The immense importance of growing spiritually is seen by the abundance of passages that tell us to do so. When spiritual stagnation overtakes us, it is only a matter of time before we fall and find ourselves back under the bondage of the devil once again.
Peter had a lot to say about growing in Christ. In his first epistle, he wrote, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2 (ESV). Then he closed his second letter with these words.
2 Peter 3:18 (ESV)
18But 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.
In tonight’s blog, I am particularly interested in Peter’s admonition to grow in the grace of our Lord. What did Peter mean by this? Two thoughts come to my mind.
First, we need to grow in our acceptance of and reliance on the Lord’s grace. For some, it is hard to let go of the idea that we are saved by meritorious works. This causes them to doubt their salvation based on not being good enough to go to heaven.
The sooner we all realize that we are saved by God’s grace and not our perfect works, the sooner we can enjoy the full benefits of biblical hope by accepting the fact that we are saved despite our imperfections. Do not waste time worrying about not being good enough. The truth is, you are not, and neither am I. No one, except for Jesus Christ, has lived a life good enough to earn a home in heaven. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23), but the grace of God is greater than any sin we have ever committed (Romans 5:12-21). All we have to do when we sin is repent and ask God for forgiveness (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9), and the blood of Christ, provided by the grace of God, will do the rest. Our job is to rely on God’s grace for our salvation rather than on our own good works.
There’s another area where we must grow in the grace of the Lord, and that is in emulating His gracious nature. As we all know, grace is unmerited favor, that is, favor that is not deserved. We do not deserve God’s providential care. We do not deserve to be heard by God through prayer. And we certainly do not deserve to be forgiven of our sins by God. When we end up in heaven, it will not be because we deserved it, but because of the grace of God.
Should we not treat others graciously? Should we not give our forgiveness to others even though they do not deserve it? We need to imitate our Lord’s grace to the point where helping, forgiving, and caring for others, even though they do not deserve it. No, this was not the primary point of Peter in 2 Peter 3:18, but it is still applicable. The more we grow in the grace of the Lord, the more like Him we become, and that is the whole point of Christianity (1 Peter 2:21). So, the next time you have the opportunity to help, forgive, or care for someone, do not ask if they deserve it. They probably don’t. Still, when you graciously help them, you are acting the way Jesus would in your circumstance, and by doing so, showing that you are growing in the grace or our Lord, Jesus Christ.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.