Growning in Grace

2 Peter 1:1–4 KJV 1900

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Purpose: As believers, we know that trials will come. However, as we overcome our trials, we will grow in grace.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 (KJV 1900)

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Note: the Apostle Paul went through a trial and prayed that God would deliver him out of the trial, but Paul learned much about grace by enduring his infirmities.

God’s strength was made perfect through Paul’s weakness.

1 Peter 1:5–7 KJV 1900

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Our trials are more precious than?

God’s grace is sufficient for us and can carry us through the trial.

Just as gold is purified in the fire, so our faith is purified through our trials.

If we are willing to walk through the fire of testing, we will be refined through that fire...

God’s ways of removing impurities.

The process of purification is repetitive, often time-consuming, and very intense.

James 1:2–4 KJV 1900

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James tells us that the testing of faith perfects in us cheerful endurance.

If you have no trials, you cannot understand His grace.

Just as physical strength only comes through resistance (weight lifting, push-ups, etc.), so spiritual strength only comes through spiritual resistance, or difficulties.

Matthew 13:3–23 KJV 1900

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The Lord told us in the parable of the sower that some seed was planted, grew, and had no root because it was planted on stony ground. It soon withered, due to the storms that came against it.

This parable brings out a clearer picture that some people’s hearts become hardened during their trial and they lose faith and walk away from the Lord.

However, resistance (trials) will only cause us to grow if we continue to trust in Him through our conflicts.

This is how we grow in grace.

Example in nature: Studies have shown that the strongest trees are the ones that have the greater root system. The trees that are planted in the windiest areas are the trees with the strongest root systems.

In other words, the root system grows stronger through resistance! Where there is much wind, there are trees with stronger root systems.

Application Nobody likes to go through trials. However, as the Bible points out, trials only cause us to grow deeper in the grace of God. Only through trials do we realize the strength with have in God’s grace.

C.S. Lewis said, “Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.”

When the winds of adversity come, that is not the time to give up.

It is the time to dig deeper into the root of God’s Word, drawing strength from it and leaning more into His everlasting arms.

Through our trials we find safety when we trust in His grace and He gives us peace through the storm.

Truly His grace is sufficient for every conflict.

Types and shadows Ground - nourishment, Word of God, rooted and grounded.

Ephesians 3:17–19 KJV 1900

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Colossians 2:7 KJV 1900

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Sun - energy, Spirit of God as a result of spending time with Him.

Romans 8:26 KJV 1900

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

1 Corinthians 14:4 KJV 1900

4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

Wind - adversity, temptations, trials of faith.

1 Peter 1:6–9 KJV 1900

6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Conclusion The scriptures are clear that the Lord does not put trials upon us (we live in a fallen world, born in sin, shaped in iniquity!) but He can use them to bring glory to Himself and strengthen our faith!

Surely He can undo the adversity, if He so desires, but rather that we would grow in grace and knowledge of Him,

He allows the difficulty to remain.

He redeems the situation for our good, knowing all the while what is best for us.

He sees down the road!

He will step in, at the right time, giving us the strength to overcome.

Practicum  Memorize 2 Peter 1:1-4 by the end of Level 1.  Give God thanks daily for His grace and peace.  Be prepared to be at the next home group.  Be at the next assembly of the Church on Sunday.  Schedule a time every day for prayer.  Pray in the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues, daily.  Daily put on the whole armor of God in prayer.  Begin a daily Bible reading program.  Do a personal study on the Oneness of God from the Old Testament.  Do a personal study of God manifest in the flesh.  Create a chain reference in your Bible linking the plan of salvation for the purpose of

sharing it with others.  Keep a record/journal of the lessons that you learn through your trials and the strength that you receive through them.