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.
Angels Watching Over Me? Oh, Glory! Part Three
The topic of angels is a popular one. Angels recently made the cover of Time and were the feature article in an issue of Newsweek.
At Saks Fifth Avenue there is a new “Angel” perfume from French clothing designer Thierry Mugler who believes that since every person has a guardian angel they should smell like one.
The question is often asked: are we human beings alone in this vast universe? No, the universe is full of supernatural beings. There is not only extraterrestrial intelligence, there are extra-cosmic beings, called angels.
Once there were no angels. That means they were created by our Immortal Creator.
“Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts… Let them praise the name of the Lord; for He commanded, and they were created.” (Psalm 148: 2 – 5)
They are not like God in that He is all present, so they are unlike Him in that they are not all knowing.
Jesus said of His second coming the angels don’t know the time.
Angels presently occupy a state higher than human beings. However, someday the saints of Christ will rule over angels: “Do you not know that we shall judge angels?” (I Cor. 6: 3)
Presently, they are supernatural and we are natural. After death in eternity we will be exalted supernatural saints who rule over angels. Be in mind we will not become angels, we are saints.
Angels are not inferior deities interposed between God and human beings. Instead they are instruments of God’s use. They do not exercise independent power. They are not to be objects of our worship. Neither are we to be preoccupied with them, but with Jesus.
Guardian angels are with us wherever we go. Again, we are not to be preoccupied with them, but with Jesus.
Our guardian angels have one final role to play. From the experience of Lazarus, the beggar who died, we know we will have an angel escort on our journey from our mortal body into the immortal home in heaven. He was “carried by the angels” into the very presence of God. (Luke 16: 22)
Until then let your heart sing the chorus, “I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind, The God of angel armies is always by my side. The one who reigns forever He is a friend of mine.”
Angels Watching Over Me? Oh, Glory! Part Two
The Greek word “angelos,” translated angel means “a messenger.” In the Old Testament the Hebrew word with the same meaning is “mal’akh.” They are servants of God. Excelling in strength they await the slightest intimation of God’s will to carry it out. They never add to nor diminish their message and assignment. This unseen army of God constantly awaits His command. They perform God’s will and don’t wait around for human thanks.
Angels announced the forthcoming birth of Jesus Christ.
Angels proclaimed His arrival in Bethlehem.
Angels attended Christ during His exhausting wilderness temptations.
Angels attended Him in the hour of His grief in Gethsemane.
Angels were battle ready awaiting His orders while He hung on the cross.
Belief in angels is an ageless conviction. The earliest reference to them is found on a five by ten slab of limestone at Ur-Nammus which dates back to 2250 BC.
Plato and Aristotle believed God used angels to govern the world.
Epictetus said, “God assigns to every man a guardian angel.”
Seneca and Virgil believed in angels.
Angels are spoken of as flying, but it is not said they have wings. Seraphim have wings but nowhere does it say angels had wings. The idea of winged angels didn’t appear until the third century when Christian polemicist Tertullian stated that “every angel and demon is winged. Consequently, they are everywhere in a moment.”
Around the fourth century angels began to appear in Christian art and soon became very popular. To distinguish them from Jesus and His disciples in their art work they depicted them with wings.
Angels are spirit beings. In their normal state they don’t have physical bodies. Though they are spirits they are not omnipresent, all present, that is. They are restricted to being at one place at a given time.
Their role is defined for us: “Are they not ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1: 14)
Rarely do they appear to persons. However, they have on rare occasions. Don’t be disappointed if you never see one. Remember, Billy Graham said he had never seen one.
A special word of caution is needed here. Don’t pray to angels. This is unbiblical. Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father…” Believers have direct access to God the Father through Jesus Christ, God the Son.
We are warned not to let anyone trick us into worshiping angels. “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping angels.” (Colossians 2: 18)
Human beings are not creatures in transition on their way to becoming angels. When a believer dies that one becomes a perfected saint. Born again human beings are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” Angels are separate created beings. Till then live loyal to the royal blood that flowed from Jesus’ veins.