Grow in the Lord

Background Scripture: 2 Peter 1
Lesson Scripture: 2 Peter 1:4–11; Malachi 4:2

Introduction

Every person enters this world as a helpless baby. Although we were born with an appetite, we relied on our parents to provide us with nutritious food. A growing child will not develop normally without proper exercise. Loving parents also realize that children need rest. These things are key to proper development.

Likewise, to grow spiritually we need to feed on the Word and exercise our faith. This will include sharing our thoughts and experiences in Sunday school. By reaching forward to new adventures in Christ and discovering precious promises and gems in his Word, we experience Christian growth.

Key Verse

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen (2 Pet. 3:18).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

Apostle Peter lists a sequence of Christian attributes by which we grow in our walk with the Lord. At conversion, God imparts to us his divine nature. A new birth experience is the beginning of Christian life, and we progress from that point forward. We do not grow in salvation; God has dealt to every man a measure of faith which embraces the gift of salvation.

Adding virtue to a newfound faith simply means doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. Adding knowledge could be likened to going to school. A normal child is inquisitive and wants to learn new things. Blessed are those children whose parents, schoolteachers, and Sunday school teachers take the time to help them stretch their mental and spiritual capacities. Remaining teachable is an important requirement. An end-of-school program once featured a simulated conversation among several students who resisted taking a certain subject, considering it unnecessary. The program then skipped forward in the lives of those same students, and that deficiency proved disastrous. The knowledge they disregarded was necessary after all.

Temperance is another necessary attribute and refers to self-control. Keeping our feelings and emotions in check is exercising temperance.

New converts may feel like they are walking on air. Their whole outlook on life has changed. But life must be lived, and the outcome of battle has yet to be determined. Growth, in ourselves or in others, cannot be hurried. This is how patience is added to temperance.

Godliness means becoming more like our heavenly Father. It is the desire of all sincere Christians to be more keen to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Entering a life of service to God begins at home. As we grow in our Christian life and exercise brotherly love, charity will blossom and bear fruit.

A sober warning is registered here. If we resist the Holy Spirit leading us to higher ground, not only is growth stunted, but we will automatically revert to our former fallen state. In our blindness, the goal of eternal life is lost, conversion and deliverance grow dim, and the pathetic condition of a backslider is fully defined.

As we diligently live our Christian life, the grace of God will never fail us, and the gates of heaven will open wide. What a final note of victory!

Practical Truths for Today

A gate at a staircase prevents infants from falling and getting hurt. However, there does come a time when toddlers need to explore the stairs, starting at the bottom. They will have their tumbles, but they see the flight of stairs as a challenge that they want to conquer. Likewise, we cannot remain isolated from every spiritual danger. Life must be lived, and often we grow by our mistakes.

A certain young man was baptized while in high school. Sad to say, his conduct did not always measure up to Christian standards. His classmates were a source of temptation at times. They also realized that something was amiss with his profession. Toward the end of the school year, the class was planning an outing to the lake, and this brother was asked if he was going along. When he declined, the teacher asked, “Do your parents not let you go?” His answer was, “No, it is my personal decision.” His one fellow church member in the class voiced her appreciation, and the others seemed relieved to see his faithfulness to his conviction.

How can older ones encourage youth in Christian growth? If an older brother starts up the aisle to bring the introduction on a Sunday morning and sees a younger brother getting up with the same intention, should he not take a seat and let the young man bring his thoughts? It may be his first attempt at an introduction, and it may have been with some trepidation that he arose. He may only have a simple thought or experience that inspired him, but we should cultivate willingness, enthusiasm, and spontaneity. Older ones should not feel their impressions are so profound and important that they must be shared.

When we are young, we do not know what adventures life will hold. We need to stay close to God and exercise the talents He has given us. Quite often we will need to get out of our comfort zone to find the avenue of service the Lord has for us. Maybe this will not be composing inspiring songs or writing profound articles for the Messenger but just jotting down how a verse inspired us or that special touch from the Lord. When singing in a care home, it is good to find someone to connect with. Many hearts have been touched by listening to old-time hymns sung by a group of cheerful, sincere youth who take an interest in people.

Young Christians, prepare yourselves for service. Read your Bible and memorize passages. Those verses will then be there when you need them. There is always a need for workers in the kingdom: schoolteachers at home and abroad, care-home workers, and volunteers to help in various units. Later, there will be a wide variety of congregational offices to fill.

Some homes have a closet door or designated wall where the children go stand on their birthdays to be measured. If this year’s mark would be at the exact place as last year’s mark, we would be baffled or alarmed. As adults, do we find ourselves confessing the same sins year after year, with seemingly little victory or growth? A change in diet may be needed; are we snacking on junk food that steals our appetite for reading the Bible or church writings? The account is told of a converted alcoholic who still tied his horse in front of the saloon when he went to town. Though this was what he was used to, it presented a temptation to him. He was admonished to change his hitching post.

The Scriptures are mostly silent on the growing-up years of John the Baptist. “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel” (Luke 1:80). He grew up to be a powerful preacher. Yet when he realized that Jesus had begun his ministry and that his own mission was ending, he did not resent the popularity Jesus was receiving. “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29–30).

Maybe we feel that we have largely attained to spiritual maturity, but we can still grow in humility and in giving our confidence to those coming after us. We may have enjoyed filling our responsibility in the kingdom, but there comes a time to step aside and perhaps mentor the younger ones. At any age our lives can bring glory to God.

Questions

1. Are we ever willfully ignorant or immature in order to avoid responsibility?
2. Can we be aware of spiritual growth in an area where we had a lack?
3. How do we give God the honor for spiritual victory?
4. Are we ever spiritually full-grown? See Ephesians 4:13.

Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).