This series of articles is written by Dr Peter Masters (https://metropolitantabernacle.org/articles/a-spiritual-growth-check/).
Growth means dependence upon God, communion with Christ, daily engagement in holiness, prayer and proclamation. We cannot select one or two of these but must engage in all. ‘But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen’ (2 Peter 3.18). This well-known command to grow in grace and knowledge was given by Peter as the essential antidote to backsliding and apostasy, the apostle having just written: ‘Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.’ . . . How shall we define growing in grace? It is the ongoing Christian walk of proving the free favour of God in daily forgiveness, answered prayer, help in holiness and progress in service. It includes advancing in obedience to the Lord and communion with him. Here are five vital aspects of growth to monitor.
5. Growing in Defence of Grace
Fifthly, we should be growing in the defence of grace. This is a tremendous responsibility for every believer, failure at this point having been the tragedy of the last hundred years. So much has been lost by evangelicals; so many churches; so much of the great legacy of past blessing. Are we sensitive to error? Do we recognise it? Would we, if we had to move to a new area, go placidly to a church which seemed to be Bible-believing on the surface, but had fallen into serious error in doctrine or practice? We should be growing in the defence of grace because there are so many destructive trends assailing churches in these days.
Satan’s operations are always intensely cunning and deceptive. He sets up people in our churches who become famous as Bible-believing preachers, their books sell by the million, but on close examination their teaching shows they are not truly converted. They deny penal substitution, the very essence of the Gospel of Christ, together with other essentials of the faith, and they get away with it. By using biblical, evangelical language, they deceive undiscerning Christians, who go along with their errors, buy their books, and altogether fail to defend grace. Such Christians approve of the acceptable morsels in the teaching of popular heretics, but fail to notice what is missing, or what is twisted and opposed to the Word. Are we growing in the defence of grace? Do we detect the errors of false teachers? If Christian people who possess the benefits of grace would only be sensitive to error, churches would never fall into the hands of superficial, worldly so-called Christians, ultimately to close.
The ‘grow in grace’ picture of 2 Peter 3.18 is one of persistent growth. It is a tragedy to be spiritually stunted and immature. It is also a picture of uniform growth as believers grow in every Christian grace at the same time, with no glaring omissions. It should never be said of anyone, ‘He is a good Christian man, and has grown in knowledge, but not in conquering the world in his life.’ Or, ‘She is a fine Christian woman, believing in Calvary and trusting the Lord, but she knows so little about doctrine, and never reads anything.’
Another person may have a pleasing manner and a good knowledge of doctrine, but you would never catch him engaged in witness or Christian service, or working with fellow believers in the great mission of Jesus Christ. What a disaster it is to be lop-sided in growth.
We should all want to grow uniformly in all respects, becoming like a great tree, stable, hospitable, beautiful, fruitful, and drawing life from great depths.
Growth in grace is to grow in dependence upon grace, in the application of grace, in the exercising of the privileges of grace, in the proclamation of grace, and in the defence of grace. . . . to be continued