EP 2//Why Salvation Must Come Before Spiritual Growth

January 05, 2026

Many moms are working hard to grow spiritually—trying to be more patient, more loving, more peaceful—yet still feel frustrated and unsettled inside.

In this episode, we return to a foundational truth Jesus taught clearly: spiritual growth cannot happen without spiritual life.

Salvation is not the result of growth; it is the starting point. Just as a seed must be planted before fruit can grow, the life of Christ must first be received before the fruit of Christ can be produced.

Together, we explore why relationship comes before growth, why outward effort cannot replace inward life, and how this truth shapes not only our own faith—but how we train our children.

This episode offers gentle clarity, not pressure—helping you walk peacefully by making sure your faith is rooted in life, not striving.

Spiritual frustration often comes from trying to grow fruit without first receiving life
Jesus teaches that abiding precedes fruitfulness
Salvation is the seed from which all spiritual growth grows
The “best version of you” is not the goal—new life in Christ is
Behavior modification is not the same as spiritual transformation
Children must be led to life in Christ, not trained to wear fruit
Relationship with Christ always comes before spiritual growth

Scriptures Referenced in This Episode

Abiding & Dependence on Christ

John 15:4–5 — “Abide in me, and I in you… for without me ye can do nothing.”

Salvation as the Necessary Beginning

John 3:3–7 — “Ye must be born again.”
John 3:14–21 — Salvation through belief in the Son
1 John 1:7–9 — Life, cleansing, and fellowship through Christ

The Seed & Spiritual Life

John 12:24 — The seed that dies brings forth much fruit
1 Peter 1:23 — Born again by the Word of God
Romans 8:10 — Christ in you is life

Grace Before Growth

Ephesians 2:8–9 — Salvation by grace through faith
2 Peter 3:18 — Grow in grace and knowledge of Christ

Effort vs. Life

Romans 8:6 — To be spiritually minded is life and peace
Galatians 2:20 — Christ living in us
Galatians 5:22–23 — Fruit of the Spirit (as produced, not performed)

Childlike Faith & True Life

Matthew 18:3 — Becoming as a little child
Matthew 23:27–28 — Clean on the outside, dead within

Faith That Produces Life

Romans 10:17 — Faith comes by hearing the Word of God
James 1:22 — Living response flows from inward truth

Reflection Questions for Moms

Am I trying to grow spiritual fruit through effort rather than life?
Have I received Christ fully—or am I still striving to become “good enough”?
What might change in my home if I focused on life before behavior?
Am I teaching my children character alone—or pointing them to Christ Himself?

Spiritual growth is not something you force.
It is something that flows from life.

When Christ lives in you, fruit will come.
When fruit comes, peace will follow.

Relationship always comes before growth.

Faith-Filled Resources for Faith Moms: lifeandpeaceministries.com

Episode Transcript

?Welcome to Faith Mom Mentor. The podcast for moms who want more than just surface level faith for themselves and their kids. I'm Anne, and if you're a mom who feels unsure where to start spiritually, worries you're not teaching your child enough or wants a calmer, more confident faith at home, you are in the right place here.

We cut through the noise and get grounded in truth. Each episode helps you know God deeply. Teach your tween faithfully. And build a home that feels strong, steady, and Christ-centered, even in the middle school years. If you are ready to stop guessing, start leading with confidence and grow a faith, your family can actually live out - You are in the right place. Welcome to the Faith Mom Mentor.

What if I told you that the reason you feel frustrated in your faith is not because you are failing, but because you might be trying to grow something that hasn't been planted yet. Many moms are working very hard to be more patient, more loving, more peaceful, more kind, but inside they still feel tired, unsettled, and unsure.

Here's the hard but loving truth. You cannot grow spiritual fruit without spiritual life. You can improve behavior. You can build habits. You can even look very faithful. On the outside, but growth only comes after life and that is why salvation must come before spiritual growth. Jesus said something very clear and very simple.

He said, abide in me and I in you. For without me, you can do nothing. He did not say, try harder, do better, act more loving. He said, without me, you can do nothing. That means spiritual growth is not something you create. It's something that flows from relationship. Relationship always comes before growth. A plant does not try to grow.

It grows because it is alive, and salvation is the moment life begins. Jesus used to picture, everyone could understand. A seed. He said, unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it stays alone, but when it dies, it brings forth much fruit. Jesus was speaking about himself. He was the seed. He died, he was buried. He rose again.

And when we receive him by faith, his life is planted inside us. No seed, no life, no fruit. In the same way you cannot produce love, joy, peace, or patience unless the life of Christ is living in you. Salvation is the planting of the seed. Spiritual growth is the fruit that comes later. This is where many sincere moms get confused.

You may hear messages that sound good, like be the best version of yourself. Grow into your highest potential. Become more loving than peaceful. But Jesus never said, become the first version of yourself. He said, you must be born again. The best version of you is still you.

And Jesus said that unless you become like a little child, humble, receptive, dependent, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. That means improvement is not the same as salvation. You can look calm on the outside and still be empty and chaotic on the inside. And God is not pleased by fruit that is forced instead of fruit that is born.

Have you ever thought, why am I still so impatient? Why don't I feel the peace I'm supposed to have? Why does loving others feel so hard? That frustration is often a signal. It may be telling you that you are trying to produce fruit by effort instead of receiving life by faith. The Bible says we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Growth happens after Grace is received. Grace connects us to God. Grace brings life. Grace changes us from the inside out Without grace, effort leads to exhaustion with grace, growth becomes natural. This truth matters deeply for how we train our. It is good to teach children to be kind, to be polite, to be respectful, but if we train behavior without teaching salvation, we risk raising children who look alive but are not.

That was Jesus' problem with the Pharisees. He said they were clean on the outside, but inside they were dead. Okay. We must train our children never to wear fruit. Instead, we must train them to receive a life. Our children need more than manners. They need the life of Christ, and that begins the same way for us as it does for them by being born again.

Jesus spoke. This same word, you must be born again to a Bible teacher, a man who knew the scripture well, and he told him, you must be born again. If salvation had to come first for him, it must come first for us too. So here is the gentle question I want you to sit with today. Have you received Christ, not just learned about him, not just do what he would do, not just tried to follow him, but trusted him fully for salvation.

Spiritual growth is beautiful, but it can only grow. From spiritual life, relationship before growth, life before fruit, salvation before sanctification. When Christ lives in you, growth will come and with growth comes, peace will follow.

Before you go, remember this, you are doing sacred work as you nurture faith in your home and it matters more than you realize. Thank you for choosing to spend this time growing stronger in faith and steadier in truth. If today helped you take one more step forward. Head to lifeandpeaceministries.com for simple, faith-filled resources designed to support you to know God deeply and teach your tween faithfully, including faith, mom t-shirts, and ways to connect for speaking or faith mentoring. You can also help another mom by following the show, leaving a quick review or sharing this episode with somebody who needs encouragement right now.

Until next time, keep leading with faith. Your faithfulness is shaping a legacy.

EP 2//Why Salvation Must Come Before Spiritual Growth

Scriptures Referenced in This Episode

Reflection Questions for Moms

Spiritual growth is not something you force. It is something that flows from life.

Get the 1-minute quiz

Spiritual growth is not something you force.
It is something that flows from life.