Growing…

Do you long to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God? Peter begins his second epistle to believers with this…

‘Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,’

And he ends it with this…

‘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.’

Peter had this desire for believers to both grow in grace and to know more of Christ Jesus.

Is this our desire? Do we long to know more of Jesus?

Do we long to know more of the unmerited favour of God to us as undeserving sinners?

Friends, we cannot grow in grace ourselves, we don’t grow in grace according to how hard we try, for…

‘There is none righteous, no, not one:’

So how do we grow in grace?

The first verse tells us, Grace and peace is multiplied unto us through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ.

So then how do we get to know God?

We learn ABOUT God when we read our Bibles and through the word preached but it will only be empty knowledge, head knowledge, until the Holy Spirit opens up God’s word to our understanding and we begin to KNOW God through sweet experience and as we feed upon the living Word, Christ Jesus.

We also learn of Christ Jesus when we take His yoke upon us and as we walk with Him.

‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’

It’s as we lean harder upon the only One who can help us to live in a way that honours Him.

It’s when self is stripped away and we are shown more and more of the depravity of our sinful nature and as we realise that without Christ we can do nothing, that we learn more of Him.

It’s as we start to rely on God alone to give us that grace to live for Him, that we learn more of Him and grace and peace is multiplied unto us.

Grace grows as our knowledge of God grows through submission and in dependence on Christ alone.

Grace grows in the laying down of our own will and way and in sweet obedience.

Grace grows as we deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.

Friends, it’s THEN that God gives us the grace to be more like Him. It’s ALL of HIM and NONE of me.

There is a sweet rest for our souls when we learn of Christ by depending only upon Him. A sweet rest in the laying down of our will, a sweet rest in walking joined with Jesus, in letting Him take the lead and help us to bear our load.

The more we depend on Christ, the more we will know Him and the more we will grow in grace because the more we look to Him for help the more of His free grace we will receive.

The more we search the scriptures and truly seek to know God for ourselves by sweet experience and the more we learn of and lean on Christ the more we will TRULY know Him.

‘Growth is in depending not in doing.’ When our greatest desire is ‘No more ME, just all CHRIST IN me .’