Piper talks about the measure of the greatness of a man (or woman), and we know from the Bible that true greatness is marked by humility, for “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
While all of us ought to see evidence of marked growth in our knowledge of God, our relationship with him, and our obedience to him, none of us ever evolves beyond our need for the ordinary means of grace. We never “level up” to such a degree that we gain access to some hidden extraordinary means of grace. We begin the Christian life by building habits that will foster our relationship with God, and these very disciplines are meant to sustain us to the end.