Grow in Grace part Two

Our Text for consideration is 2 Peter 3:18 “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.”  As this is a very broad concept, I will quote from some books that capture the essence, so why reinvent the wheel.

“I must grow in grace at home and wherever I may be, in order to give moral power to all my actions. At home I must guard my spirit, my actions, my words. I must give time to personal culture, to training and educating myself in right principles. I must be an example to others. I must meditate upon the word of God night and day and bring it into my practical life. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, is the only sword which I can safely use.” {AH 180}

“The work of sanctification begins in the home. Those who are Christians in the home will be Christians in the church and in the world. There are many who do not grow in grace because they fail of cultivating home religion.”  {CG 481}

“In giving us the privilege of studying His Word, the Lord has set before us a rich banquet. Many are the benefits derived from feasting on His Word, which is represented by Him as His flesh and blood, His spirit and life. By partaking of this Word, our spiritual strength is increased; we grow in grace and in knowledge of the truth. Habits of self-control are formed and strengthened. The infirmities of childhood--fretfulness, willfulness, selfishness, hasty words, passionate acts--disappear, and in their place are developed the graces of Christian manhood and womanhood.”  {CG 505}

“Strength comes by exercise. All who put to use the ability which God has given them, will have increased ability to devote to His service. Those who do nothing in the cause of God, will fail to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. A man who would lie down and refuse to exercise his limbs, would soon lose all power to use them. Thus the Christian who will not exercise his God-given powers, not only fails to grow up into Christ, but he loses the strength which he already had; he becomes a spiritual paralytic. It is those who, with love for God and their fellow men, are striving to help others, that become established, strengthened, settled, in the truth. The true Christian works for God, not from impulse, but from principle; not for a day or a month, but during the entire period of life.”  {ChS 106}

  “It is the privilege of every soul to make advancement. Those who are connected with Christ will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Son of God, to the full stature of men and women. If all who claim to believe the truth had made the most of their ability and opportunities to learn and to do, they would have become strong in Christ. Whatever their occupation—whether they were farmers, mechanics, teachers, or pastors—if they had wholly consecrated themselves to God they would have become efficient workers for the heavenly Master.” {CCh 68}

I like a good collection of books by Christian Authors, as when one gets stuck for words or concepts, there usually is always some thoughts available to clarify a point to get one up and going again, and often by sending one back to the Bible again.  From this we find that Grace is not a static, “Once Event,” but a continuous growth and development process as admonished by Peter.

If a plant will not grow, then we become concerned, if our child is born, and then stays in exactly the same state, decade after decade, we are very, very, worried, so what do you think our wonderful Lord Jesus thinks when he looks at us, and we are not feasting on the bounties provided and are still the same.  Paul ran into the same problem in Corinth, 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, [even] as unto babes in Christ.  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it], neither yet now are ye able.  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”

Are you, or am I, still a Christian Baby, still on baby formula instead of a real solid diet of something substantial to chew over, something to get the teeth into, digging still deeper in “The Word” and growing in grace and knowledge?  We need an improved spiritual diet of good solid food, good workout exercises to build up strength and then to put that all to working for our Master, Jesus Christ, by living and sharing as per the “Gospel Commission.”  Back to our opening text 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Paul in Ephesians has this to admonish with, Ephesians 6:11-13 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

Grace has done its work of growth, and the baby Christian is now a mature and strong “Soldier of the Cross,” and we have depicted here as an armour clad warrior, with powerful muscles who is wrestling and overcoming, being victorious and conquering that which is before.  Dear reader, please stand up and step out as a Dedicated Soldier of the Cross, saved by Grace through Faith.

 

 

Original Sin Repeating Itself.

 

When you look at the ‘Original Sin” boil it to is smallest part, you will get one word,”Why?”  Satan was not intentionally disobeying, his point was in essence, “You convince me, and yes I will do.”  This made him above God as he was going to consider, obey his conclusion, or to be selective about what, or what parts of what, he was going to be attentive to, he was just going to choose, based on his thinking and reasoning.  That is not Obedience, as obedience is in essence three words, “Sir,” “Yes Sir.”  Imagine a military when you say left turn and some sit down, snap off a salute, do an about turn, snap a right turn, or to quickly dig a Fox Hole or whatever.  Obedience is in the word, “Obey” or to carry out the instructions exactly as requested, and in the shortest possible time frame from receiving the instruction, to it being carried out and completed.

Eve was also faced with the same problem, God said, but she reasoned as found in Genesis 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”  God said, “don’t go there,” but she said, “but it looks good and beneficial.”  Shortly thereafter the perceived beneficial was a huge liability and not a beneficial asset at all, and the Devil was not there to support them, he was long gone.

When you look at thieft, adultery, murder, and pretty much all sin, you find man reasoning that there is some perceived benefits, and not a God statement of “that, my child, is a Mine Field, enter at your own peril.”  Should we each spend more quality time in “The Word,” every day and were following the directions, how few short term and long term crisis and disasters would be adverted? How many skinned knees would not happen if we adopted this saying of our Saviour Jesus Christ when temptation arrived at his door, he replied, “It is written.”  As one person stated it this way, “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it for me.”

I saw an inspiring presentation on FirstLight Channel 26 on this subject, and here is a snippet, Eze 28:12-18, “The Four Sins of Pride.” Incredibly Wise, Incredibly Beautiful, Incredibly Rich, Incredibly Powerful.  Look at the mayhem caused in this world, all caused by these four corrupted attributes.    Messiah Jesus came to show us anything but himself, John 5:30, John 7:16.  I guess that we should ask ourselves this question, “Who do we really represent?”  We call ourselves “Christians,” but do we look and act more like the lost than the redeemed?  Jesus came to “Show us the Father,” what do we show daily to those we live with, work with, interact with, worship with?

The Psalmist gave us this quote in Psalm 119:105 “Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  Jesus gave us this one in Matthew 4:4 “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”  And also in John 6:53 “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.”  You have to jump right in, total involvement.

King Saul had a hard time learning obedience, from this text found in 1 Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.”

This concept is found in the New Testament and here are a couple of situations, and they are very insightful.

Luke 9:59-62 “And Jesus said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.  Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.  And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Matthew 21:28-31 “But what think ye? A [certain] man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.  He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.  And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and went not.  Whether of them twain did the will of [his] father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.”

We are to receive this word as supreme authority. We are to recognize human government as an ordinance of divine appointment, and teach obedience to it as a sacred duty, within its legitimate sphere. But when its claims conflict with the claims of God, we must obey God rather than men. God's word must be recognized as above all human legislation. A "Thus saith the Lord" is not to be set aside for a "Thus saith the church" or a "Thus saith the state." The crown of Christ is to be lifted above the diadems of earthly potentates.  {AA 68}

I am currently reading “Experiencing God,” and in John 5, we get this list from the authors of Jesus example: The Father has been working all along; Now the Father has me working; I do nothing on my own initiative; I watch to see what my Father is doing; I do what I see my Father doing; The Father loves me; He shows me everything that he, himself, is doing.  Dear Reader, please resolve, like me, to get deeper yet into the Word, Deeper yet into a relationship with Jesus Christ, to walk the walk, talk the talk, and be doers of the word and not hearers only. “Let me comment to you my Jesus.”

 

 

SHALL IT BE GRACE OR SIN?

 

It can never be repeated too often, that under the reign of grace it is just as easy to do right, as under the reign of sin it is easy to do wrong. This must be so; for if there is not more power in grace than there is in sin, then there can be no salvation from sin. But there is salvation from sin; this no one who believes Christianity can deny.

 

Yet salvation from sin certainly depends upon there being more power in grace than there is in sin. Then, there being more power in grace than there is in sin, it cannot possibly be otherwise than that wherever the power of grace can have control, it will be just as easy to do right as without this it is easy to do wrong.

 

No man ever yet naturally found it difficult to do wrong. His great difficulty has always been to do right. But this is because man naturally is enslaved to a power - the power of sin - that is absolute in its reign. And so long as that power has sway, it is not only difficult but impossible to do the good that he knows and that he would. But let a mightier power than that have sway; then is it not plain enough that it will be just as easy to serve the will of the mightier power, when it reigns, as it was to serve the will of the other power when it reigned?

 

But grace is not simply more powerful than is sin. If this were indeed all,

even then there would be fulness of hope and good cheer to every sinner in the world. But this, good as it would be, is not all; it is not nearly all.  There is much more power in grace than there is in sin. For "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." And just as much more power in grace than there is in sin, just so much more hope and good cheer there are for every sinner in the world.

 

How much more power, then, is there in grace than there is in sin? Let me think a moment. Let me ask myself a question or two. Whence comes grace? - From God, to be sure. "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Whence comes sin? – From the devil, of course. Sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. Well, then, how much more power is there in grace than there is in sin? It is as plain as A B C that there is just as much more power in grace than there is in sin, as there is more power in God than there is in the devil. It is therefore also perfectly plain that the reign of grace is the reign of God; and that the reign of sin is the reign of Satan. And is it not therefore perfectly plain also, that it is just as easy to serve God by the power of God as it is to serve Satan with the power of Satan?

 

Where the difficulty comes in, in all this, is that so many people try to serve God with the power of Satan. But that can never be done. "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt." Men cannot gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles. The tree must be made good, root and branch. It must be made new. "Ye must be born again." "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." Let no one ever attempt to serve God with anything but the present, living power of God, that makes him a new creature; with nothing but the much more abundant grace that condemns sin in the flesh, and reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Then the service of God will indeed be in "newness of life;"then it will be found that his yoke is indeed "easy" and his burden "light;"then his service will be found indeed to be with "joy unspeakable and full of glory."

 

Did Jesus ever find it difficult to do right? Everyone will instantly say, No.

But why? he was just as human as we are. He took flesh and blood the

same as ours. "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." And the

kind of flesh that he was made in this world, was precisely such as was in this world. "In all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren."  "In all things"! It does not say, In all things but one. There is no exception. He was made in all things like as we are. He was of himself as weak as we are; for he said, "I can of mine own self do nothing."

 

Why, then, being in all things like as we are, did he find it always easy to do right? - Because he never trusted to himself, but his trust was always in God alone. All his dependence was upon the grace of God. He always

sought to serve God, only with the power of God. And therefore the Father dwelt in him, and did the works of righteousness. Therefore it was always easy for him to do right. But as he is, so are we in this world. He has left us an example, that we should follow his steps. "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure," as well as in him. All power in heaven and in earth is given unto him; and he desires that you may be strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power. "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;" and he strengthens you with might by his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your heart by faith, that you may be "filled with all the fulness of God."

 

True, Christ partook of the divine nature, and so do you if you are a child of promise, and not of the flesh; for by the promises ye are partakers of the divine nature. There was nothing given to him in this world, and he had nothing in this world, that is not freely given to you, or that you may not have.

All this is in order that you may walk in newness of life; that henceforth you may not serve sin; that you may be the servant of righteousness only; that you may be freed from sin; that sin may not have dominion over you; that you may glorify God on the earth; and that you may be like Jesus. And therefore "unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.... Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." And I "beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."

 

Can every believer have grace enough to keep him free from sinning? ?

Yes. Indeed, everybody in the world can have enough to keep him from

Sinning. Enough is given; and it is given for this purpose. If any one does not have it, it is not because enough has not been given; but because he does not take that which has been given. For "unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Eph. 4:7. The measure of the gift of Christ is himself wholly, and that is the measure of "all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." To the fulness of the Godhead there is, indeed, no measure; it is boundless, it is simply the infinity of God.

 

Yet that is the only measure of the grace that is given to every one of us.

The boundless measure of the fullness of the Godhead is the only thing that can express the proportion of grace that is given to everyone who is in this world. For where "sin abounded, grace did much more abound."

This grace is given in order that "as sin hath reigned unto death, even so

might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ

our Lord," and in order that sin shall not have dominion over you, because you are under grace.  By A T Jones

 

 

Receive Not the Grace of God in Vain

 

Can every believer have grace enough to keep him free from sinning? Yes. Indeed, everybody in the world can have enough to keep him from sinning. Enough is given, and it is given for this purpose. If anyone does not have it, it is not because enough has not been given, but because he does not take that which has been given.  For "unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Eph. 4:7. The measure of the gift of Christ is Himself wholly, and that is the measure of "all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." To the fullness of the Godhead there is, indeed, no measure; it is boundless. It is simply the infinity of God. Yet that is the only measure of the grace that is given to every one of us. The boundless measure of the fullness of the Godhead is the only thing that can express the proportion of grace that is given to everyone who is in this world. For "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." This grace is given in order that "as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord," and in order that sin shall not have dominion over you, because you are under grace.

It is given also "for the perfecting of the saints." The object of it is to bring each one to perfection in Christ Jesus-- to the perfection too, that is fully up to God's standard, for it is given for the building up of the body of Christ, "till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." It is given to "every one of us," "till we all come" to perfection, even by the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Again, this grace is given to every one where sin abounds and it brings salvation to everyone to whom it is given. Bringing salvation in itself, the measure of the salvation which it brings to everyone is only the measure of its own fullness, which is nothing less than the measure of the fullness of the Godhead.

As boundless grace is given to everyone bringing salvation to the extent of its own full measure, then if any one does not have boundless salvation, why is it? Plainly it can be only because he will not take that which is given.

As boundless grace is given to everyone in order that it shall reign in him against all the power of sin, as certainly as ever sin reigned and in order that sin shall not have dominion, then if sin still reigns in anyone, if sin yet has dominion over anyone, where lies the fault? Clearly, it lies only in this, that he will not allow the grace to do for him and in him that which it is given to do. By unbelief he frustrates the grace of God. So far as he is concerned, the grace has been given in vain.

But every believer, by his very profession, says that he has received the grace of God. Then if in the believer grace does not reign instead of sin, if grace does not have dominion instead of sin, it is plain enough that he is receiving the grace of God in vain. If grace is not bringing the believer onward toward a perfect man in the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, then he is receiving the grace of God in vain. Therefore the exhortation of the Scripture is, "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain." 2 Cor. 6:1.

The grace of God is fully able to accomplish that for which it is given, if only it is allowed to work. We have seen that grace being altogether from God, the power of grace is nothing but the power of God. It is plain enough therefore that the power of God is abundantly able to accomplish all for which it is given--the salvation of the soul, deliverance from sin and from the power of it, the reign of righteousness in the life, and the perfecting of the believer unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ--if only it can have place in the heart and in the life to work according to the will of God. But the power of God is "unto salvation to everyone that believeth." Unbelief frustrates the grace of God. Many believe and receive the grace of God for the salvation from sins that are past but are content with that and do not give it the same place in the soul to reign against the power of sin, that they did to save from sins of the past. This, too, is but another phase of unbelief. So as to the one great final object of grace--the perfection of the life in the likeness of Christ-- they do practically receive the grace of God in vain.

"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offense in anything, that the ministry be not blamed." Nor does this word "ministry" refer simply to the ordained ministry of the pulpit. It includes everyone who receives the grace of God or that has named the name of Christ. For "as every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Therefore he does not want anyone to receive the grace of God in vain, lest that grace and its blessed working be misrepresented to the world and so men be further hindered from yielding to it. He does not want His grace to be received in vain, because when it is, offense is given in many things, and the ministry of grace itself is blamed. Yet when the grace of God is not received in vain but is given the place that belongs to it, "no offense" will be given "in anything," and the ministry will not only be not blamed but will be blest.

And now to show how complete and all-pervading the reign of grace will be in the life where it is not received in vain, the Lord has set down the following list, embracing "all thing," and in which we shall approve ourselves unto God. Read it carefully:

   In all things approving ourselves unto God,

   In much patience,

   In afflictions,

   In necessities,

   In distresses,

   In stripes,

   In imprisonments,

   In tumults,

   In labors,

   In watchings,

   In fastings;

   By pureness,

   By knowledge,

   By longsuffering,

   By kindness,

   By the Holy Ghost,

   By love unfeigned,

   By the word of truth,

   By the power of God,

   By the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

   By honor and dishonor,

   By evil report and good report;

   As deceivers, and yet true;

   As unknown, and yet well known;

   As dying, and, behold, we live;

   As chastened, and not killed;

   As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;

   As poor, yet making many rich;

   As having nothing and yet possessing all things.

This list covers all the experiences that can ever enter into the life of any believer in this world. It shows that where the grace of God is not received in vain, that grace will so take possession and control of the life, that every experience that enters into the life will be taken by grace and turned to making us approved unto God and building us up in perfection unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain." By AT Jones