As no man on earth ever finish growing, so is it in the spirit; no redeemed ever stops growing.
The day a man stops growing is the day he dies. Since we know that our measure of growth is in comparison with the Lord as the standard, then, no matter how mature we may think we are, we are not God Himself. But since we have His nature inherent in us, we therefore have every tendency to grow into Him and the more we grow, the more we resemble Him.
It will be deception O comrade to interpret 1John4:17 to mean we're exactly like Christ in growth, I mean in all fullness. Only God needs no growth for He is all there is to be.
1John 4:17 in the Message Bible says "God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—OUR STANDING IN THE WORLD IS IDENTICAL WITH CHRIST'S.
This scripture does not in anyway connote we are equal with God in the fullness of His person but speaks about our mind, aims, pursuits, stand on issues etc being the same as that of our God in heaven. This if it becomes a reality today in each of us as it was in the early Church, it shall be an answer to the Lord's prayer "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".
Never stop striving for more of God and the expression of His person in and through you for that is the definition of growth.
Shalom.
Voice of Restoration
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