many commandments we’ve managed to keep.

Scripture reminds us that to break the law in one point is to break it entirely (James 2:10). If God were grading us based on our performance, every one of us would receive failing marks. Therefore, our comfort must be based on something—or rather someone—outside of ourselves.

That someone is Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness, and His finished work provides the unchanging ground of our standing before God.

Justification as a Legal Declaration

We described justification as forensic, meaning it has to do with a legal declaration—like a verdict rendered in court. It is God’s pronouncement that a sinner is righteous, not because of his own works, but because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to him.

In Exodus 23:7, God declares, “I will not acquit the wicked.” That means God will never call someone righteous who is not truly righteous. His justice is exact and perfect. Therefore, if God Himself has declared a sinner to be righteous in Christ, that declaration is not fiction—it is reality.

The same principle appears in Deuteronomy 25:1, where judges are told to “acquit the innocent and condemn the guilty.” God’s justice demands that righteousness be called righteousness and wickedness be called wickedness. This truth undergirds our understanding of justification: if God has declared us righteous in His Son, then we truly are righteous in His sight.

Christ’s Finished Work and the Objective Ground of Our Faith

Paul draws the contrast between condemnation and justification in Romans 5:16–18:

“The judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification… so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.”

Adam’s sin brought condemnation to all mankind, but Christ’s righteousness brings justification and life to all who are united to Him by faith. The life of the believer is therefore grounded in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who now sits at the right hand of God.

That is why the Christian life is not subjective—based on feelings, performance, or progress—but objective, rooted in Christ’s finished work. As Paul says in Romans 8:33–34:

“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised.”

If God Himself has justified you, no one—not even yourself—can undo that declaration. Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39).

Living in the Light of Justification

Because justification is objective, it transforms how we live and think. When we fail, when others accuse us, or when our own hearts condemn us, we can say with Martin Luther, “You do not know the half of it.” We are worse sinners than anyone realizes—and yet we are fully righteous in Christ.

This truth gives us peace, humility, and confidence. We no longer live striving to “do our best and hope God makes up the rest.” We live by faith in Christ’s word: “You are righteous.”

Only those who rest on that foundation can truly love God and love their neighbor. If we are uncertain of our standing before God, we are consumed by fear and self-preservation. But if our righteousness is secure in Christ, we are freed to live for others in gratitude and joy.

The Means of the Christian Life: The Instruments of Grace

Because the Christian life is grounded in Christ’s finished work, the means of growing in that life are likewise objective. God has not left us to invent our own paths to spiritual maturity. He has ordained means of grace—channels through which He promises to strengthen His people.

We distinguished between helpful things and means of grace. God can use many circumstances—marriage, singleness, children, trials, or prosperity—to grow us in holiness. These are helpful things. But they are not the same as the means of grace, which are specific instruments God has ordained and promised to bless for our spiritual growth.

Historically, Protestants have recognized three principal means of grace:

The Word,
Baptism, and
The Lord’s Supper.

The Word of God: Preaching as the Primary Means

The first and chief means of grace is the Word, particularly the preaching of the Word. In Romans 10, Paul teaches that faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ. God has appointed preaching as the ordinary means by which He converts sinners and conforms His people to His Son.

This is why believers are called to be under the preaching of the Word regularly. It is not enough to listen to sermons occasionally or substitute private devotion for public worship. The gathered church on the Lord’s Day is where God has promised to work in unique and powerful ways.

Hearing the Word Together: The Lord’s Day and the Gathered Church

A common question arises about whether listening to sermons online or through recordings counts as the “preaching of the Word.” While such listening can be profitable—God may indeed use recorded preaching to instruct, comfort, or even save—it is not the same as being under the live preaching of the Word among the gathered people of God.

Something unique happens when God’s people assemble on the Lord’s Day to hear His Word proclaimed. There is, as several in the congregation have observed, a spiritual reality—a “warming” of the room, so to speak, as the Spirit works through both preacher and hearers. The preacher is not merely delivering information, and the congregation is not merely absorbing it; there is a living, reciprocal work of the Spirit between pulpit and pew.

This is why the church is commanded not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25). Christ has promised to meet His people in a special way when they gather in His name. Private devotions, Christian books, or online sermons, while useful, cannot replace this divinely appointed encounter.

The Mystical Work of the Spirit in the Means of Grace

Our culture often struggles to think in spiritual terms. We tend to be “materialists,” not merely in the sense of loving possessions, but in thinking only in terms of what we can see or measure. Yet Scripture reveals that God works in unseen, spiritual ways—what earlier generations of Christians called mystical, not meaning “mysterious and strange,” but spiritual and real.

Through the visible, tangible means of grace—hearing the Word, witnessing baptism, partaking of the Supper—the Spirit of God invisibly brings Christ to His people. These are not mere human ceremonies; they are divine instruments by which God nourishes faith and builds His church.

Baptism: More Than a Symbol

The second means of grace is baptism. It is not merely a symbolic washing or a public declaration of faith. God truly does something in baptism—not by the water itself, but by His Spirit.

Paul writes that we have been “buried with Christ in baptism and raised to newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Baptism visibly portrays the gospel and seals God’s promise to His people.

Because baptism depends on God’s promise and the Spirit’s work—not on the worthiness of the minister—it remains valid even if the minister later proves unfaithful. If a pastor were to fall away, those he baptized would not need to be rebaptized. The grace signified in baptism is objective; it depends on God’s faithfulness, not man’s.

The Lord’s Supper: Grace for Weak and Weary Believers

The third means of grace is the Lord’s Supper, which likewise conveys spiritual reality through physical signs. In the Supper, Christ offers Himself to His people by faith, reminding them of His finished work and nourishing their souls with His promises.

Importantly, the Lord’s Table is not for perfect people—it is for sinners who know they need grace. It is not a reward for righteousness but a gift for the repentant. As believers, we come to the table not because we feel worthy, but because Christ declares us worthy through His righteousness.

There are, of course, times when someone should refrain—such as when unresolved sin or broken fellowship remains between believers. But under normal circumstances, all repentant believers should come and partake with gratitude, trusting in Christ’s invitation rather than their own feelings.

The Supper, then, is not a private devotion but a corporate meal, a picture of our union with Christ and with one another. It is the church’s family table, where Christ meets His people and confirms His promises.

The Ends of the Christian Life: Gratitude and Obedience

Having considered the ground and the means, we come now to the ends—the purpose or goal—of the Christian life. The end of the Christian life is conformity to Christ, and the pattern for that conformity is revealed in God’s law.

However, believers no longer relate to the law as a covenant of works. We do not keep it in order to earn life; we keep it out of gratitude for the life already given to us in Christ.

Everything the Christian does must be done in faith, for “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). Therefore, our obedience flows not from fear of punishment but from faith in Christ’s finished work and love for the One who saved us.

Objective Standards and Christian Liberty

Because the ends of the Christian life are objective—revealed in God’s Word—we must be careful not to make up our own standards of spirituality. True holiness is not measured by personal preferences or cultural practices, but by God’s law and gospel.

If someone were to say, “You must homeschool your children,” or “You must send them to public school,” or “You must eat organic,” or “You must avoid vaccines,” none of these things can be elevated to marks of true godliness unless they are commanded by Scripture.

There is a wide field of Christian liberty where believers may differ in conscience and practice, and we must not bind one another in areas where Christ has left us free. The true measure of the Christian life is found not in external customs but in faith working through love.

All of Grace, All of Christ

To summarize, the Christian life—its ground, means, and ends—is entirely objective because it is entirely of Christ.

The ground is Christ’s finished work of justification.
The means are Christ’s appointed instruments of grace: the Word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.
The ends are conformity to Christ as revealed in God’s law, pursued out of gratitude and faith.

Our subjective experiences, emotions, and spiritual ups and downs have their place, but they do not define or sustain the Christian life. Our hope rests not on anything within us, but on what Christ has said and done for us.

God did not choose us because He saw potential in us or because we were the most promising people in our city. He chose us simply because He was pleased to set His love upon us in Christ. And having chosen us, He will lose none of His own.

Living Daily in the Ordinary Means of Grace

Growing in Christ, then, is not a mystical process reserved for a few advanced believers. It is the daily, faithful use of the means Christ has given—gathering with His people, hearing His Word, receiving His ordinances, and walking in thankful obedience.

This is why Scripture commands us not to neglect the assembling of ourselves together. The Lord’s Day worship of the church is not optional; it is essential. It is where Christ feeds His flock and strengthens His saints.

While God may work in extraordinary ways in exceptional circumstances, the ordinary Christian life is one of steady, faithful use of the means of grace—day after day, week after week, year after year—trusting that the Spirit is using them to conform us more and more to the image of Christ.

Conclusion: Growing in Grace, Grounded in Christ

As we conclude this study on Growing in Christ, we see that the Christian life is not built on our emotions or achievements but on Christ Himself. It begins with His gracious declaration—“You are righteous.” It continues through His appointed means of grace, and it moves toward the end for which we were created: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Therefore, let us make full use of the means Christ has given. Let us come each Lord’s Day eager to hear His Word, to see and taste His promises in baptism and the Supper, and to live in the light of His grace. For it is through these ordinary yet powerful means that the Spirit of God makes us grow in the likeness of our Savior.