Romans 15:8-33 Spiritual Growth

...Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. ...Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, ...Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.Romans 15:8‭-‬33 NASB

 Romans 8:4-5 says, "The requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

We are now being addressed with respect, with the assumption that we are walking in the Spirit.

We receive the blessing of joy and peace by the power of the Holy Spirit. As we walk in the Spirit, joy and peace will become a part of our life. We are told in Galatians, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." [Galatians 5:22-23]

As you walk in the Spirit and grow closer to God, you will find that the fruit of the Spirit will become more obvious in your life, and the works of the flesh will fall away.

Coming to Christ doesn't mean that all of our faults will instantly vanish, and all of our doubts will disappear. Sanctification is a life-long process of growth. A baby doesn't become a mature adult in a day. In the same way, a newborn believer in Jesus needs time to mature. We help each other mature by admonishing and teaching one another.

"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."[Colossians 3:16 NASB]

Sometimes we need to warn (admonish) one another. And we can do so, because we have the Spirit of Christ in us, and He gives what we need. Jesus told us in John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."

We learn from the Holy Spirit, and we share with one another what we have learned. 

We don't have to rely on a priesthood to tell us about God. We can know Him for ourselves. His plan for the church is that all of the believers will grow in him, and each of us will help the others along the way.