Grow in Grace

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at the following passage of scripture.

2 Pet 3:17-18 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.

I wanted to ask you something this morning. Have you ever gone tubing down a river or maybe even done some whitewater rafting. In either case, a river can pose some serious hazards that you’ve got to be watching for. There may be a large log underneath the water that you don’t even see until you’re right on top of it, or even a group of some large boulders that you are going to have to navigate through.

The word beware means to be cautious and alert to danger. If you’re a cautious person, you make sure you look a few times in both directions before crossing a busy intersection.

When you’re cautious, you’re careful to avoid potential danger or problems. Circumspect is a synonym for the word cautious.

Someone who is circumspect is very wary and unwilling to take risks. If you have this quality, you’re careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences for your actions. You think carefully before doing or saying anything. It’s a very good quality to have.

Ephesians 5:15 ¹⁵ See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

When you are circumspect you are very cautious. Wisdom teaches us to be circumspect.

2 Pet 3:17-18 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.

To be led away is to be guided away from someone or something. In this case it’s to be led away from the truth of scripture.

An error is a state or condition of being wrong in conduct or judgment. An error is something that you have done that is considered to be incorrect or wrong.

1 John 4:5-6 ⁵ They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

⁶ We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Peter wants us to maintain our steadfastness in the Christian faith. When you are steadfast it means you’re firmly fixed in place. You are immovable. It’s being firm in your beliefs, your determination or your adherence to something or someone. One dictionary says firmly loyal, constant and unswerving.

1 Cor 15:58 ⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Psa 112:7 ⁷ He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

Here is a great verse about being steadfast.

Col 1:23 ²³ If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Col 2:7 ⁷ Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Steadfastness is being loyal and true to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus teaches a parable about a steadfast obedient heart.

Luke 8:5-15

⁵ A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

⁶ And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

⁷ And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

⁸ And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

⁹ And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

¹⁰ And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

¹¹ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

¹² Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

¹³ They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

¹⁴ And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

¹⁵ But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Back to our study verse.

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.

Growing in grace is very similar to the parable that Jesus taught today. When that seed is planted into someones obedient heart, and fed and watered regularly with Gods Word, it will eventually grow into Spiritual maturity. When something grows, it undergoes the process of developing.

In the church, there are people who have been Christians for a few weeks even though on the exterior they may be 50 years old. The truth of the matter is that they’re just a young baby Christian on the inside of their hearts whom God is changing. As the Word is preached and taught to us we are undergoing that transformation process. A baby doesn’t come out of the womb as a mature adult. It needs to grow day by day and it takes a little time and some patience.

The word grace in the dictionary is defined as unmerited divine assistance given to humans, for their regeneration and sanctification.

God extends to each of us a portion of grace. I’ve said it numerous times, some of us may need more grace, some need less, but we all need some grace in order to make it home some day all the way to heaven. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. He wants us to apologize for the things that we’ve done wrong, so he can cleanse us. He gives us that grace so that we can grow into maturity.

Regeneration is the action or process of regenerating or becoming regenerated. What’s happening is that you are becoming something new. That’s the process of being born again. He is regenerating us in our hearts and our minds. We are putting away the old man and becoming a new one. God is recreating us through His Son Jesus. It happens through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Sanctification is the action or process of being freed from sin and purified.

Lastly, the Apostle Peter teaches us to …….grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Phil 1:9 ⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

We want to know Christ Jesus and the things that He taught from the scriptures so that we can grow into maturity.

1 Pet 2:2 ² As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

We want to grow into spiritual maturity, so that we can become perfectly obedient to God.

Rom 12:2 ² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

God wants us to continue growing each and every day in the faith. We can come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need, so that we can do God’s will. The only way a baby is going to grow into manhood is by drinking a lot of milk. The only way that we can do God’s will perfectly is to keep growing in his forgiveness, and the teachings of Scripture.

I think that’s where I’m gonna stop for today, but Lord willing, I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then bye Bye, everybody.♥️

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