Introduction to "Faith Results in Spiritual Growth" (2Peter 1:5-7)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
6/6/2012 9:06:34 AM
My Worship Time     Focus:  Faith Results in Spiritual Growth
Bible Reading & Meditation     Reference:  2Peter 1:5-7
 Message of the verses:  We will begin to look at 2Peter 1:5-7 this morning and see how far we can get as there is much packed into these three verses.
 Faith Results in Spiritual Growth (vv. 2Peter 1:5-7):  5 ¶  In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”  (NLT) 
 “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.”  (ESV)
 The first thing that I want to do in this SD is to quote from Dr. Wiersbe’s comments at the end of the first main point that he made in 2Peter as they have something to do with this section:  “Because we possess this divine nature, we have ‘completely escape’ the defilement and decay in this present evil world.  If we feed the new nature the nourishment of the Word, then we will have little interest in the garbage of the world.  But if we ‘make provision for the flesh’ (Rom. 13:14), our sinful nature will lust after the ‘old sins’ (2Peter 1:9) and we will disobey God.  Godly living is the result of cultivating the new nature within.”
 I think that it was back in the late 70’s or early 80’s that a Pastor came from the church that I am now attending to speak at the church that I attended for 32 years and his topic was on these three verses.  Spiritual growth can be seen in theses seven virtues that are mentioned here and that was what this Pastor, who is now with the Lord, spoke on during three days of ministry.
 We have all we need when we have been born into the family of God by the new birth in order to grow up in the Lord, but we also have three enemies in the world, the flesh, and the devil that will cause us to be tempted and not life a godly life.  “Peter listed seven characteristics of the godly life, but we must not think of them as seven beads on a string or even seven stages of development.  The word translated ‘add’ really means ‘to supply generously.’  In other words, we develop one quality as we exercise another quality.  These graces relate to each other the way the branch relates to the trunk and the twigs to the branch.  Like the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:22-23), these qualities grow out of life and out of a vital relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is not enough for the Christian to ‘let go and let God,’ as though spiritual growth were God’s work alone.  Literally, Peter wrote, ‘Make every effort to bring alongside.’  The Father and the child must work together.”
 I will be looking forward to begin to look at these seven characteristics in the next SD, and I hope that this will wet my appetite to continue to grow in the Lord and to live a life that will be pleasing to the Lord.
 Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I realize that the Christian life is truly a series of new beginnings, and that I am to never stop growing, for if I am not going forward, then I am going backwards.  It makes no difference what your age is you still need to continue to grow in the Lord until He comes for us or takes us home.  I am looking for the ‘Upper-Taker” and not the “undertaker.”

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire to abide (remain) in the vine so that I can be used of God.
6/6/2012 9:41:45 AM