Archive for April, 2023
Spiritual Growth – Part Five
“….Grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” II Peter 3:8
“….add to your godliness….”
Brotherly kindness is reflecting godlikeness to others. The Greek word used for brotherly kindness is “philadelphia.” It has a stronger meaning than kindness. This is the only instance in the NT where this word is translated as “brotherly kindness.” In all other instances philadelphia is translated as “brotherly love.”
Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35)
Brotherly love was the byword of the early church.
Believers have something that others do not have. There is a common bond that unites us to each other. Though we are different in many ways, we all have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in [us] all…” (Ephesians 4:5,6). We are different superficially, but the same in essential spiritual ways. There is more that unites us than divides us.
Leave it to scripture to define brotherly kindness for us. This attitude is to put others before self. The more we focus on others rather than self, the easier it becomes for us to cultivate brotherly kindness. “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” (Romans 12: 10) If we are to get rid of our self-centered attitude, and “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” (Philippians 2; 3,4)
As spiritually akin we should constantly fill the soul of others with love, sunshine, and joy each day of our lives.
In this passage godliness and brotherly kindness are linked because kindness is the moderator of godliness.
Kindness, brother love, is the means by which the world knows His followers.
“Let brotherly love continue.” (Hebrews 13:1)
Spiritual Growth – Part Four
“….Grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” II Peter 3:8
“….add to your perseverance….”
Godliness is the highest of standards. Develop traits typical of Him.
Godliness is being God like in character.
There is a price to pay to be godly. You have to expect and respond positively to the standard of the world. Set your face like a flint resolving to stand fast.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12: 1, 2)
The value of bodily exercise is well known. The contrast with spiritual exercise showing the comparative value is noted: “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” (I Timothy 4: 8)
Cicadas proliferate in certain areas. They come out every seven years and leave a lifeless shell they had shed. It was just an empty form of the living creature that had once been there. The slightest pressure on that empty form would cause it to crumble. That is a graphic of “a form of godliness.” It bears some resemblance to the real thing. But there’s no life in it. Some people faithfully go through a form of religion that bears resemblance to the real thing; but in reality is dead and lifeless?
Individuals spend much time accumulating material goods which are temporary. The eternal value of godliness is beyond compare. “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness….” (II Peter 3: 11)
Spiritual Growth – Part Three
“….Grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” II Peter 3:8
“….add to your knowledge….”
Self control requires holding yourself to an established standard, the Word.
A better understanding and practice of self-control and a little heart examination will help prevent the pain caused by our lack of self-control. Exercise of it creates harmony and avoids discord, creates better relationships, prevents misunderstandings, nourishes one’s spiritual life, and makes possible endurance.
Examples of a lack of self-control begin with our oldest ancestors Adam and Eve. Like them we lose a lot when we fail to exercise it.
Moses showed a lack of self-control in striking the rock in frustration as the children of Israel murmured and complained. His lack of self-control cost him the blessing of entering the promised land.
Sometimes self-control is more about patiently waiting on the Lord to deliver us from a bad situation or to answer our prayers.
Self-control prevents us from throwing in the towel when a bit more effort might gain the objective.
Solomon illustrated how valuable self-control is. “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32)
“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19, 20)
Perseverance involves faithfulness, endurance, and dedication.
Author Irving Stone has spent a lifetime studying greatness, writing novelized biographies of such men as Michelangelo, Vincent van Gogh, and a number of others. Of a common characteristic of those who succeeded he wrote: “They are beaten over the head, knocked down, vilified and for years they get nowhere. But every time they’re knocked down they stand up. You cannot destroy these people. And at the end of their lives they’ve accomplished some modest part of what they set out to do.”
Can we not exercise such perseverance in the work of the Lord?
The late president Calvin Coolidge opined, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Charles Spurgen observed “By perseverance the snail reached the Ark.”
Those who succeed know triumph is just “umph” added to try.
Postage stamps are getting more expensive, but at least they have one attribute that most of us could emulate: they stick to one thing until they get there.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Spiritual Growth – Part Two
“….Grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” II Peter 3:8
“….add to your virtue….”
Knowledge is insight, understanding. Something has to be known before it can be understood. Therefore “Study to grow in faith and in knowledge.” Spend time studying the Bible. That involves more than just reading the Scripture. Engage in the exploration of the meaning of it. Move it from the head to the heart. This takes time and a deliberate desire to continue.
We gain knowledge to understand how a thing operates or what it means.
The better you know the man of the Word the better you know the Word of the word of the man.
There’s a story about a proud young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the muscular philosopher and said, “O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.” Socrates recognized a pompous numbskull when he saw one. He led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, “What do you want?” “Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” said the young man with a smile. Socrates put his strong hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later Socrates let him up. “What do you want?” he asked again. “Wisdom,” the young man sputtered, “O great and wise Socrates.” Socrates crunched him under again. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man was gasping. “What do you want, young man?” Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, “Knowledge, O wise and wonderful….” Socrates jammed him under again forty seconds passed. fifty. “What do you want?” “Air!” he screeched. “I need air!” “When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge.”
Do you want Bible knowledge enough to make an effort to get it?
You may own a Bible. It is a possession. You may read it and it becomes a precept. When you live it, it is a practice. The objective is to move it from a possession to a practice.
Grow to the point you can say, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” (Psalm 119:11-18)
Spiritual Growth – Part One
“…Grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” II Peter 3:8
Spiritual growth is an elemental essential for spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is essential for contentment, joy, and fulfillment. There is a spiritual progression that is helpful in the process. Note that progression as follows.
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence,
add to your faith
virtue, to virtue knowledge
to knowledge self-control,
to self-control perseverance,
to perseverance godliness,
to godliness brotherly kindness,
to brotherly kindness love.
For if these things are in you and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” (II Peter 1: 5 – 9) Memorize this.
Faith is foundational to all. It is the bedrock on which to develop the others.
It is also the essential cement that holds these building blocks together. Faith is confidence in Jesus and His word. Then trust Jesus to transform you into the image it projects. To accomplish this, feed your mind on the Word. Build each of the following progressively on the other.
“….add to your faith ….”
Virtue is moral excellence; goodness; righteousness. It is a code resulting in the conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness; rectitude. In summary virtue is moral excellence, moral goodness.
A summary listing that collectively defines virtue is: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..” (Galatians 5: 22, 23)
These admirable attributes are aspects of virtue. They are core values in a virtuous life. They are admirable habits on which persons can rely. Virtues must become a lifestyle. Virtue is to be habitual conduct.
Virtue is a living out of the internal quality of one’s life based on the Word of God.