The Law of Evolution in Spirit

2/15/2026

2 Corinthians 3:18

“But we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

There is a powerful law operating in the universe—God designed everything to move toward greater order, greater life, and greater love. This is not just a biological law; it is a spiritual law. Some call it the Law of Evolution and Growth. We are not meant to stay spiritual toddlers forever. We are to grow from infancy into maturity, from milk‑drinking believers into solid‑food disciples. As Hebrews 5:14 teaches, “through training we have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong,”

Just so we understand, the word “glory” is used often in the Bible. It has various meanings. First, it means the visible, radiant display of God’s greatness, holiness, and worth. It is not just “bright light;” it is Himself being revealed in beauty, authority, and love. “Glory” also means the praise, worship, acknowledgement, reverence, and honor we give back to God when we recognize His true nature.

God is unchanging in who He is, but not static in His actions. He is dynamic, creative, and life‑giving. When we invite Him into our lives, we are no longer just sustaining the status quo; we are consenting to be changed. The Law of Evolution is this: God designed us to move from one degree of His glory to the next—not to stay the same spiritually. In the kingdom of God, growth is the rule, and stagnation is the exception. Today we will explore how this law shapes our spiritual journey and how we can cooperate with God’s growth process in our daily lives.

2 Peter 1:3–8 says: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self‑control, and self‑control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

That is a mouthful, but it is the law of the kingdom: to grow and mature, and that is not optional. God’s way is always upward, outward, and forward. When we are born again, we are spiritually “born,” meaning that our inner life is spiritually restarted by God through faith in Jesus Christ. We no longer live just for ourselves, but for God. Like any newborn, we are only at the beginning of the journey. The Law of Evolution reminds us that God is continually calling us to grow, to transform, and to become more like Christ.

Notice the progression: faith → goodness → knowledge → self‑control → perseverance → godliness → affection → love. This is not a checklist; it is a growth ladder. One virtue builds on the one before it. I should say clearly what this is not: growth in the kingdom is not about self‑help or self‑improvement on the outside only. It is about God’s life transforming us from the inside out through the power of Christ. We grow because of grace, not because of willpower alone.

In Mark 4:26–29, Jesus compares God’s kingdom to a seed that grows into a great tree. The seed is tiny, but it carries the template for growth within it. No one can see the growth happening hour by hour, but given time, the right soil, water, and light, the seed will evolve into something much greater. In the same way, we each carry the seed of God’s nature. When we cooperate with God’s Word, His Spirit, and His environment, we grow, often in unseen ways, into the fullness of what He created us to be.

A sculptor looks at a block of stone and sees not what it is, but what it can become. The chisel and the hammer are not accidents; they are tools in the hands of the artist. In the same way, challenges, disappointments, and even painful seasons are not random events along our life’s journey. They are part of God’s shaping process. Romans 8:29 says, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” God wants us to conform to the template of Christ. The Law of Evolution is at work: every trial is an opportunity for character to be formed, faith to be deepened, and love to be refined.

Growth is part of God’s promise and pattern. 2 Peter 1:3 teaches that, “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” But having the resources is not the same as using them. The Law of Evolution comes into play when we “make every effort” to practice and apply what we know.

2 Corinthians 3:18 describes this ongoing transformation: “We all … are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Notice the progression: faith → goodness → knowledge → self‑control → perseverance → godliness → affection → love. This is not a checklist; it is a growth ladder, an ascending stairway. One virtue builds upon the one before it. Growth is a process of transformation – keeping the best of what was and transcending it.

When Paul says we are being transformed into “the Lord’s glory,” he has in view the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God, as described by Colossians 1:15. The Spirit is the agent; Christ is the pattern. The key word is transformed – this is a process, not a one‑time event. The Law of Evolution says that if we are consistently in the presence of God’s glory, interacting with His Word and His Spirit, we change over time. We will become more like Jesus and less like the world.

Growth is not just a solo journey; it is communal and relational. Ephesians 4:15–16 explains: “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the Church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

We grow as a community as each member “does its own special work.” When we are connected, serving, and speaking truth in love, the whole body grows. When someone is spiritually stagnant, it affects all of us. When someone is growing, we are together lifted up. Growth is accelerated in the body of Christ, the Church, the family of God, the community of the spiritually aware.

How can we move forward in this Law of Evolution? First, look to Christ’s glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says we grow as we “contemplate the Lord’s glory.” This happens through worship, meditation, prayer, acts of obedience, and our focus. The more we fix our attention on Christ, the more we are changed into His image. This is spiritual evolution in action.

Second, we lean into the shaping process. When conflict arises, instead of resisting, ask, “What is God growing in me through this?” When disappointment comes, ask, “Is God teaching me perseverance, trust, or detachment from idols?” Embracing trials as part of the growth process keeps us from bitterness and keeps us aligned with God’s Law of Evolution.

Third, we link to His body. We stay connected to the body of Christ—to the Church, the family of God, the community of believers. By regularly participating in church, small groups, or friendships, we are both encouraged and challenged. The Law of Evolution says that growth is accelerated in community. When we speak truth, receive it, and serve one another, the whole body is transformed. Avoid isolation; it slows spiritual growth and opens the door to deception and stagnation.

The Law of Evolution is not a theory; it is a reality. God created a universe that moves toward greater life, and He has placed within each of us the seed of His nature. But growth requires cooperation. When we tune in to Spirit, we allow God’s truth to retrain and reform our thoughts.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” We are taught to not let the world control us; rather, we let God change us from the inside out by changing how we think, so we can recognize and choose God’s will. The renewed mind is not just “positive thinking;” it produces spiritual discernment and obedience to what is written on our hearts.

It is my prayer that we remain ever grateful to our unchanging God who is never static; always moving, creating, and transforming. I pray that we cooperate with the Law of Evolution in the Spirit by opening our eyes to see God’s light, love, and glory. I pray that we have the courage to embrace the shaping process, and that we remain forever linked to the body of Christ, connected to each other, so that we grow up into Christ, from glory to glory.

God is not interested in keeping us small. He is molding us into the fullness of His Son – ever‑increasing glory, ever‑deepening love, ever‑growing maturity. That is the Law of Evolution in the Spirit.