Growing in Christ by grace
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Just a closer walk with thee. . .
Just a closer walk with thee. . .
Jesus is the sum of all things. In knowing that, don’t we want to have a closer walk with thee? OK, so that is a rhetorical question. So how do we get a closer walk with thee? Today we are looking at growing in a closer walk with Jesus.
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We are challenged to grow (2Pt3:18)
We are encouraged to grow (2Pt1:5-7)
We have proof of growth (Jn13:35)
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We are challenged (commanded) to grow (2Pt3:18)
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
It is important to grow in knowledge and grace which brings about maturity. Today we will also see
We are challenged to grow (2Pt3:18)
We are encouraged to grow (2Pt1:5-7)
Not only encouraged but told how to. When we grow in grace or in this case and this passage before us today, graces and knowledge, true knowledge, then God gets the glory! Isn’t that what we want, to give God the glory?
So as we go today I would like you to consider this question and see if we answer in along the way.
So what does it mean to grow in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the sum of all things?
How can we know, how can we be assured that we are growing in knowledge, true knowledge, the right knowledge, the maturing knowledge of Jesus Christ? By practice (2Pt2:10) and by practice (application) it brings proof.
We are challenged to grow (2Pt3:18)
We are encouraged to grow (2Pt1:5-7)
We have proof of growth (Jn13:35)
35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Peter defines what it means to grow in knowledge of Christ and that is found in our passage today 2Pt1:2-11. So without any further delay let’s get into the message.
What does growing entail?
What does growing entail?
It entails developing the eight graces in our passage (2Pt1:5-7)
5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
Faith (2Pt1:5; Heb11:1)
Knowledge (2Pt1:5; Pro1:2)
Virtue (2Pt1:5; Ps23:60
Self-control (1Pt1:6; Gal5:23)
Perseverance (2Pt1:6; Rom5:3-4)
Brotherly kindness (2Pt1:7; Gal5:220
Love (2Pt1:7; Rom5:8)
Faith - conviction with strong assurance
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Knowledge - this is the right knowledge of true things
2 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding,
Virtue - this is moral excellence, goodness
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Self-control (discipline) Gal5:23
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Perseverance - being able to bear up under trials and tribulations (Rom5:3-4)
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
Godliness -godly character that comes from our devotion to God (1Tim4:8)
8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Brotherly kindness - active love towards one another (Gal5:22)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
and finally, love - active desiring the best for others, especially those who are in need; and boy were we in need and God met the need
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
So, there you go, in general the eight graces with some parallel passages, now moving on.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, what do you notice about these qualities from this verse (2Pt1:8)?
Theses qualities are yours!
Be sure to discuss “if” clause for the verse does use the word “if”
They are increasing
They make you fruitful because of true knowledge
We must abound if we are to grow in these graces. When we do they will result in growing knowledge of Jesus. This is so much more than intellectual knowledge. So moving on to the developing of these graces.
Each of these graces are “Christ like attributes” - more growth means more knowledge, more knowledge means more graces and more graces means more like Christ.
Developing the graces
It takes knowledge (2Pt1:2-3)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
The word knowledge used (v.2) is the Greek word:
Epiginosko “to become thoroughly acquainted with, to know thoroughly, to know accurately, to know well - Thayer’s lexicon of the New Testament
So, if we are acquainted, know thoroughly, know well, then we will apply and our life will demonstrate these graces.
It takes these graces working together (2Pt1:5-7)
when we look at these verses you see that there is the “add to” look and see
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
Each of these work in conjunction with each other. In some versions you may see the word “supply” but both words work. Each of these graces work in harmony with each other to produce the result, Christ like character.
May it be illustrated like this: To knowledge we add self-control, this helps us to know how to apply the knowledge that we have through self-control. Then you add perseverance, the effort needed to be consistent in our self-control because of the knowledge that we have and that we need to apply.
If we want to grow in Christ, to mature in Christ, these graces must be developed in conjunction with each other, but they do take effort, diligent effort.
It takes diligent effort (2Pt1:5, 2Pt1:10)
dil·i·gence (noun) careful and persistent work or effort. Dictionary.com
5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
Or even look at what the Message interpretive sys
5 So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding,
Maturing, growing in knowledge of Christ Jesus takes diligent effort, earnest zeal, much effort at times. It does not come naturally or accidently; you have to develop these graces.
So, are you making the effort to develop these graces? Are you willing to make diligent effort to doing it? Maybe you are not sure if it will be worth it. Well then, the next point tells us why we should develop these graces.
Why we should develop these graces
Why we should develop these graces
Do it for multiplication of knowledge (2Pt1:2)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
Grace and peace are coupled together as a greeting in many of the N.T. books.
Grace the greeting which asks for God’s favor upon the person or people being greeted.
Peace is the intended result of the favor of God to those who are being greeted.
Grace and peace, is that not what we want? Is that not what we want for others? Well it comes through knowledge.
Everything we need comes through true knowledge of Him (2Pt1:3-4)
3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
All things pertaining to life and godliness; Our physical lie, our spiritual life, godliness that refers to our godly conduct as a result of our devotion to God. It is only when we grow in knowledge of Christ Jesus we are able to have and enjoy the “all things;’ the true things, the full things, the divine things that are unlocked by God’s divine power to the believer who is growing in these graces.
Knowledge including His precious and magnificent promises
Knowledge so as to be partakers of God’s divine nature
Knowledge that has given us freedom and victory over the corruption that is in this world by lust.
We develop so we are not spiritually blinded or short-sighted (2Pt1:9)
9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
We don’t want spiritual myopathy; to become spiritually weak; spiritually blind to what we have and forgetting what we have and how we came to have it. Failure to develop and grow is an indication that we have either forgotten why we were redeemed or became complacent.
May we remember we have been redeemed and our sins have been forgiven.
So that, one day we maybe presented to God to be like the Son one day.
We develop these graces as a part of our transformation process (Rom12:2; Rom8:29; 1Jn3:2).
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
This is what maturity is, to grow more into His image.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
We do it so we will not stumble (2Pt1:10; 1Jn1:8-10)
Stumble: to fall into misery, become wretched, the loss of salvation - Thayer’s
10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
Now we have to know, have to understand that never stumble does not equate to never sin, it means we sin less and don’t dwell in sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
When we are growing, when we are maturing, we will not fall short of our ultimate destination! our final salvation. Remember it takes effort, it takes diligence,it takes YOU! but YOU can make your election sure (1Pt1:10)
It is only in growing, growing in knowledge of Christ Jesus can we make our election sure. We don’t want anyone to be a question mark Christian.
We do it so we have entrance into eternal kingdom (2Pt1:11; Mt7:13; 2Tim4:18)
11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
We know what Jesus says about the entrance
13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
But to the one who is growing in these graces we can know the entrance is abundantly supplied. Supplied and preserved for our heavenly, eternal kingdom.
18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
This entrance abundantly supplied to us; I like how commentator Bengel puts it
“You may be able to enter, not as one having escaped from a shipwreck or from a fire, but as to one who is in triumph.”
What a blessed assurance that is to the one who is growing in these graces. We, like Paul will have the same end result
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
That we may persevere to the end, finish our race and receive the crown of righteousness!
Slide: Crown of Righeousness
Sum up/invitation
For the reasons provided may we be willing to grow in Christ by these Christian grace’s mentioned today. They should be a great motivation to diligently pursue these graces.
By making the diligent effort you are making your election sure and are able to have a closer walk with thee!
(Invitation slide - Just a closer walk with thee picture)
So the questions arise
Do you lack any of these graces? Ask God to help develop them in you.
Do you lack the energy or perseverance to grow in these graces? Ask God and He will strengthen you.
To have any of these graces through true knowledge of Him, first comes from you knowing Him and He knowing you and forgiving your sins. Do you need this today?
(invitation slide #2) song (exit slide)