We are bound to think
God always for you,
brethren, as is
fitting, because your faith
grows exceedingly,
and the love of everyone
of you abounds toward
each other.
2 Thessalonians 1: 3
For this reason we
also, since the day we heard it,
do not cease to pray
for you, and to ask that you
may be filled with
the knowledge of His will
in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding:
that you may walk
worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing Him, being fruitful
in every good work
and increasing
in the knowledge of
God:
Colossians 1: 9 -- 10
Scripture
has spoken to us in plain language so that we can build this doctrine of growth
in grace from this principle foundation.
There are many scriptural text in regards to growth and in the growth of
our knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ it is hard to debate whether
or not they established the doctrine of growth in grace or not for grace for
the growth of grace is taught in the Bible: so here is where the debate
ends. We can look at this growth of
grace on the ground of fact and experience.
Cannot we see degrees of grace in the New Testament saints for we have
their histories recorded and they are recorded as plain as possible. Cannot you see in yourself that at times has
been a great difference between your faith and your knowledge? Does not Scripture is think we imply and
recognize by means of its language when it speaks of "weak" faith and
"strong" faith and as Christians as being "newborn babies,"
"Little children," "Young man," and does this not bring you
by means of your own observation to the same conclusion? They must confess that there is as much
difference between the degree of our own faith and knowledge when we were first
converted, and now our present attainments of faith. We have grown in faith, therefore, growth in faith is a real
thing. One might ask how are we to grow
stronger and the answer is very clear that we grow just as all things grow that
have life, growth is a process in this process is a thing of infinite
importance to the soul. It is our growth
in grace that gives the best evidence of our spiritual health and
prosperity. Like all things that grow
and have life there is a progress and if they are doing well by this progress
they will grow. Our growth and grace
also is a way for us to be happy in our religion. God has linked together our comfort by means of our increase in
our holiness. But there's one thing be
very clear that the person who feels the most joy and peace in believing also
has the clearest witness of the Spirit in his heart and it is this person who
grows. We are to be a witness for our
Savior and Lord Jesus Christ for we are His ambassadors and our influence on
others for good depends greatly on what they see in us. When our growth in grace is witnessed we
become the one who stirs up mines, and says the world thinking, and is the
believer who is continually improving and going forward showing that there is
life and reality when they see your growth in grace. Here is an important point: our growth and grace pleases God: "Finally then, brethren, we urge and
exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you
received it from us how you ought to walk in to please God" (1
Thessalonians 4: 1). We are to bear
much fruit for we are His witness and ambassadors and have this work and
responsibility to bring to our world the Gospel. In this our award takes pleasure and especially so for those who
grow in grace. Grow in grace is a possible
thing and more importantly it is that which believers are accountable. To tell Christians that we must grow in grace
is only simply to be summoning people to this from very plain scriptural
duty. If we neglect this growth of
grace than we are robbed of privilege is, and then we grieve the Spirit. The fault lies with us if we are not growing
in grace and this fault cannot be laid upon God. The fault is our own, and we ourselves are to blame and no one
else if we do not grow in grace. There
are marked by which we can see that growth in grace is occurring. We must not question the reality of growth
in grace and it's important but we also must recognize that we are very poor
judges of our own condition, and that bystanders often know us better than we
know ourselves. Yet, there is undoubtedly
great marks and signs of growth in grace and where ever you see these marks you
see a growing soul. When we grow in
grace one of the marks is our increase in humility, that is, our souls that are
growing feel in us our own sinfulness and unworthiness more and more every
year. The nearer we draw closer to God
the more we see of God's holiness and perfections. And as we grow in grace we become more susceptible to our own
countless imperfections. If we look
back at our study in First Corinthians we find that Paul grew in grace and also
grew in his humility: "For I am the
least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I
persecuted the church of God" (1 Corinthians 15: 9). When we first convert the Lord Jesus Christ
there is a great light within a new Christian, but this is not what we look
back towards for we must look forward and grow in grace and if we do we will
see that that which began by our conversion has grown and we find ourselves
becoming more and more humble due to our sins and the fact that God sent His
Only Begotten Son to die upon a cross for our sins. May we continue to grow in grace and become all that God desires
us to become and that is to be His witness to what He has done by means of His
coming, incarnate, as the Only Begotten Son of God.
Even a child is known by his deeds,
whether
what he does is pure and right.
Proverbs
20:11
Open your eyes and you will be satisfied
No comments:
Post a Comment