Growing in Grace

"You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; ¹⁸ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."

2 Peter 3:17-18

Peter concluded his epistle with this exhortation to remain faithful to Christ.  Instead of being led astray with the error of the wicked, they were to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."  For much of my early Christian walk, "grace" was an ambiguous term without any depth of meaning or personal significance.  The concept of "growing in grace" was equally as meaningless.  If I didn't understand what grace was, how could I possibly grow in it?

For me, understanding of God's grace awakened when I began to recognise how sinful I am according to God's righteous standard.  From my youth I understood and sang with gusto, "Yes, Jesus loves me!"  yet I did not comprehend that there was nothing in me deserving or worthy of this love.  He loved me with a divine love I could not earn.  The Law of God laid out in the Old Testament laid a death blow to my pride which was convinced I could merit God's favour through obedience.  Romans 3:19-20 reads, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."  God gave the Law to Moses to establish His perfect standard and to prove to the proudest soul there is none worthy before God.  Break His Law in one tiny aspect and that man is guilty of all.

The Law of God opened my eyes to the grace of God.  I am a guilty sinner deserving of wrath and eternal judgment.  But God in His great love had compassion on me and offered me grace, salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.  Christ does love me, but not because I love Him.  He loved me first and always, and I love Him back.  I can only respond to His love already lavished upon me, an unchanging love not based upon my performance or perceived worthiness.  It is this knowledge of our poverty of soul which causes us to grow in grace.  Our growth is not one to measure against others, but only against the perfect standard established by Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:9-10, "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."  Paul embraced the grace of God from a position of complete unworthiness.  Everything praiseworthy in Paul's life was a product of God's grace at work in Him.  I believe there is a misunderstanding of grace today which justifies sloth concerning our sanctification.  We see our unworthiness or lack and shrug our shoulders and say glibly, "By the grace of God I am what I am."  Paul did not use God's grace as a cloak for carelessness, but to glorify God for the goodness at work in and through His live.  God's grace did not justify Paul being served, but compelled him to greater labours for God.  He was an unworthy minister, yet Paul laboured more abundantly than all others.  He did not just see himself as unworthy.  Oh no, my friends.  He was unworthy, and I am too.  We all are!  Unless we admit we are unworthy, we will never know God's grace nor grow in it.

It is knowledge and acceptance of our unworthiness before God which opens our understanding to receive God's grace.  Growing in grace is not that we are doing more now for God than we used to, but to confess He is doing more in and through our lives according to His grace.  How great is our God, and how wondrous His grace!  James said his faith in Christ was revealed by works, and Paul's growth in grace was accompanied by abundant labour.  It's not so much "What are you doing for God?" but "What has God done and is doing for you?"  May all God's people see their unworthiness and joyfully grow in grace as God's Spirit labours in and through us.

God the Deliverer

I have heard people describe David as a "giant killer."  Some have made the point that many of David's mighty men who hailed from lowly backgrounds were also giant killers.  One fact which should not be ignored is David killed Goliath and delivered Israel solely by the grace and power of God.  Like Joseph who admitted the ability to understand and interpret dreams was not in him yet through God was able to do just that, so was David's ability to fight.  God had delivered him from lions and bears, and He would certainly deliver David from the hand of the blasphemous Philistine Goliath.  With God on David's side it was Goliath who was the underdog.

Perhaps so we don't place David on a giant-killing pedestal, there was recorded another and lesser known account of David with a giant.  David was unable to kill the giant, and barely escaped with his life.  2 Samuel 21:15-17 tells us, "When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint. ¹⁶ Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David. ¹⁷ But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, "You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."  Though David defeated Goliath as a youth, he was not perpetually a strong warrior.  Likely due to advancing age, in the heat of a battle with the Philistines David became faint.  David still trusted God, and God remained faithful to deliver him.  God used a different means to deliver David from the second giant:  a brother in arms who rushed to his aid.

We like to think if we are strong today, we will be strong tomorrow.  Perhaps we assume like Moses we will go through life without our eyes becoming dim or our natural strength being reduced.  But alas, this is rarely the case.  This situation with David becoming faint in the battle demonstrates that no matter the great victory he experienced in the past, he needed help from others.  This teaches us regardless of how God may have used us to deliver others, it is good to acknowledge we need faithful brothers and sisters today in the fight by our side.  We need help from God and from men.  God at times allows His faithful warriors to "lose a step," so to speak, so others can step up and be used by God as well.  I don't know what was more humbling for David:  to defeat Goliath with a sling and stone or to be helped by his cousin Abishai to escape the fury of the giant.  It was God who delivered David on both occasions, and it is good to recognise all victories we enjoy are by the power of His gracious deliverance.

David wrote of God in Psalm 18:29-34, "For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall. ³⁰ As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. ³¹ For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? ³² It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. ³³ He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places. ³⁴ He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze."  God's strength is often revealed in weakness.  God had made David strong and skilled for battle, but over time God allowed David's physical prowess to wane.  Yet even in David's weakness God remained his shield.  God's ways were still perfect.  When David fainted, God brought along a brother to help David and lift him up.

David lost his physical strength, but he only grew stronger in faith.  On his deathbed, David described God as the one who delivered him from all distress (1 Kings 1:29).  It was not his faith or bravery, his trusty sling and stone, and it was not Abishai who received the credit.  David gave all glory to God for delivering Him, and He will deliver all who trust in Him - regardless of age, physical ability, or social standing.  Both young shepherds and aged kings are invited to trust the LORD, whose ways are perfect.  Trust the LORD, and He will deliver and guide you into rest for your soul.

Little Things, Big Difference

Little things can make a big difference.  Whether the context is baking, building a house, or the composition of the human body, small things can be the difference between life and death, good quality or a disaster.  There many parts of the body which are necessary for life, and therefore it is impossible to say what is more important.  It would be useless to debate over whether the brain or blood is more important to the body.  Without either one you could not survive!  They are both necessary and therefore both critical for the healthy operation of the body.

Paul wrote to Christians concerning their church meetings in 1 Corinthians 14:26:  "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification."  In verses following, Paul set limits as two or three people at the most speaking in turn with tongues (with interpretation) and prescribed the same limits on prophesy.  Paul did not set any limits on psalms, teachings, or revelations.  The Holy Spirit, love for God and others, and the benefit of the whole church was to govern all their interactions for the edification of the whole Body.  God's infinite, everlasting love supplies the motive to minister and speak.

A baker understands the need for quality ingredients to be carefully measure and mixed at the proper time to ensure correct consistency.  Just because there is much more flour than baking powder in a cake recipe does not mean the baking power could or should be omitted.  When believers of a church gather in fellowship and worship, all things are to be done decently and according to God's prescribed order.  All gifts and power of the Holy Spirit are necessary to produce the correct consistency and resulting fellowship God desires.  While we may have different tastes in cooking or baking, our feelings or opinions should not dictate the overemphasis of some gifts to the neglect or refusal of others.  If God has seen fit to give gifts, He will provide the guidance, discernment, leading, and opportunity to use them.

God does not give unnecessary gifts.  We are to be faithful to glorify God and edify others with the gifts God has given us, yet we must also be willing and expectant to receive edification from the gifts God has given others.  This is hard for our flesh.  It is hard for us to receive edification from a gift we do not possess, understand, and in some cases approve of!  We can be so focused on using our gift we do not think we need anything from others.  But we have been made of a Body, a group of followers of Jesus Christ unified in His love and service.  We are edified as we are obedient, yet it is for the edification of others we should seek to excel.

Whatever your role or gift in the church, realise obedience in using your gift according to the Spirit and the parameters set in God's Word is necessary for the edification of the Body of Christ.  As important as it is to use your gift, it is vital to see your need for edification through the gifts of others.  God has graciously supplied them for that purpose.  What you see as a very little thing God can use to make a big difference!

Window Shoppers

As Christmas draws near, there is no shortage of people bustling through the shops.  I suspect a vast majority of people are only at the shops because they have an express purpose to buys food or gifts they need before Christmas.  For some the shops is a time to socialise, eat, window shop, and enjoy the air conditioning, but that has no appeal for me at all.  Perhaps I show my age in that I am glad to wake up early and sacrifice a little sleep to do my shopping away from the crowds.  It is hard for me to imagine there are some people who will go to the shops during the busiest times of day and days of the year to enjoy a coffee, people watch, or window shop.

I remember talking to a woman at church years ago who freely admitted without apology that she brought her family to church because they didn't have air conditioning at home.  I found this admission startling.  It opened my eyes to understand there is a variety of reasons people come to church, even as there are different purposes for people spending hours at the shops.  At church this Sunday I asked the question:  "Why do you come to church?"  Do you go to church primarily to receive or to give?  Unless we attend church with the express purpose of giving to others balanced with receiving from God and others in the Body as well, it's likely we will accomplish neither.

If people go to the church and the shops for the air conditioning, perhaps people window shop at church too.  A window shopper is active to go to the shops, find a parking space, and walk around.  But the window shopper is not there to buy anything.  Perhaps short on money and without any commitment to spend, the window shopper is content with merely seeing new items on display or what is on special.  They want to taste free samples, but they have no intent to buy the products.  Their knowledge grows of new devices and products, as does their fantastic wish-lists.  The truth is, the window shopper displays a poverty of new possessions or gifts, exhibiting a fruitless use of time.  The window shopper, because he observes but does not buy, does not leave the shops with a item for personal use or a gift for others.

There is nothing wrong with window shopping, but there is a serious issue when a Christian takes this approach to their church fellowship.  There is a potential many who attend church are more curious about gaining knowledge or seeing what is on offer than committing to follow Jesus Christ at any cost.  They are very interested in learning about spiritual gifts or hearing someone speak in tongues with an interpretation or a experiencing healing.  But interest or curiosity does not mean that there is any desire or warmth of heart towards being baptised with the Holy Spirit or using spiritual gifts for the edification of the church and the benefit of others.  They merely attend for new knowledge or experiences, social interaction, a coffee, maybe even some air conditioning.  Friends, shops do not exist to supply you with knowledge leading to covetousness, and God did not establish the church to appease your curiosity.  The church exists to glorify Jesus Christ, make disciples, and edify the Body of Christ.  It is all about complete commitment to inner transformation, not merely the transfer of information.

Following Jesus results in being changed - not a fantasy that we might change.  Even as you must be willing to pay the price listed on an item to legally take it home with you, so we must be willing to meet God's conditions supplied according to His grace.  It is the servant who shows himself faithful and obedient to whom God gives greater responsibility, not the one who only turns up when the master is around.  Those who approach Bible study, spiritual gifts, or their role in the Body of Christ like browsing window shoppers who need no assistance - "No need for help, I'm only looking" - deny the power of the Holy Spirit and the edification of others God has supplied in the local church to supply strength, encourage, and accountability.

Commit to spend and be spent for God, dear Christian.  A window shopper is at best a half-hearted shopper, one who is content with longing when he ought to commit to buying and start saving.  Even when we have wandered from the LORD and feared full commitment of our life to Him, He will gladly receive us when we return to Him with our whole hearts.  Deuteronomy 4:29-31 says, "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. ³⁰ When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice ³¹ (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them."  Don't be content to know God is a merciful God, but receive of His mercies which endure forever.  Obedience is often God's requirement before we can receive His mercy and goodness.  Make a full commitment today to obtain God's will at any price, and you will receive the blessing from the LORD.