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.
If we are among those believers who have not grown in knowledge, but have stood still, then we will be easily brought into a backslidden state by Satan. The apostle’s command is so essential – ‘Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’ The reiteration of this text here leads us to explore further information on the kind of knowledge we need. Significantly, Peter employs the Lord’s full name and offices, saying – ‘our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’. He means us to read his words this way: ‘Grow in the knowledge of the Lord, and in the knowledge of the Saviour, and in the knowledge of Jesus, and in the knowledge of Christ.’ He is one person, of course, presented under his different offices and names to teach us that we should advance in the knowledge of him in each respect.
Christ as Lord
In other words, are we learning more about Christ as Lord? This comes first. Have we bowed to his lordship or rule over us and his providential overruling in our lives and circumstances? Have we yielded up every aspect of our lives to him? Have we, for instance, yielded up in recent times some coveted idol which we had put before Christ and his service, and which had blunted our obedience? To younger people I ask – have you in recent years thrown out all those worldly CDs you once possessed, or is your pleasure still the music and rhythm-drug of this world, the entertainment so intimately associated with self-rule, self-indulgence and immorality? You wanted it, needed it, and fed upon it, allowing it to corrupt and spoil your spiritual tastes, but at last you bowed entirely to Christ’s lordship, and put it out of your lives. Are we in this position? To grow in the knowledge of our Lord, means that he becomes the Lord of our life in every aspect. We then gladly part company with everything which bears the indelible stamp of a fallen world, ordering our priorities for him. There are young people who, sadly, have not increased in the knowledge of Christ as Lord, and still hang on to pursuits that are antagonistic to the faith and offensive to the Lord. Sometimes such young believers will get together with others in the same condition to enthuse about their remaining worldly delights. ‘Have you heard this?’ they will say, ‘and what do you think of such-and-such?’ They are not out-and-out for Christ, and do not realise that their chosen entertainments war against the life of the soul. . . . to be continued