Closing his letter, Part III

Ready to dive in again?

...but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (II Peter 3:18a)

To persevere as a believer, we must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior. If we are on guard against false teachers, we won't be tossed by every wind of doctrine - and we'll be able to grow.
Growth first depends on life:

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  (John 3:7)

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:4)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (II Corinthians 5:17)

We must be born before we can grow; the Bible confirms to us that we all enter the world spiritually dead. Being a good person is not enough. Only God can give us new life.

Once we have new life, then we can grow. Actually, then we MUST grow! It's not an optional thing; it's a necessity! Like a child on a new bicycle, if we don't keep moving, we will fall off. So, to maintain our steadfastness, we must be growing, and keep growing until the day that we meet Jesus, our Lord. As Paul wrote:

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV)

Don't be fooled....here on earth we will not say, "I've arrived! I'm complete!" That is what we will say in heaven.
Growth is not only not optional, it's also not fast. Growth is gradual. It takes time to mature and develop. The important thing is to be engaged in the process. We may not discern change from day to day, or week to week, but over the long haul, we should be able to look back and see that we love the Lord more now than we did say, five years ago. We should be able to note that we handle things more maturely than we did when we were younger. It should be obvious from our hearts that we are more sensitive to our own sins than we used to be. We should obey the Word  more consistently than we did before. All of these are signs of true growth!

Now, the popular messages of today would tell us that we can become holy in an instant -- we can have a powerful experience with God and instantly be sanctified. That's appealing, just as the annual sweepstakes that are advertised on television are appealing. After all, who wouldn't like the idea of instantly being rich - no working hard or scrimping or saving or cutting coupons.....I'm in! But God's plan for godliness is through discipline, not through luck or miracles. God may bless us with a dramatic spiritual experience - but they don't make us instantly mature. Growth is gradual.

Growth is difficult sometimes. There are many lessons that we learn only by trial and error. Sometimes we fall flat on our faces! We just have to get up and try again. Brush off the dust and spray some stuff on those skinned knees -- and start over! We might even think, "I've got it now! I learned that lesson!" Be careful; that might be when we fall again and the Lord nudges us to say, "You don't quite understand it yet!" But He is compassionate and merciful, and He will help us. (Praise Him for that!)

Peter says (up there in our focus verse) specifically that we need to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.
Grace.
What an awesome word.
And I mean that in the old-fashioned, reverent, way that means "awe-inspiring."
God saves us by His grace, which is totally undeserved favor. We humans don't "get that" very easily. We are so accustomed to the world revolving around a merit system. We work for good grades when we are young and get into college; we work hard at our job and get promoted; in this system, we get what we deserve. Many of the world's religions (including some that are labeled "Christian") operate on a merit system, too. They are told that they get into heaven based on what they have done. Merit systems reward our work and achievements - so they feed our pride.

Grace, on the other hand, is totally due to God's love and His blessing us when we deserve His wrath. Because of grace, we do not work to earn our way to heaven -- instead, we freely receive all that God has provided for us, through Christ. That way, He gets all the credit, not us and our human pride.

Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:4-5, NIV)

So, here is where the plow meets the ground: how do we grow in the grace that comes from our Savior? Growing in grace means coming to a greater understanding of God's holiness, His justice, and His sovereignty, and that makes us see more of our own rebellion, pride, and selfishness. It's just the way it works! We will see more and more of how unworthy we are to be blessed by that awe-inspiring grace.
I enjoy reading Charles Spurgeon's sermons; here is an excerpt that is appropriate:

If you, dear friend, would be truly humble, you must look at your Savior, for then you will say, Alas! And did my Savior bleed?  And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?

You will never feel yourself such a worm as when, by faith, you see your Savior dying for you; you will never know your own nothingness so well as when you see your Savior’s greatness. When you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you will be sure to grow in humility.

Now, we've discussed how to grow in grace....how to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior? I think it's worth looking at the fact that Peter refers to Jesus as "our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" three times in his letter. Perhaps he wanted to impress upon us that we cannot separate Jesus as Savior from Jesus as our Lord. When we trust in Christ to take away our sins, we yield ourselves to all of Christ that we know. Then we begin a new life, one in which we progressively grow in submitting to Christ as we study and pray. We learn more of Who He is, and more of who we are.

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. (John 14:21)

Knowledge of Jesus comes from facts about Him in the Scripture, and also from knowing Him personally, and talking with Him every day. We will know Him on a deeper level as we spend time with Him in the Bible and in prayer.

To remain steadfast, to persevere, we must guard ourselves from spiritual errors, and also grow in the grace and the knowledge of Him.
Tomorrow we'll have our conclusion.

Closing his letter, Part II

Guarding our hearts . . .  Here's our passage again:

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. (II Peter 3:17-18, NKJV)

And for comparison, here it is in another translation:

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (II Peter 3:17-18, NIV)

It's always interesting to me to compare the different translations. Without going down too many rabbit trails, I do believe that some translations are more accurate than others, and that comparing many of them will enable the Spirit to guide us as to what the ancient writers were trying to say to us. Some people have gotten "hung up" on that last phrase of verse seventeen, and have tried to say that it's telling us we can lose our salvation.
No!
It's telling us that we can fall away from our secure, steadfast confidence that keeps us knowing we are children of God and loved by Him. It means that we can lose our peace, our "we know that we know" confidence in the Lord. All by being swept up by false teachers.
We must guard our hearts from spiritual errors.
There are several references in the New Testament to false teachers who will come into the body of believers -- they sound biblical, but they lead Christians away from the truth. Peter, himself, has warned us in chapters two and three about these teachers.
The noun used here for "steadfastness" is only used here. Perhaps Peter wanted to show his concern, with his own personal history of wavering and denying Christ. He is encouraging us to grow by God's grace into rock-like steadfastness, just as he did.

Recently we studied Peter's previous words, telling of unstable, unprincipled, lawless people who will twist Scripture to support their immoral lifestyles. We must be on our guard against these. They will use the Bible, but they will cite things out of context. Or they will only use certain verses that support their point of view, all the while ignoring verses that confront their sin. And we must not fall into the well-look-how-big-that-church-is-the-preacher-must-be-good-and-true trap . . . some of the largest churches in the world today are led by men and women who mix truth and error in subtle ways.
How to test them?
Probably the best rule of thumb is this: if a speaker never confronts sin, they are not preaching the Word of God.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.  (II Timothy 4:1-2)

After all, the Bible has some teachings that confront the popular ideas of our cultures today. Let's face it: people want to hear that there is good in all of us. That we are shaped by our environment, and not to blame for our choices.
It's not popular to say that we are all born in sin. That we are hopelessly lost, and we're unable and unwilling to come to Christ for salvation. It's more flattering to our prideful hearts to say that we're not really so bad - we just mess up once in a while - we don't really deserve hell.

And it's not popular to say that Jesus is the only way to heaven; that those from other religions (no matter how sincere) will not go to heaven unless they turn from their sins and trust in Jesus alone.

It's not at all popular to teach that we must submit our lives to Christ as our Lord and our Master. It's way more palatable for people to hear that grace means that God winks at our sin. And that Jesus is there to help us reach our full potential and our material goals. We may be accused of being legalistic and devoid of understanding because we say we must obey our Savior.

It's not only unpopular, it may soon be criminal to teach that homosexual behavior and sex outside of marriage is sinful. The list could go on and on, but I think you get my drift here.

We've probably been told that it's not loving to be critical and firm about these matters. We're told that we should be positive and not negative. But remember that Peter has addressed his readers as "beloved" and "dear friends." He cares deeply for these Christians and so he is warning them to guard their hearts against false teachers. Because we love our children, we warn them sternly about leaving the sidewalk and stepping into the street. Because we love our children and our friends, we warn them about the dangers of drugs, drinking, and more. These are choices that can have serious consequences, and permanent scars. Love is not merely positive; it has a negative side, and that is warning others about sin and false teaching.

One last application here: there is a link between our knowledge and our behavior. We must prepare to guard our hearts by careful study of the Bible, and also books on basic Christian doctrines. A short list would include these and others: A Faith to Confess, Carey Publications; Dug Down Deep, Josh Harris; Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, R. C. Spruel.
To persevere as a believer, we must guard ourselves from spiritual error, and exhort others to guard themselves, too.

Verses that inspire

Rolling up our sleeves to work:

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10, NKJV)

But I'm tired!
Besides, isn't Paul talking to the pastors and elders and such?
He's not talking to me.
Uh, actually he is.
Paul's letters were written to all Christians, to the churches, to all people of God -- to be light for the path and a balm for our souls.
We've been pointed in the right direction; but we may be shuffling along, heads down, weary and tired. We may sigh with weariness and with discouragement. We're still getting things done. But the joy and the vigor of the Christian life? Not evident!
What is well-doing, anyway?
Whatever tasks God has given us to do.
Yes, even the laundry.
And the cooking.
And witnessing to the neighbor across the street or the cashier at the store. It actually covers all of our lives. And praying, too, is a task that falls under well-doing.
And when we view our tasks as ho-hum, humdrum, mundane tasks, we are actually insulting our Father God Who gave us the work to do!
But here's a secret: it's the only work on earth that really matters!
If our tasks are burdensome and wearisome, we need to go back to what really matters, no? Retrace our steps to re-confirm that we are where we are -- by His grace! Then we can do our tasks out of thankfulness . . .
In the tenth chapter of Daniel, we find that Daniel prayed for three weeks seeking an answer from the Lord. In the New Testament, we see Anna and Simeon serving at the temple and praying for years to see the deliverance promised by God.

In due season . . .
Might not happen in three weeks.
Might not happen in three years.
But it will happen!
Are we weary? Discouraged?
We can ask Him for strength:

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16, NIV)

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10b, NIV)

Let's determine in our hearts to joyfully do the tasks He has given us!

Closing his letter, II Peter 3:17-18

Peter has certainly packed a lot into his two letters, hasn't he? We've camped here in I Peter and II Peter for a while, and personally, I've learned a lot! I've been reminded of a lot that I already knew, as well, and as Peter told his readers, it's good to be reminded!

He's finishing up his letter, and we have these last two verses to focus on:

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (II Peter 3:17-18)

It's a great finish, isn't it?
Upbeat.
Positive.
As believers, all of us should aim at finishing well. Perseverance is a huge theme in the New Testament. Remember Jesus' parable of the sower? One of the lessons we learn there is that it's easy to BEGIN well. Let's check the passage in Luke 8, and refresh our memories....
We'll wait for you here while you look it up.
(Humming)
Oh! You're back?
The seed on the rocky ground sprang up quickly, didn't it? And the seed on the thorny ground seemed like it was doing well for a time. But here's the thing: neither one of them persevered. Neither one brought forth fruit. Only the seed on the good soil bore fruit with perseverance.
Jesus was talking about our lives in the midst of persecution, false prophets, and lawless behavior (sounds like our world today, no?) when He said:

But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 24:13, NKJV)

Being steadfast.
Persevering.
I don't guess there are many in Christian history who can match the accomplishments of the apostle Paul. But when he neared the end of his earthly life, he didn't talk about his many accomplishments. Instead, he talked about perseverance.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (II Timothy 4:7, NKJV)

In Paul's letters, he often emphasizes the need for us to be steadfast, especially when we encounter trials.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (I Corinthians 15:58)

 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Galatians 6:9, NKJV)

The writer of Hebrews tells us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1), and John promises in Revelation that overcomers will receive a crown of victory.

So, as Peter finishes his letter, he's concerned about the false teachers that were plaguing the early church, and he is exhorting his readers to persevere.
Aah, that is sometimes easier said than done.
Does he give us any instructions on just HOW to do this?
You didn't think he'd leave us without some clues, did you?
He gives us three important concepts that will help us to remain steadfast in the faith.
We see that he tells us to guard ourselves from spiritual error -- that will help us to grow in our relationship with Christ; and then we can glorify Him with our lives.
Hmmmm, wonder if Peter was one of the first Baptist preachers? They often use the "three-concepts-that-begin-with-the-same-letter" outlines for their sermons! (Grin)
Check out those verses! Those words are there!
And we will study them this week!
Hope you will study along with us.....

Friday slowdown

A lovely song about our risen Lord..... surely He rose to set the captives free and bind up broken hearts, to conquer death and sin..... Hallelujah!

Growing in discernment, conclusion

As we talk about discernment (some people simply call it wisdom) and sensing the "spirit" or motivations of people as they try to walk with Christ, one thing we should remember is to keep the "big picture" our priority.

Is what we are sensing really THAT important? Sometimes we get so wound up with a nugget of truth from the Spirit, that we think it's the most important subject on the planet. We forget that a word of discernment should be given one-on-one, not broadcast among the congregation, or among the small group we attend....
We run the risk of starting a distracting argument; arguments can produce lots of friction and very little edification!  The body of Christ is built on the foundation of His love; it continues to grow as we build up and edify other people with our words and actions. If we have the gift of discernment, we are mandated by the Spirit to enlighten and improve the whole body of Jesus.

For, after all, the important thing for us as Christians is not what we eat or drink but stirring up goodness and peace and joy from the Holy Spirit. 18 If you let Christ be Lord in these affairs, God will be glad; and so will others. 19 In this way aim for harmony in the church, and try to build each other up. (Romans 14:17-19)

The body of Christ is a mixture of the spiritually mature and those who are new to the faith. Choose to be sensitive instead of judgmental. What we see with our discerning eyes is important, but we may need to chill out. We are not Jesus - we are His vessels, and we are learning and growing each day. Make sure that when we approach someone with a word of discernment, that we keep the "big picture" in focus, too.

And here is probably the most important way to handle things: look at (and talk to) everyone through the lens of God's grace.

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:6)

Every interaction with others needs to be filled with grace. Our words can then empower people to get free of their struggles. Even "veteran" believers need to be reminded sometimes of who they are in Christ. It's not hard to tell someone what they are struggling with. It's entirely different to put those struggles in the right context. The gentle reminder of God's mercy can calm a struggling heart and strengthen it to endure.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time,gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Are we seasoning our words with the "salt" of grace? Of compassion? Are we looking through the lens of grace as we try to help others? We must cultivate loving and gracious relationships with those we hope to help.

I hope this week's study has been helpful to all. Have a blessed weekend!

Growing in discernment, continued

Hold it before you spill it!
Sometimes when we discern something, we feel a sense of urgency. We really NEED to tell the person!
Often there is actually no rush.....
And we should sometimes sit on something, instead of rushing to share.
Why?

Let's dig in....
When we are feeling our way with discernment, we may often wish to hurry up and tell someone that nugget of wisdom that we've gleaned from the Holy Spirit. We may have heard from Him in our study time and that has given us a new perspective on an issue that is troubling a fellow believer (or an issue that we feel SHOULD be troubling to that fellow believer!).
Whoa, pardner!
Often, a sign of maturity is to sit on these things before just blurting them out. It's sometimes a question of timing, sometimes a question of word choices.

More study can many times give us greater perspective and more clarity. A secular seminar I attended told listeners to think before speaking: T - Is it true? H - Is it helpful? I - Is it inspiring? N - Is it necessary? K - Is it kind?
For a business seminar, it was surprisingly right on the money:

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, (James 1:19a)

How to get this perspective? Study.....look at Ezra's example. He was successful because of an attitude he had:

This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the laws of the Lord and to become a Bible teacher, teaching those laws to the people of Israel. (Ezra 7:10, TLB)

When we are determined to study His Word (one translation put it this way: Ezra "set his heart" on study) the Holy Spirit can correct our perspective; He can bring it in line with God's heart. Or He can open our eyes to a greater perspective that we didn't at first see. It's good to "sit on" our thoughts sometimes, since they could unnecessarily damage someone, or exacerbate an already inflamed situation.
We can also come up with kinder words sometimes - instead of blurting out our discernment, if we take time to phrase things compassionately (remember our studies on how to speak with love?) we will have better outcomes than if we "wing it." (Grin)

From a wise mind comes careful and persuasive speech.24 Kind words are like honey—enjoyable and healthful. (Proverbs 16:23-24)

How to come up with these words? Pray for the person you will be speaking to. Pray that they will be blessed and that God would work in their heart - after all, it is He Who will change the person, not us!

Lastly, we may find a person more receptive when we cultivate a relationship and wait for the "right opening," instead of blurting out our discerning comments. Be accessible; sit and listen; have a cup of coffee and really get to know the person. Be patient! Learn to wait on the Lord - He will bring the conversation around to where you can help your hearer.

I don't want anyone to take away the wrong impression from this: I don't mean that we sit back and are passive. We don't ignore the message of discernment that God gives us for someone else. But we will find things go better if we get the right perspective through studying the Bible, pray and use kinder words, and cultivate a relationship with those we hope to help.

One other thing that ties in with our post today -- often it's a good idea to connect to someone who we believe (by observation of their spiritual fruits) is mature, and can help to check what we are sensing. We can feel very lonely and misunderstood if, in spite of our best efforts, our words of discernment and exhortation are rejected, or perhaps ignored. If we have someone who is willing to partner with us, and pray for us, we will have accountability and we'll have godly instruction. Choose carefully someone whom you can trust, and confide in them and ask them to pray. Godly friends can heal our hearts and strengthen us for our tasks.

We'll conclude our study tomorrow....