Obeying the gospel is the best decision a person can ever make.  The gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).  The instant individuals obey the gospel by repenting and being baptized (Acts 2:38), they are added to the church and are saved (Acts 2:47).

Obeying the gospel, however, is just the beginning.  It puts one in the race, but now, if heaven is to be attained, the goal must be reached (Philippians 3:14).  For this to happen, one must avoid spiritual stagnation by continuing to grow in Christ.  Peter understood the importance of this, both on a personal level and as an inspired apostle of Christ.

1 Peter 2:1-2 (ESV)
¹  So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. ²  Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

Whether Peter was addressing babes in Christ specifically, or simply using the analogy of an infant as an illustration for us all, is hard to tell, but it does not matter.  We all must desire the Word of God if we expect to grow spiritually, and spiritual growth should be the goal of us all.  Peter had more to say about this in his second epistle.

2 Peter 1:5-7 (ESV)
⁵  For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

This exhortation is about growing in Christ.  We all begin with faith because without that we would not be Christians.  Faith alone, however, is not enough.  Peter exhorts us to add to our faith.  Are you adding these spiritual qualities to your faith?  Are you increasing in knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, and the rest of these qualities?  The importance of doing so is found in the words of Peter in ver. 10.

2 Peter 1:10 (ESV)
¹⁰  Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

Peter gives us a surefire way to withstand all of the assaults of the devil.  A Christian has never fallen while in the process of growing and going forward in Christ.  Isn’t it a wonderful thing that there is something we can do to guarantee the salvation of our souls?  No matter how hard Satan tries to corrupt us and cause us to be lost, he cannot succeed as long as we are growing.  This is why we are so often encouraged to grow.

2 Peter 3:18 (ESV)
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.

Grace is used in this verse comprehensively.  It includes all of the blessings of the gospel that we receive apart from merit.  We grow in all these things by growing in the knowledge that the Lord provides through His Word.  If you want to experience methodical growth in Christ, where you are consistently growing stronger spiritually, there is one thing that you are just going to have to do—study God’s Word.

Let’s all make it our aim to be stronger next week than we are today.  Let’s determine to grow in Christ.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.