Growing in Faith
Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 3
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!
God graciously gives us faith to believe in Jesus. And we want to keep going forward in faith and not become stagnant or slide backward.
But we have this assurance in God’s Word: just as believing faith in Jesus comes to us as a gracious gift from God through the Holy Spirit, growing in faith also comes to us through God’s grace and the Spirit’s work.
Now, we can’t make ourselves grow spiritually, but that doesn’t mean we are totally passive either. Somehow we participate with the Holy Spirit in growing spiritually.
In today’s verses, Peter urges his readers and us to make every effort to grow. The Spirit works in us to cultivate our faith when we listen to God’s Word, through meditating on it and hearing it proclaimed in times of worship. The Spirit works in our hearts when we turn to our Lord and Savior in prayer for our needs and for the needs of our world. The Spirit also constantly works in us to respond to opportunities to show God’s love and share our faith with others.
Encouragement to grow in faith can’t be said any better than the Spirit has put it through Peter: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!”
Holy Spirit, we praise and thank you for your gift of grace. Please continue to soften our hearts and mold our wills to serve and glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
About the author — Kurt Selles
Kurt Selles is the director of ReFrame Ministries and serves as the Executive Editor of Today. He is a graduate of Calvin College and Seminary, and received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to ReFrame, he served 19 years in Taiwan and China with CRC World Missions. Kurt later taught missions at Beeson Divinity School, where he also acted as the director of the school’s Global Center. Kurt and his wife, Vicki, reside in Grand Rapids and have three adult children.
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