Memorise:
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
Read: 2 Peter 3:15-18
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
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.
Message
There is a privately owned transport outfit in Nigeria which has “The Young Shall Grow” as its company name. This name suggests optimism concerning the potentials of the young. However, in the kingdom of God, the expectation that the young will grow is beyond optimism; it is a matter of compulsion as seen in our memory verse. I pray that you will grow spiritually in Jesus’ Name.
How can a young Christian grow spiritually? Apostle Peter gives a definitive answer in 1 Peter 2:2
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
This is one of the areas where we have issues in the 21st century Church. Some influential churchmen and women have rejected the accuracy and sufficiency of the scripture for Christian living. They have settled for the philosophy of relativism. Incidentally, this development is not new; it was manifested in the early Church also. This formed the basis of why Peter wrote the words of today’s Bible reading. Amazingly, Peter in this epistle made mention of the epistles of Paul, which he described as too hard for the unlearned and unstable. These ones were not ready to grow; so they twisted the epistles of Paul and suit their lusts; just like they did with other scriptures. This practice still goes on today. I learnt with dismay that a senior pastor of a church said to his congregation that some of those things Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus and to the Corinthians are not necessarily meant for European or African Christians! How on earth would the congregation of such a pastor grow spiritually?
Apostle Peter therefore warns us in 2 Peter 3:17 to beware of the error of the wicked, so that we are not led astray like Eve in Genesis 3:4-5. The serpent seemed to be saying to her: “Don’t mind God; you cannot die at all; God is only being unnecessarily high handed because He does not want you to be as enlightened as He is”. Apostle Peter followed up this warning with the command that all Christians must grow and continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). If a Christian would not grow in grace to do according to the word of God, such a Christian will be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine and is doomed for perdition. Therefore, young Christians must grow by being grounded in the true word of God.
Prayer Point:
Father, grant me revelation in the knowledge of You, and feed me with the bread of Heaven that I may grow to spiritual maturity in Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 KINGS 15:27-17:23 and LUKE 10:38-11:13
AUTHOR: Pastor E.A. ADEBOYE
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