What's the News on your GDP?
Well, this morning we all got the news about the country's GDP (gross domestic product). The numbers were astounding (4.1) and the future appears to hold even greater possibilities for a long dormant economy that was essentially shrinking and morphing into something formerly unknown to us as Americans.
True growth is both a normal part of life and yes, it is an expected part of life. Nearly everything God created is supposed to grow! More importantly, for us as believers, we too are expected to be growing. In the context of 2 Peter 3:18, Peter is admonishing believers in his day about the general instability of our present planet, culture, and even spiritual environment. To all this uncertainty of life here and now, Peter has one singular admonition.
But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This is a command not a suggestion! Why? Because everything else is passing away in time. However, your growth in Christ will endure eternally. Despite all the negative people, situations, and problems we face, we are obligated to keep growing.
Let me offer an alternative GDP acronym which reflects what Peter is actually communicating to us as believers in Jesus. Let's call it our Growth Development Portfolio. That's the Christian GDP!
That being said, how is yours? Are you growing in the two key areas Peter mentions above? Notice he says the first element of growth starts with this first essential to growth, grace! God's grace is fundamental to growing. In other words, you can't grow without it.
That is what Peter is talking about here when he commands us to grow in grace! Notice that God's grace resides in Jesus - not you, your pastor, or some spiritual hero. In 2 Timothy 2:1, Paul admonished Timothy to:
Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. We must learn to reside or rest in God's grace.
In I Peter 1:3-4 Peter sets forth the fact that:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness."
Since all of the elements for growth have been provided, we are now obligated to grow! It's like the human growth hormone, but in the spiritual realm. The difference is that there is no limitation to our spiritual growth in God's grace. This is a process which will never stop in this life, nor should it! Grace will enable you to continue to become more like Christ every moment you live.
But secondly, Peter admonishes us to grow in knowledge.
In this verse we come to undertstand that our growth development portfolio cannot expand without adding information. In business they say knowledge is power. That's true. But in the spiritual realm, knowledge is growth! But where does this information come from? It comes from the Bible, the Word of God. Remember just like faith comes by hearing, growth comes by both hearing and putting the Word of God into practice.
James reminds us that if we only look into the mirror of God's Word and go our way, we have become hearers only. But he says the difference is when we become both hearers and doers of the Word. So for growth to happen, we need God's grace and the knowledge of God through His Word. There are no substitutes for genuine spiritual growth!
How is your GDP?
True growth is both a normal part of life and yes, it is an expected part of life. Nearly everything God created is supposed to grow! More importantly, for us as believers, we too are expected to be growing. In the context of 2 Peter 3:18, Peter is admonishing believers in his day about the general instability of our present planet, culture, and even spiritual environment. To all this uncertainty of life here and now, Peter has one singular admonition.
But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This is a command not a suggestion! Why? Because everything else is passing away in time. However, your growth in Christ will endure eternally. Despite all the negative people, situations, and problems we face, we are obligated to keep growing.
Let me offer an alternative GDP acronym which reflects what Peter is actually communicating to us as believers in Jesus. Let's call it our Growth Development Portfolio. That's the Christian GDP!
That being said, how is yours? Are you growing in the two key areas Peter mentions above? Notice he says the first element of growth starts with this first essential to growth, grace! God's grace is fundamental to growing. In other words, you can't grow without it.
That is what Peter is talking about here when he commands us to grow in grace! Notice that God's grace resides in Jesus - not you, your pastor, or some spiritual hero. In 2 Timothy 2:1, Paul admonished Timothy to:
Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. We must learn to reside or rest in God's grace.
In I Peter 1:3-4 Peter sets forth the fact that:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness."
Since all of the elements for growth have been provided, we are now obligated to grow! It's like the human growth hormone, but in the spiritual realm. The difference is that there is no limitation to our spiritual growth in God's grace. This is a process which will never stop in this life, nor should it! Grace will enable you to continue to become more like Christ every moment you live.
But secondly, Peter admonishes us to grow in knowledge.
In this verse we come to undertstand that our growth development portfolio cannot expand without adding information. In business they say knowledge is power. That's true. But in the spiritual realm, knowledge is growth! But where does this information come from? It comes from the Bible, the Word of God. Remember just like faith comes by hearing, growth comes by both hearing and putting the Word of God into practice.
James reminds us that if we only look into the mirror of God's Word and go our way, we have become hearers only. But he says the difference is when we become both hearers and doers of the Word. So for growth to happen, we need God's grace and the knowledge of God through His Word. There are no substitutes for genuine spiritual growth!
How is your GDP?
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