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"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 3:18)
One of the best ways to grow in our walk with Jesus Christ in both grace and knowledge is to behold the work of God in another's life. Church history is replete with excellent examples of men and women who were used mightily by God. Their testimonies for Christ continue to speak profoundly long after they have departed this life and gone to heaven. Thomas Chalmers is one of those men.
Chalmers was a child prodigy who entered school when he was 3 years old. He enrolled in the University of St. Andrews in Scotland at the ripe old age of 12, where he majored in mathematics. He began his training for ministry at the age of 15. He finished his divinity degree and was licensed to preach at age 19. When he was 23, he became a bi-vocational pastor where he taught math and chemistry at St. Andrews University 5 days a week. On the weekends, he preached and visited those in his church at Kilmany. He was critical of orthodox Christianity and was not converted to Christ until he was 29 years old. He said in his younger years, his ideas were unformed, and he had forgotten two great magnitudes: "the shortness of time and the length of eternity." He went on to become one of the great Christian orators of his age and recognized as Scotland's most outstanding churchman in the 19th century. When he died in 1847, the city of Edinburgh lined the streets for his funeral. One person commented that it was only the dust of a minister in the coffin, but a nation wept and gave him more honor than a king. (See Edwin Lee, "Thomas Chalmers: His Life and Work", pages 1-6.)
When Chalmers came to saving faith in Jesus at 29 years of age, his life was changed. He grew in the grace and knowledge of Jesus and went on to become a beloved pastor in Scotland. Here are a couple of quotes by Chalmers that spoke to my heart:
"A man's needs are few. The simpler the life, therefore, the better. Indeed, only three things are truly necessary in order to make life happy: the blessing of God, the benefit of books, and the benevolence of friends."
"The best way to overcome the world is not with morality or self-discipline. Christians overcome the world by seeing the beauty and excellence of Christ. They overcome the world by seeing something more attractive than the world: Christ."
In this week's devotions, we have examined how we can grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. I hope these devotions have encouraged and motivated you in your walk with Christ. Keep going! The Lord loves you, He is for you, and He has great plans for your life!
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