Growing In Christ

2 Peter 3:17-18 (KJV) - 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18 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. 

There is something that Peter is telling us in these verses, "don't be a lazy Christian not learning the Word of God". There is no little gimmick, there is no little course you can take in a week, there is no little program that you can go through that will change and revolutionize your life -- there is no easy way. We are to seriously study the entire Word of God, not just a few little verses of Scripture that we throw about and kick around like a football. Peter says, "Ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." 

Peter's characteristic word is knowledge. The epitome of his entire epistle is expressed in the injunction of this final 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 [2Pet. 3:18].

"Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." True knowledge is not some information concerning a form or formula, a rite or ritual; nor is it some secret order or password, as the Gnostics claimed. It is to know Jesus Christ as He is revealed to man in the Word of God. This is the secret of life and of Christian living (see John 17:3).

Only as we spend time with Him, as He is revealed in His Word, can we grow in our knowledge of Him.

But what is real Christians grow? 

First, we se the potential for real Christian growth (2 Peter 1:1-4).

• They have a genuine “like precious faith” (1:1).  His greeting indicates that it is in the context of the knowledge of God and Jesus that grace and peace are to be multiplied (1:2). 
• These believers had real faith and real knowledge, the absolute prerequisites for true growth in the Christian life.

      They had everything they needed for true spiritual growth.

• God’s provisions “for life and godliness” (1:3-4). Peter references God’s power and His promises as he speaks of these as available through the knowledge of God. 
• These provisions of God enable these believers to be escapers and partakers (1:4). 
• They could escape the corruption of the world and partake of the “divine nature.” 

It is very clear clear that there is a solid basis for the expectation and exhortation for his readers’ growth in Christ. The potential for growth was there, and it is there for every true child of God.

Second, there is the pursuit of real Christian growth, (2 Peter 1:5-7)

Having the resources does not guarantee that the child of God will use them. 

The Apostle affirms the need for personal diligence in matters of growth (1:5). There is a pursuit that is a part of the life of the growing and maturing believer. 

• Because of what they have in their knowledge of God, “giving all diligence,” they are to “add to [their] faith….”
• There is a personal responsibility and activity involved in this call for growth. 

There are seven character qualities that need to be added to faith. 

• Virtue, 
• Knowledge, 
• Self-control, 
• Perseverance, 
• Godliness, 
• Brotherly kindness and, 
• Love. 

This is a list of essential character qualities that should be evident in the life of a true child of God. Each quality is important and they are inter-related. It is not a surprise that the list starts with faith as the foundation and ends with love. 

Third, there is the prospects for real Christian growth, (2 Peter 1:8-11)The Apostle clearly states that having these qualities (referred to in verses 5-7), and abounding in them, is very important indeed. 

Such growth in character will result in a spiritually fruitful life, avoiding barrenness and unfruitfulness (1:8). Not having these Christian character qualities will reveal a shortsightedness and a bad memory as far as one’s cleansing from sin is concerned. 

• To be cleansed from “old sins” (1:9) should mean that the pursuit of holiness and maturity will follow. 
• There should be diligence to demonstrate through the child of God’s life one’s “calling and election” (1:10). 
• The believer who is truly growing in grace and knowledge “will never stumble” (10). 
• An abundant entrance into “the everlasting kingdom” is the expectation (11). 

Note: Peter doesn’t just speak of getting into heaven, he speaks of an entrance that will be supplied abundantly.

• The Apostle Peter indicates that his death is close at hand (1:14). With this in mind, as well as the false teaching that at least could potentially influence these believers, he calls for: Personal diligence; 
• Leading to real growth in Christian character. 
• In light of the “Day of the Lord” which also is an incentive for pursuing holiness and godliness (3:11).

Rather than stumbling, the Christian should be fruitful as he/she grows “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (3:18).

The God Of Second Chances

“But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you.’ ”—Mark 16:7

Does God give second chances to those who have failed Him? He certainly did so for Peter. Peter had proudly announced that he was Jesus' most reliable disciple [Matthew 26:33 (KJV)] Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Yet, when things got tough, Peter not only fled with the other disciples in the moment of crisis, but also blatantly denied he even knew Jesus (Matt. 26:69–75). Peter failed so miserably that he went out into the night and wept bitterly (Luke 22:62).

However, we can see the compassion that Christ had toward Peter! The angel gave the women at the tomb special instructions to let Peter know that He was risen. Jesus took Peter aside to allow him the opportunity to reaffirm his love and commitment (John 21:15–17).

The risen Lord also chose Peter as His primary spokesman on the day of Pentecost, when three thousand people were added to the church.

God's desire is to take you from where you are and bring you to where He wants you to be. When He found His defeated followers hiding together in an upper room, Jesus' first word was “peace” (John 20:19). Jesus' first words to you after you fail may also be “peace.” Jesus will find you in despair and bring you peace. Then, He will reorient you to Himself so that you can believe Him and follow Him. Don't give up if you have failed your Lord. Remember what happened to Peter. God has not yet finished developing you as a disciple. Discipleship is a life style, not a program.

Failing To Pay Close Attention

The high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days —2 Chronicles 15:17

Asa was not completely obedient in the outward, visible areas of his life. He was obedient in what he considered the most important areas, but he was not entirely right. Beware of ever thinking, “Oh, that thing in my life doesn’t matter much.” The fact that it doesn’t matter much to you may mean that it matters a great deal to God. Nothing should be considered a trivial matter by a child of God. How much longer are we going to prevent God from teaching us even one thing? But He keeps trying to teach us and He never loses patience. You say, “I know I am right with God”— yet the “high places” still remain in your life. There is still an area of disobedience. Do you protest that your heart is right with God, and yet there is something in your life He causes you to doubt? Whenever God causes a doubt about something, stop it immediately, no matter what it may be. Nothing in our lives is a mere insignificant detail to God.

Are there some things regarding your physical or intellectual life to which you have been paying no attention at all? If so, you may think you are all correct in the important areas, but you are careless— you are failing to concentrate or to focus properly. You no more need a day off from spiritual concentration on matters in your life than your heart needs a day off from beating. As you cannot take a day off morally and remain moral, neither can you take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual. God wants you to be entirely His, and it requires paying close attention to keep yourself fit. It also takes a tremendous amount of time. Yet some of us expect to rise above all of our problems, going from one mountaintop experience to another, with only a few minutes’ effort.

We have to devote every minute to letting God control us and breaking the high places in our lives - DAILY!

Waiting On God

"My soul waiteth only upon God; from Him cometh my salvation." (Psalm 62:1)

If salvation indeed comes from God, and is entirely His work, just as creation was, it follows, as a matter of course, that our first and highest duty is to wait on Him to do the work that pleases Him. Waiting becomes then the only way to the experience of a full salvation, the only way, truly, to know God as the God of our salvation. All the difficulties that are brought forward as keeping us back from full salvation, have their cause in this one thing: the defective knowledge and practice of waiting upon God. All that the Church and its members need for the manifestation of the mighty power of God in the world, is the return to our true place, the place that belongs to us, both in creation and redemption, the place of absolute and unceasing dependence upon God.

The deep need for this Waiting on God lies equally in the nature of man and the nature of God. God, as Creator, formed man, to be a vessel in which He could show forth His power and goodness. Man was not to have in himself a fountain of life, or strength, or happiness: the ever-living and only living One was each moment to be the Communicator to him of all that he needed. Man's glory and blessedness was not to be independent, or dependent upon himself, but dependent on a God of such infinite riches and love. Man was to have the joy of receiving every moment out of the fulness of God. This was his blessedness as an unfallen creature.

When he fell from God, he was still more absolutely dependent on Him. There was not the slightest hope of his recovery out of his state of death, but in God, His power and mercy. It is God alone who began the work of redemption; it is God alone who continues and carries it on each moment in each individual believer. Even in the regenerate man there is no power of goodness in himself: he has and can have nothing that he does not each moment receive; and Waiting on God is just as indispensable, and must be just as continuous and unbroken, as the breathing that maintains his natural life.

"Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from Him cometh my salvation." 

A True Romans 8:28 Experience

This is submitted by Stan Shive:

Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

First let me say we serve an Awesome God! 

Second: God always gives his best to those who leave the choice with Him. The question is how many of us are really willing to let him have control of our lives, that we may experience God's best for us, what ever that may be? 

There was a man that had a son that was very sick and this christian man prayed that God would heal his son. The man's son died and this man was very angry with God and quit going to church and did not want to have anything to do with God because, he blamed God for his son's death. Several years went by and one day this man decided to get serious and ask God, where were you when my son died? God said the same place I was when my son died! 

What this man failed to realize is that God really did heal his son he just took him to heaven for the healing instead of healing him and letting him here on this earth! Had this man drew near to the Lord he would have given him the grace to get through that difficult time. 

How do I know that? I found my 43 year old son dead in his house on June the 8th 2010. It is times like that, when we need to draw closer to the Lord, not get angry with God and try to get away, because He is the only one who can possibly give us the grace, love and mercy we need to get through a situation like that!! He not only gave me the grace but, let me know that in spite of what happens in our lives, He loves us so much and will help us get through any difficulty! 

He has given me the privilege and opportunity to give comfort to someone in the future that may loose a child. You can never really say I know how you feel unless you have been where that person is at that time! There are times in our lives that the Lord will permit us to go through a Romans 8:28 experience that test our faith to see if we are really trusting in Him! It is in those valleys that our faith is really tested! Whatever the situation, that he permits us to go through it really is for our good even if we do not understand it at that time.

Stanley Shive

Living as Light in the World

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14–16

Whether or not the Christian should separate himself from the world is not open to debate. The question has been settled for him by the Sacred Scriptures, an authority from which there can be no appeal. The New Testament is very plain: "They are not of the world," said our Lord, "even as I am not of the world." James wrote, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." John said, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Such teaching as this would appear to be plain enough, and there should be no doubt about what is intended. But we must never underestimate the ability of the human mind to get itself lost on a paved highway in broad daylight. Some well-intentioned souls have managed to get themselves confused about their relation to the world and have sought to escape it by hiding from it. They read into the biblical command to separate from the world the idea of complete withdrawal from all human activities and seek peace of heart by cutting themselves off, as far as possible, from the great stream of human life and thought. And that is not good

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Why Do Christians in Recovery Continue to Fall Back?

In our RU Program, we praise the Lord when addicts find the right path and start living an honorable and blessed life. Then suddenly something happens, and they change directions. It doesn’t make sense. People discover what works, they get sober, safe and happy, but an off-ramp catches their attention and away they go -- with Christian leaders warning them of danger and destruction.

When asked what happened, some said it was because they were bored. Others reported that they were fearful of taking the next step, or taking responsibility for their lives. Then there’s a whole group of relapsed people who claim that being a Christian is too hard. This is the biggest lie Satan tells those struggling with addictions. The truth is, it's hard being an addict. It takes a lot of money and effort to stay high and out of legal trouble.

Admittedly, the devil is the father of lies. Plus, he has installed plenty of detours to take Christians off of God’s well-beaten and blessed path. He makes the off-ramp look like an easy and fast way to get somewhere. But we all know that these insidious detours are not quick and easy. Instead, they result in spiritual death and in many cases, physical death. No matter how many people urge their addicted loves ones to keep moving forward along God's path, many follow their addiction cycles and agree with Satan’s strategic plan for their lives. Some actually believe it's their destiny. But if God created them, He's the one with the true destiny.

Than, after they go back, they justify their actions with clever excuses and bold-faced lies. They also find validation for their crazy actions from people who either don’t understand addictions, or from those who share their propensity to abuse drugs and/or alcohol.

Satan will tempt you to go the opposite of where God wants to take you. Christians who struggle with addictions knows this in their souls, but their drug dealer is waiting and the liquor store is around the corner. Before they know it, they’ve gone way off the wagon and there’s no turning back until the damage has been done.

And the sad part is that they can not bring themselves around to admit they’re guilty of cooperating with the dark side. It’s much more comfortable to claim they have a chronic disease and can’t help it. And that might be true for those who don’t know Christ and don’t understand the power of God or the work of the Holy Spirit, but Christians are without excuse. No matter how well Christians in addiction argue their "I can't help it" case, the Bible wins the debate. It says we are more than conquerors.

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, (KJV) "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." In other words, God works on our behalf to ensure that Christians are protected from the plans and hands of the enemy. However, He leaves room for free will and people often choose Satan as their master. 

It is hard for family members and loved ones to know what to do. But here are some ways you can help.

• Pray, enter into spiritual warfare, then release them to God as the Father did in the story of the Prodigal Son. 
• Don't make the mistake of enabling them with your love or your money. This is counterproductive to Christian principles, and doesn't help the addict in the long run.

The RU Program is a Christian recovery program in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, sponsored by Grand Strand Baptist Church. We are a program  to offer freedom from addictions. 

The Cross of Christ

1 Peter 2:24 (KJV) Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 

The Cross of Christ is the revealed truth of God’s judgment on sin. Never associate the idea of martyrdom with the Cross of Christ. It was the supreme triumph, and it shook the very foundations of hell. There is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross— He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right-standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God.

The Cross was not something that happened to Jesus— He came to die; the Cross was His purpose in coming. He is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). The incarnation of Christ would have no meaning without the Cross. Beware of separating “God was manifested in the flesh. . .” from “. . . He made Him. . . to be sin for us. . .” (1 Timothy 3:16 ; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. God came in the flesh to take sin away, not to accomplish something for Himself. The Cross is the central event in time and eternity, and the answer to all the problems of both.

The Cross is not the cross of a man, but the Cross of God, and it can never be fully comprehended through human experience. The Cross is God exhibiting His nature. It is the gate through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with God. But it is not a gate we pass right through; it is one where we abide in the life that is found there.

The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.

Will We Leave God?

In John 16:32, Jesus is talking to His disciples. At first look, one might think that He is rebuking them.

Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 

When you look at the entire passage, you will see that their faith was real, but was disordered and unfocused, and they were loosing in the important realities of life. They were scattered to their own concerns and they had interests apart from Jesus Christ.

After we have the perfect relationship with God, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, our faith must be exercised in the realities of everyday life. We will be scattered, not into service but into the emptiness of our lives where we will see ruin and barrenness. This is what internal death to God’s blessings means. Are we prepared for this? It is certainly not of our own choosing, but God engineers our circumstances to take us there. Until we have been through that experience, our faith is sustained only by feelings and by blessings. But once we get there, no matter where God may place us or what inner emptiness we experience, we can praise God that all is well. That is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of life.

“. . . you . . . will leave Me alone.” Have you been scattered and have you left Jesus alone by not seeing His providential care for you? Do you not see God at work in your circumstances? Dark times are allowed and come to us through the sovereignty of God. Are you prepared to let God do what He wants with you? Are you prepared to be separated from the outward, evident blessings of God? Until Jesus Christ truly becomes our Lord, we each have values and goal that are of our own making. And we will spend most of our time serving them.

 Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself. The sense of God’s blessings is fundamental

“. . . be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Unyielding spiritual fortitude is what we need.

Genuine and wholesome spirituality

Genuine and wholesome spirituality. This is the goal of all Christian living. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? Perhaps the principle may be, but living by the principle is another matter altogether. The Bible must be the guide and test for all our experiences in the spiritual life...and if any experience fails to pass the test, it must be discarded. An unbalanced application of the doctrines related to spirituality will result in an unbalanced Christian life.

Often I am asked if a Christian work where alcohol and tobacco are sold?"

This is a question many Christians struggle with because they feel convicted that by working in a store that sells alcohol and tobacco, they are in some way encouraging or enabling others to sin by drinking and smoking. While the Bible is silent on the subject of selling alcohol and tobacco, but there are scriptural principles that can be applied to this question.

Many people believe smoking cigarettes to be sinful in the respect that it is being willfully harmful to one’s body. However, overeating, which is much more prevalent than smoking, at least in the U.S., is just as sinful, if not more so because of the biblical commands to avoid gluttony (Proverbs 23:2,20). Does this mean that restaurant waiters and fast-food employees are causing others to sin by selling rich, fattening foods to them?

The question of alcohol is a little different. Drinking wine and/or alcohol is not identified in the Bible as sin. The sin is being “drunk with wine, in which is excess” (Ephesians 5:18). Consider that Jesus Himself drank of the fruit of the vine, and Paul recommended drinking wine to His student, Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23). It is the responsibility of the users to determine for themselves where they need to stop drinking, and as such, the responsibility for drinking lies with the drinker, not the supplier.

To be sure, in some situations, where a person is obviously already intoxicated, or situations that break the law, clearly it would be wrong to sell alcohol to a drunken person, or to sell alcohol or tobacco to minors. However, in the day-to-day work environment, selling alcohol is no more sinful than working in a grocery store. But aside from these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the drinker to regulate his/her intake, not the seller. It is also the responsibility of the individual to decide whether smoking or overeating is detrimental to their health and to act accordingly.

In short, while there is no scriptural mandate against selling alcohol or tobacco, there are definitely things to consider that may make it a wrong choice for a Christian to work in these environments. If one feels convicted by the Holy Spirit about selling alcohol or tobacco, perhaps the Lord is speaking and it is time for a career change. Christians should act according to their faith when it comes to matters such as these, relying on our consciences to approve or not approve of our actions. Paul addresses this same principle regarding whether it was proper for believers to eat food sacrificed to idols: “Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:22-23). Ultimately, the decision should be made with prayer for wisdom, which God promises to grant to all without finding fault (James 1:5).