Growing In Grace

"Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" 2 Peter 3:18

Here is a verse that tells us WHAT to do---"grow in grace and in knowledge, but you may ask, HOW do I "grow in grace and in knowledge?

 Let me ask you a few questions that you can use to examine your life to see if your are growing in grace and knowledge: 

Is your sense of sin becoming deeper?

Is your faith becoming stronger?

Is your hope in the promises of Christ becoming brighter?

Is your love for the Savior becoming more extensive?

Is  your spiritual-mindedness  becoming more marked?

Is your obedience becoming more consistent?

Is your inner life being characterized by more of Christ and less of yourself?

Is your trust in what Christ done for you on the cross captivating your heart more and more each day?

 Do you feel more of the power of godliness in your own heart?


After doing some real hard soul searching to see if your life is characterized by the above "marks," come to the savior and confess the areas of your weakness and ask for the Holy Spirit to work in you to produce  growth and movement. 


Listed below are some private MEANS of grace that a man must practice alone in order to grown in Christ:

 A man must practice  private prayer.

A man must be diligent in the private reading of the Scriptures.

 A man must stop always talking AT God and allow God to speak to him through the word that He has implanted in his soul.

A man must allow God to speak into his life.

A man must practice private self-examination.

The man who does not take labor in  these things, must never expect to grow. This is the root of Christianity!

Our Good Deeds =Utter Rubbish

Here is a brief thought on how worthless our good works are when we hold them up before God in order to be "made right with Him" or to "gain entrance into heaven." 

Please take the time to read this verse in the context of the whole chapter so you can feel the full force of what the Apostle Paul is trying to say. Then take the time to really reflect on the commentary that is provided below. Let this thought cut deep, penetrate, and strip away any thought or idea that you might carry in your heart that you in anyway on your own can EARN God's favor apart from the work of Christ on the cross.

"Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but DUNG, that I may win Christ" (Philippians 3:8).

And do count them but dung - The word used here - σκύβαλον skubalon - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, properly, dregs; refuse; what is thrown away as worthless; chaff; offal, or the refuse of a table or of slaughtered animals, and then filth of any kind. No language could express a more deep sense of the utter worthlessness of all that external advantages can confer in the matter of salvation. In the question of justification before God, all reliance on birth, and blood, and external morality, and forms of religion, and prayers, and alms, is to be renounced, and, in comparison with the merits of the great Redeemer, to be esteemed as vile. Such were Paul's views, and we may remark that if this was so in his case, it should he in ours. Such things can no more avail for our salvation than they could for his. We can no more be justified by them than he could. Nor will they do anything more in our case to commend us to God than they did in his. 

Is there any thing in your life that you're trusting to earn your salvation? If you're trusting in your Church, your good deeds, your love and compassion that you have for others, your religious devotion, your bible reading, your prayer life--- then you're trusting in things that are worthless and will be utterly discarded by our Lord at Judgement.

 Remember the words of Isaiah: We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind (64:6).

Man and God

Let me share a few Biblical insights on man and God!

God:
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple (Isaiah 6:1).

1. Isaiah's famous vision of God portrays the vivid imagery of God sitting on a THRONE---God throughout the Bible is portrayed as a KING.

2. Isaiah shows that God is HIGH and LIFTED UP---we see the MAJESTY of God.

3. Isaiah describes God's TRAIN FILLING THE TEMPLE---The Orientals regarded such large robes as indicative of GRANDEUR and STATELINESS.

Summary: From Isaiah's description of God we get somewhat of an idea of how we are to view God.  God is to be viewed as the supreme Holy King who rules and reigns over all of life.

Man:
Then I said, "It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven's Armies" (Isaiah 6:5).

1. Isaiah's REACTION to his vision of God---He exclaims that he is doomed, for him it is all over, why? He stands naked before the King of Kings, the creator of the universe.

2. Isaiah confesses that he is SINFUL---We all stand before God as doomed sinners. We have no goodness in ourselves. We have nothing to offer the Holy, High King.

3. Isaiah recognizes that his LIPS ARE DIRTY---Simply put, our whole being is dirty and contaminated, we are in a depraved condition as we stand before the Holy King.

Workable definition:
We (human beings) are in a very bad condition, we have nothing good in ourselves to offer God. God is Holy, High and lifted up as King of Kings; God's Holiness prevents us as sinful creatures from approaching Him without a covering (or protection).

The song "clinging to the cross" gives us the answer to our hopeless condition before a holy and righteous King:

 

My soul is weak
My heart is numb
I cannot see
But still my hope is found in You
I’ll hold on tightly
You will never let me go
For Jesus, You will never fail
Jesus, You will never fail

Simply to the cross i cling
Letting go of all earthly things
Clinging to the cross
Mercy’s found a way for me
Hope is here as i am free
Jesus, You are all i need
Clinging to the cross

Even darkness is as light to You, my Lord
So light the way and lead me home
To that place where every tear is wiped away
For Jesus, You will never fail
Jesus, You will never fail

Simply to the cross i cling
Letting go of all earthly things
Clinging to the cross
Mercy’s found a way for me
Hope is here as i am free
Jesus, You are all i need
Clinging to the cross

What a Saviour, what a story
You were crucified but now You are alive
So amazing, such a mystery
You were crucified but now You are alive

Simply to the cross i cling
Letting go of all earthly things
Clinging to the cross
Mercy’s found a way for me
Hope is here as i am free
Jesus, You are all i need
Clinging to the cross

A coffee, cafe, and some conversation

The other day I was at the local cafe just sitting and relaxing, drinking some coffee and doing some reading. After about ten minutes, I noticed a middle aged woman coming into the cafe with a mentally challenged man who seemed to be in his late thirties.


I observed the woman and the man and noticed that she kept her attention on her companion most of the time. The middle aged lady went to the cafe bar and got her companion a doughnut and something to drink. After ten to fifteen minutes the women left the young man at his table, and as I observed he was really going to town on his doughnut, and from time to time he would let out a bellow or two, and have some radical tics, but he seemed fine sitting at the table on his own.


Anyway, the lady comes and sits in a chair right next to me, she positions herself so that she can keep an eye on the man that she came in with.


Out of curiosity, I asked the lady what relationship she has with the young man, to which she replied, " I work for a group home and I bring Brian out into the public so that he can acclimate himself to the public environment." This lady tells me that Brian is mentally challenged and that he also has autism.


So, I decided to really be intentional and allow this lady to "speak her story," and to be honest, I was really blown away at some of the things she related to me in our forty-five minute conversation.


She told me of her struggles being a single mom, without any support from family or friends---she noted to me that she would wake up in the mornings and on many occasions look out her window to make sure her car was still in the driveway---she told me there were times she could not pay her utility bills---she said there were times she did not know where her  next meal was coming from.


She went on to say that after she drops Brian off  at the group home, she would pick up her mentally disabled foster child from the group home, and it would start all over again.

I felt compelled to share with this lady the hope that I have inside of me---so I asked her permission if I could share "my hope" with her, and she gave me permission, and for the next fifteen minutes, I shared with her the hope of the Gospel.

She responded positively to the message, telling me she knows about Jesus from her Christian up-bringing. She noted that she tried going to different Churches; and this next dialog breaks my heart, but she sighed, and said," I've found the churches to be judgmental, cliquish, and  I felt marginalized being a single mom, while most of the people in the church were married and had family." Oh, what a horrible indictment on the Church; now to note, there are local Churches that make it their mission to be relational and inclusive and share the love of God with all who come into their faith community, but sad to say this lady never found this kind of warm and inviting community of believers.


Let me digress for a second, when this lady was sharing with me her hurts, pains, and struggles, I kept thinking how blessed I'm---having four great children, a beautiful wife, two fantastic grandchildren, no real money problems, friends, and good health, and I know the God who created me and the universe.


It really hit me that this lady is alone in her struggles and with her pain. At one point in the conversation, I asked her if she ever gets out to do dinner and a movie---she said,"are you kidding me, I would just so appreciate sipping a hot cup of coffee without distraction." And I thought of all the little things that I have and do that I just take for granted, I told this woman that after hearing her  story,  I'll double-up on my efforts to be thankful to God for all His blessings in my life. 


As the lady was getting ready to leave the cafe, I told her it was a pleasure listening to her story, she replied," the next time your wife gives you a cup of coffee be thankful." And that is advice that I'll take to heart.

As A Man Thinketh So He Becomes

"Think On These Things"

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things (Philippians 4:8).


Most of the time this verse from Philippians is looked at from the perspective of the lists of things that we should be thinking about.  I would like to flesh out the definition of the word "think." Below is some random thoughts on the word "think."


1. Eight out of ten Bible translations translate the Greek word (logizomai) as"think." One of the ten translate the Greek (logizomai) as "dwell," while the other version translates it as "thoughts." NIV-think, NLT-think, ESV-think, KJV-think, NIV-think, ASV-think, YLT-think, WEB-think, NASB-dwell, GWT-thoughts.


2. logízomai (the root of the English terms "logic, logical") – properly, compute, "take into account"; reckon (come to a "bottom-line"), i.e. reason to a logical conclusion (decision).


3. Here is a list of how various commentaries translated or expound on the word "think" in Philippians 4:8:

-Object of your careful attention

-Observe them

-Esteem them highly

-Seriously consider them

-Reason with yourselves about them

-Have a continual regard to

-Make them the subject of your thoughtful consideration or carefully reflect on them


4. The Greek word in Philippians 4:8 is in a verb form---now we know that a verb means action---you can see from the list above that it requires a deliberate, intentional, commitment of the person to engage themselves with the eight virtues that are listed in our text.


Closing thoughts: Paul gives the believers in Philippi a list of eight virtues that are to be the subject of their thought life---there is no room here for the believer to be passive and to disengage his thought process. To the contrary, we are to pay careful attention to HOW and WHAT we are thinking (inner-landscape).




James Allen (November 28, 1864–1912) who was  a British philosophical writer sums it up best when he notes:

The aphorism, "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he," not only embraces the whole of a man's being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.

What Do You Love?

What do you love? This is the one question that cuts through all the religiosity in our lives.

Augustine, in his Homilies on the First Epistle of John strikes at the heart of our question when he notes, "such is each one as is his love."We are defined by WHAT we love.

The clarion call of the Scriptures is that we Love God supremely, above all others; in fact, the Scriptures portray God as a jealous God, who demands that we love Him supremely. Listen to these powerful words in Exodus 20:5, "I am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods," wow! a jealous God, that will not tolerate our love  being placed on anything or person above Himself.


What is the greatest command in the Scripture? This was once answered by a young man in the Bible. This young man asked Jesus, "how do I get eternal life?" Jesus then asked him, "what does the law say?" And the young man answered, "we need to love God supremely; and, Love our neighbor as our-self;" Jesus then basically says to the young man, "you got it right!"



 Now, I don't believe any human being has the capacity to love God in the way that God calls us to love Him. Man in his fallen condition can't reach to that height, and will fall short every time. Our heats are evil and wicked, this is how the Old Testament  prophet Jeremiah describes our hearts for us (Jeremiah 17:9).

 To be able to love God the way  He calls us to we need a new birth, cf. John 3:3. The apostle Paul says that we need to be new creatures ( 2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul gives us a marvelous description of what happens when we become apart of God's family, he tells us, "God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).






Christian ask yourself while you go to God in your quiet time--- am I loving God above everything?---remember, "such is each one as is his love."

MARRIAGE!

Marriage is the union of a man and a woman---where a man and wife are regarded a a single organism. This idea of oneness is seen in Genesis 2:24, "Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh."

 There are so many dimensions to this oneness, certainly there is the aspect of sexuality, but so much more! Think in terms of the Creator combining two parts---like a lock and key,or a violin and bow, in marriage, the relationship will not work unless the two parts are working in harmony. The two parts work to complement each other.



One way that Christianity frames the idea of marriage is that it is for life. Take note that   there is a difference between how Churches view divorce: some don't admit it at all; others allow it in the case of adultery, while others will grant divorce for less serious issues, but we can agree that all Christian Churches allow divorce rather reluctantly.

Christianity views divorce  more like a surgical operation, a separating or dissecting of the body, Jesus has this to say about the dissolution of a marriage: "what therefore God has joined together, let not man separate (Mark 10:9).

Love for each other is certainly one of the reasons that two people get married, but it is not to be the only reason for remaining married. People "fall out of love," but if love was the only reason for staying married it would leave no room for "the contract" or promises made before others and God.

Do these words sound familiar?

In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

To those who have taken the marriage vow, recommit your energy to those vows; both before your spouse and before your God.