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"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
(2 Peter 3:18)
For the remainder of our devotions this week, I am going to share with you some practical principles on how you can grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ.
First, you must know the Lord before you can grow in the Lord. Knowing God through His Son Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit is what you and I were created to do. God loves you and sent His only Son to die in your place on the cross so you can be forgiven and restored to the God who created you. All of us have sinned and are separated from God. But God goes on the rescue mission and reaches out to you to bring you to Himself. One of my favorite verses in the Bible that describes what God has done for us in Christ is 1 Peter 3:18: "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." Have you received Christ by faith and turned from your sin to Him? If not, do it now! God loves you and desires that you know Him. Go to Jesus in prayer and let Him know you want Him to save you and be the Lord of your life. The Bible says in Romans 10:13, "For 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'"
Once you become a follower of Jesus Christ and enter a relationship with Him, you will want to grow in your relationship. Like any relationship, the more time you spend with that person, the better and sweeter your relationship becomes. Talking to God each day in prayer, reading the Bible, getting baptized, and going to a church that preaches the Bible, these are all spiritual realities that will guarantee that you will grow and flourish in your walk with God.
The Apostle Peter gives a word of command when he says grow in grace and knowledge. It is a present active imperative verb, meaning that we are commanded to continue to grow or increase in these two vital areas of grace and knowledge. How do you grow in grace and knowledge? The latter is a little easier to me: we can study the Bible devotionally, attend a church where the Bible is taught both in small groups and in corporate worship. You can take Bible classes online or attend theology classes. But Peter did not put knowledge first; he put grace first. I think one of the best ways to grow in grace is to be reminded of God's grace to you. Also, a great way to grow in grace is to hang around grace-based, kind, gracious people.
Alan is a man who is full of grace. I met him last week when I preached for my friend Dr. Stephen Rummage, who serves as the pastor of Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, OK. Alan picked me up at the airport and helped get me to where I needed to be. He is a dear friend to Pastor Rummage, and I thanked him for being an advocate for his pastor. He asked me if I have friends like that at my church, and I assured him that I did. Alan told me how he met his wife, whose first husband died at an early age from ALS. On his wedding day, Alan not only became a husband, but he also became the father of three children! Another thing I appreciated about Alan is his love for sharing Jesus. It was a blessing to hear how this businessman enjoys talking to people and telling them about the Lord.
Are you growing in grace? If not as well as you should, I encourage you to hang around grace-filled people. They will rub off on you!
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