I hope you'll pray for me and
for yourselves as I attempt to bring this message on grow in
grace, a command. In verse 15 of second Peter chapter
three, Peter says, account. that the long-suffering of our
Lord is salvation. Now a lot of times when people
talk about the long-suffering of the Lord, they think it's
His patience waiting for someone to repent and to believe. He gives them much opportunity.
He waits long to give you the opportunity to repent and believe. He doesn't immediately cut anybody off. That's not what
Peter says here. He says the long-suffering of
the Lord is salvation. If he's long-suffering to you,
it's because he has saved you. Look in verse 9 of this same
chapter. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering,
there's the word, is long-suffering to usward Not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Now, I realize
a lot of people use that verse, and they say, well, God wants
everybody to be saved. That's not what it says, though,
is it? It says he's long-suffering to us-ward. Not willing that
any of us should perish, speaking of his elect, but that all should
come to repentance. Now, know this, the long-suffering
of the Lord is salvation. Even verse 15, as our beloved
brother Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him,
hath written unto you. Now he recognized Paul, he was
the apostle that the Lord used more than anybody else to expound
the gospel. Paul said, I'm the least of the
apostles, and he believed himself to be that. But I think the other
apostles recognized that he was the man that the Lord used more
than anybody else to expound the gospel. Verse 16, as also
in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, the
things of salvation, the things of Christ, in which are some
things hard to be understood. And I was thinking of the word
some things, and I was thinking, you know, really, in some respects,
all things are hard to be understood. I mean, they're very simple. They're very simple. Yet, who
can understand the Trinity? God the Father, God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit, one God in three persons. Who can understand
that? Who can understand the glorious,
truth that all of the elect have always been in Christ. They never
had a beginning. They've always been vitally united
to him. Who can understand how God never
began to be? You know, that blows my mind
to even think about that. He speaks in them of these things
or some things hard to be understood, but you know just because something's
hard to be understood is no excuse to not believe it. We believe something not because
we understand it, but because God has revealed it. That's the
emphasis we put on this book. What's the emphasis God put on
this book? Now God, who created the universe, all powerful, has the power to
inspire men to write a book that makes him known and cause it
to be preserved throughout the centuries. And how would we ever
know that God is one God and three persons, except this book
revealed it. We're totally dependent upon
what this book tells us regarding the character of the living God.
And although things are hard to be understood, that's no excuse
for unbelief. there to be believed because
God has revealed this concerning himself. I'm really not concerned
about being able to understand everything, but I'm concerned
about believing everything. Somebody says, well, you're just closing your head, putting your
hand in the sand in spite of all the contradictions and believing
anyway. There aren't any contradictions.
The Bible is the revealed word of God that reveals the gospel.
And my purpose is to believe what he says. I might not understand
it. Peter didn't. He was talking about the things
Paul said, and he said he writes in his epistles of these things
in which some things are hard to be understood. Peter said,
I have a hard time with them. I believe them, but I don't reject
them. Because look what he says next.
Verse 16. which they that are unlearned
and unstable rest, twist, as they do also the other scriptures. We see what Peter thought about
Paul's writings. He said they're scriptures. He
talked about the other scriptures, speaking of the Old Testament
scriptures, but he knew Paul's writings were inspired scripture. And when people twist what Paul
says, they do so to their own destruction. Now that's a sobering
word, isn't it? And then he says in verse 17,
you therefore, beloved, seeing that you know these things before,
that Paul has given the truth of the gospel and that it is
not to be twisted, seeing that you know these things before,
beware, lest you also being led away
with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. Now, how many people have you
seen over the years leave the gospel? You've seen a lot. Beware lest you be one of those
people. And that's what Peter says. You
beware, lest you be one of those people. And you fall from your
own steadfastness, being led away with the air of the wicked.
Now, what will prevent me from falling from my own steadfastness? What will prevent me? Peter gives
the answer. But grow in grace. That's what
will prevent it. but grow in grace. And in the knowledge of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ, to him be glory, both now and forever. Amen. Now, what will prevent
me from being led away with the error of the wicked? I know that
it could easily happen. I know myself enough to know
that. What will prevent me from falling from my own steadfastness? Well, there's only one prevention,
growing in grace. And in the knowledge of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. You know, even the Lord was said
to grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. Now somebody says, explain that
to me. I can't, I'm not going to make a shot at it. I just
believe that's what God's word says. Look back in 1 Peter 2.
Verse 2. As newborn babes, verse 2. As newborn babes. Now think of a baby crying for
his mother's milk. That's what he's talking about.
That's the image he's giving us. A newborn babe. As newborn babes desire, crave,
the word is even translated lust, as newborn babes desire the sincere
or pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby. Now this is something every believer
is interested in. I want to grow in grace. I fear becoming stagnant. I fear being like the church
at Ephesus and losing my first love. I fear being like the church
of Sardis, having a name that you live, but you're dead. living off past experiences and
appearing to be dead. I fear being like the church
at Laodicea. The Lord said you're lukewarm. You're neither hot nor cold.
You say everything's fine. I'm rich and increased with goods
and have need of nothing and you don't realize you're naked
and wretched and blind and poor. I don't want that. And I know
it will be apart from His grace and me growing in grace and in
the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, what
does it mean to grow in grace? Don't you want to know the answer
to that question? I do. What does it mean to grow in
grace? First thing that needs to be
brought out regarding this thing of growing in grace is first,
what is grace? It's an exercise in futility
for us to talk about growing in grace if we do not first understand
what grace is in the first place. So what is meant, what does the
Bible mean by this word, grace. Grow in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What is grace? Let me save us some time by going
to the fountainhead of grace. God's electing grace. Now what you believe regarding
grace is seen in what you believe regarding what Paul calls the
election of grace. Turn to Romans 9. Verse 11. Now this verse will tell us what
grace means. Verse 11. For the children, speaking
of Jacob and Esau, being not yet born. This happened before their birth.
As a matter of fact, it happened before the foundation of the
world, but he's just making the point that what took place happened
before they were even born. Neither having done any good
or evil. That the purpose of God. According to election might stand. Not it works. That's clear enough,
isn't it? That's God's purpose, not of
works, but of him that calleth. Now this shows the relationship of our works
and salvation. This happened before they were
ever born. They didn't have any bad works to disqualify them.
They didn't have any good works to recommend them. The sole reason
for their salvation was the sovereign will of God. I repeat, they had no good works
to recommend them. They had no bad works to disqualify
them. The sole reason was the sovereign
will of God. And Paul emphasizes this. Look
down in verse 14 of Romans chapter nine. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? Is God unfair in choosing one and passing by the other?
God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I'll have
mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on
whom I will have compassion. So then, it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth. It's not because of what a man
wills or because of what efforts a man expends, but of God that
showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I
might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom
he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens. That is the word of God, and
that teaches us just how much salvation is by grace. Grace is only grace when God
only makes the difference. Exodus chapter 11, verse 7, when
God was getting ready to pass through the land of Egypt to
judge the firstborn. He said, as a matter of fact,
I want you to read this with your own eyes. I could quote
it, but I want you to read this. Exodus chapter 11. I could give so many scriptures.
As a matter of fact, Paul quotes this in 1 Corinthians chapter
4. But look at Exodus chapter 11, verse 7. Let's begin in verse
5. And all the firstborn in the
land of Egypt shall die. from the firstborn of Pharaoh
that sits upon his throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant
that's behind the mill, and all the firstborn of the beasts.
And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt,
such as there was none like it, nor shall be any like it any
more. But against any of the children
of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast,
that you may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between
the Egyptians and Israel. What was the difference between
the Egyptians and Israel? The Lord, the Lord making a difference. Paul said, quoting this in 1
Corinthians chapter 4, 6, who maketh thee to differ from another? The only difference is the Lord,
and grace is only grace when God only makes the difference. If you put man making the difference
in any doctrine, you call it what you want, it's not grace. Grace is God only making the
difference. Now let me tell you what growth
in grace is not with that definition of grace. Grace is God only making
the difference. Let me tell you what grace is
not. Notice it doesn't say grace grows. It says grow in grace. I can't grow in election. I can't become more elect. You know, people use the term
holy. I can't become elect here. I can't grow more justified. I'm either justified or I'm not.
There's no degrees of growth in justification. I can't grow
more holy. I can't become holier. I'm either
holy or I'm unholy. This knows of no degrees. God doesn't become holier, he
doesn't become less holy, neither does the believer. I'm as holy
right now while I'm talking to you as I will be in glory. Somebody
says, how can you say something like that? Because the Bible
says, wherefore holy brethren. partakers of the heavenly calling. Holiness does not know of degrees.
You don't make progress in holiness. You either are or you're not. You don't grow in holiness. As
a matter of fact, the only time the word holier is used is when
Isaiah talks about those who say, stand away from me, I'm
holier than thou. And God says, these are a smoke
in my nostrils. He says, they make me. sick saying
something like that. What a debasement of holiness
when you say you can grow more holy. That's a complete misunderstanding
of what holiness is in the first place. I can't get more redeemed.
I can't get more accepted. I can't grow in love in the sense
that God can't love me more because I've become more pleasing to
him and he just loves me more and more and more. That is not
what growth in grace is. Since salvation really is all
of grace, I have all these things in their fullness. Of His fullness
have we all received. And grace for grace. Grace does not grow. Paul said, in him dwells all
the fullness of the Godhead and you are complete in him. Can you think they had to do
that? Complete, filled up. It can't get any better. It can't get any bigger. It can't get any more complete. I think of that scripture in
Hebrews 10, 10, By the witch will we are sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Perfectly completed. Never to
be repeated. Once for all. The reason our salvation is so
sure is because it's completely dependent upon what God does. That's why it's so sure. If it weren't, two things would
be true. Number one, it wouldn't really
be a grace if it's in some way dependent upon me. And number
two, it'd be doomed for failure. If anything's dependent upon
me doing anything, it's doomed for failure. So what is this
thing of growing in grace? Grace doesn't grow. So what is growth in grace? grow in grace and in the knowledge. Turn back to our text and the
verse is not quoted properly. If the whole verse is not quoted,
grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. to whom be glory both now and forever. Now you grow in grace and growing
in grace cannot be separated from growing in the knowledge. And by knowledge I don't mean
mere cognitive knowledge where you know things about him and
you can show from the scriptures this is what it teaches concerning
him. That's good. That's good. I wouldn't dare say anything
about that negatively. That's good. But if that's all
it is, it's not good. Knowledge is love. grow in grace
and in the knowledge of, the love of. Adam knew his wife Eve. That doesn't mean simply that
he knew who she was. There was an intimate connection
there, an intimate relationship of love. Grow in grace and the
knowledge. When this Peter says, dwell with
your wives according to knowledge, that your prayers be not hindered.
It doesn't mean just know what you're supposed to do. It means
you dwell with Him according to love, that your prayers be
not hindered. This thing of knowledge, the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is much more than
just cognitive knowledge. It's a love for Him. And love
for Him is always seen in this. You want Him to have all the
glory. You can't separate that. If you love Him, if you know
Him and if you love Him, this is infinitely important to you.
To Him be glory, both now and forever. Amen. Grow in grace
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, Paul said in 2 Timothy 1.12,
I know whom I have believed. What we believe is completely
predicated upon who we believe. Somebody said to me, I've heard
this on several occasions, I don't want to hear about doctrine,
I want to hear about Christ. That's a foolish statement, utterly
foolish. What can you say regarding him
that's not his doctrine? What we believe is determined
by who we believe. I know whom I have believed. And because of me knowing him,
I'm persuaded. And God has persuaded me of this. I'm persuaded that he is able. to keep that which I've committed
to Him. Now, salvation is a commitment
of the entire salvation of your soul to Him doing everything. If you believe in works in any
way, you failed to commit. No commitment on your part. You
only commit when you trust Him only as everything in your salvation. I know whom I have believed And
I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed
to him against that day. And here is how you view this
knowledge. Paul said, I count all things
but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus,
my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things and who
counted but done. What'd you lose, Paul? Done.
That's it. that I may win Christ and be
found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the
law, but that which is through the faithfulness of Christ, the
righteousness of God, which is by faith, that I might know him. Paul, don't you know him? Just
a little bit. He's so immense, He's so vast,
He's so altogether glory, He's so utterly lovely, and my heart's
so small, and my vision is so dim, and I'm so little that I
know Him just a little bit. My desire, and this is the cry
of everybody that knows Him, oh, that I might know Him. I'm not depending upon my knowledge
of Him. I'm depending on his knowledge of me. But oh, that
I might know him. I love what the Lord said in
Matthew chapter 11. Verse 28, come unto me all ye
that labor and are heavy laden. Take my yoke upon you. and learn
of me. Not about me, not accurate data
concerning me, but learn of me. You know what he said next? For I am meek and lowly in heart. The Creator is humble and meek. And he's the only person in the
world that you can come into his presence and not feel judged
and not feel looked down upon. And yet he's the only one who
you think if there's anybody has a right to be that way to
be him. But yet that's not the way he is. You come around me. and you bare your soul to me,
and I'll say, oh, I'm sorry, but I'll be judging you. If they
wouldn't have done this, they wouldn't be in this mess. Or
if they wouldn't be this way. We're such a mess in that sense.
Judgment, it's such hypocrisy. Whenever I judge you, whenever
you judge me, it's such hypocrisy. Judging people for the things
that We're doing, but we judge them for it. It's hypocrisy. One of the things that I'm looking
forward to getting out of this body is not judging people anymore. Won't that be a blessing? It's
so evil to judge people. But the Lord, you come into his
presence, he's humble. He's the friend of publicans
and sinners. There's nobody like him. Take
my yoke upon you and learn of me. For I am meek and lowly in
heart. You'll find rest for your souls. My burden is easy. My yoke is
light. The knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the growth in grace. And I repeat, what is growth
in grace? First, foremost, and primarily,
it's growth in love to Him. Amen? That's growth in grace. It's growth in love to Him. to Him, the beauty of His person,
the excellence of His character, the power of His Word. Oh, I
love the Word of Christ. What do you think about Christ?
It's seen in the Bible how you view His Word, and how you bow
to what He says. Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ,
the Son of the living God. Oh, to you which believe, He's
precious. He's precious as my surety before
time began. He's precious in His incarnation
when He came to take on flesh and be my representative. He's
precious in His obedience and righteousness when He worked
out a perfect righteousness for me. He's precious in His death. His precious blood put away my
sin. He's precious in His resurrection
as He was raised from the dead for my justification. He's precious
in His intercession where He represents me right now before
God. There's a man in glory representing
me. Oh, how precious He'll be in
His return when I'm allowed to finally see Him as He is and
be made like Him. And you come to love Him more.
You see more of His beauty. And by saying that, I don't see
you start thinking, well, I'm really growing in love to him.
You don't think that. You know how you can tell if
somebody's really growing in their love to Christ? Not by
them telling you they are. You know, I'm really growing in my
love to Christ. I'm just, you know, I wish y'all could be like
me. No, you don't speak like that. The way you can see if
somebody's growing in their love to Christ is by this. They're
growing in humility. That's the key. They're growing
in humility, a just estimate of yourself. Now, when Christ
described to us the greatest faith he'd ever seen, the greatest
faith in Israel, it was with regard to a man, a Roman centurion,
who had a sick servant. And he didn't feel himself worthy
to come to Christ to even ask him to do anything for him. He
said, I didn't feel myself worthy to come to you, so I've sent
my servant. I felt totally unqualified to do this. And I didn't feel
myself worthy for you to come to my house under my roof to
heal my servant. I'm not worthy. Speak the word
only. and my servant shall be healed.
That's all the word from you. But I knew I wasn't worthy to
come to you. I wasn't worthy for you to enter
under my roof. Now, what do I know of that?
What do I know of that? If Christ was here in the flesh,
whose house would I want him to come to this afternoon? I'd want him to come to my house.
Hey, I'm the pastor. Not this man. He felt himself
utterly unworthy. And Christ said regarding his
faith, I've not found so great a faith, no, not in Israel. This man who saw himself as utterly
unworthy. And we would give him self-help
books to help his self-image. You shouldn't feel that way about
yourself. But Christ commended him as having
the greatest faith in all Israel. He actually marveled. He marveled. Now, any knowledge that we have
that's not accompanied with humility is false knowledge. It's not
real. It's hot air. If it puffs us
up with pride, it's not even real. Genuine humility is a just
estimate of yourself. I love that definition. You know
when that publican was in the temple, beaten on his breast,
crying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. You know what that
was? That was a just estimate of himself,
wasn't it? If by the grace of God you pray that prayer, God,
right now, God, be merciful to me, thee, sinner. You've got a just estimate of
yourself. That's the way it really is. That's not mock humility. That's the way it really is.
You believe that about yourself. When that leper came to Christ,
Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. I can't make myself
clean and I'm not clean. And the only way I'll be clean
is if you make me clean. That's a just estimate of yourself.
When that Syrophoenician woman asked the Lord to have mercy,
He answered her not a word. She kept crying. And the Lord
said, I'm not sinned but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
I didn't come for everybody. Then came she and worshipped
him, saying, Lord, help me. And he said, it's not right.
It's not me to take the children's bread and throw it out to the
dogs. He's saying to this woman, you're a dog. You're not worthy
of my mercy. What if the Lord said that to
you? How did this woman respond? That's
the truth, Lord. If I ever heard the truth, that's
the truth. I may be a dog, but I'm your
dog. And I'd be so grateful for any
crumbs of mercy that fall under the table that I might take.
And you know what the Lord said to that woman? O woman, great
is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou
wilt. Now, growth in grace is growth in humility. I love what John Calvin said
when somebody asked him what are the three most important
Christian graces. He said, number one, humility.
Number two, humility. Number three, humility. Humility is maturity. You stop acting like a child. Now we love babies. Precious babies. We don't like
it if they're 40 year old babies. And if they're 80-year-old babies,
it's even worse. There's something called maturity,
and it's seen in humility, not being so easily offended, won't
speak to people, always ready to correct others. When others
are around you, they feel judged and condemned. That is called
a baby. You can't keep long friendships.
You conduct yourself like a baby. Growth and grace is maturing. A lower opinion of yourself and
a higher opinion of others. What was the first thing Paul
mentioned when he said, I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And
be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove, that you may demonstrate
what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God. And
what's the first thing He said that we're to do in order to
prove and demonstrate what is that perfect and acceptable will
of God, I say through the grace of God given me to every man
that's among you, not to think of himself more highly than he
ought to think, but to think soberly, not being drunken with
pride and self-importance, but to think soberly as God has dealt
to every man the measure of faith. Growth is maturity. Read Ephesians
4, 11, 15. I don't have time to look at
it right now. Turn to Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. Therefore,
verse 1, leaving the principles, the building blocks, the ABCs,
The word of the beginning, leaving the principles of the doctrine
of Christ, let us go on into perfection, maturity, and not
having to lay again the foundation. Now, if you have to lay again
the foundation, the superstructure is never going to go up, is it?
Well, we messed up the foundation. Let's go back to it again, again,
and again, and again. And what is the foundation that
we shouldn't have to always be laying again, that you ought
to be grounded in? You know, he says to these people in chapter
5, verse 12, for when for the time you ought to be teachers,
you have need that one teach you again, what be the first
principles. That's what he's talking about. The first principles
of the oracles of God. And are become such as have need
of milk and not of strong meat. For everyone that uses milk is
unskillful in the word of righteousness. He's a babe. He's an infant.
But strong meat belongeth to them who are full age. Even those
who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern,
to know the difference between good and evil. Therefore, leaving
the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection,
maturity, not laying in the foundation of repentance from dead works.
Now, what are dead works? Any works you have that were
before God regenerated you. It's a dead work. That's all it is. All your religion
is nothing but dead works and nothing more. And faith toward
God. That's what faith is. Faith in Christ is faith toward
God. Verse 2 of the doctrine of baptisms. The doctrine of
baptisms is union with the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what it
represents. And the laying on of hands. That's the transference
of sin. The way the great high priest
laid his hands on the head of the sacrifice and symbolically
the sins were transferred. and of the resurrection of the
dead. That's what happened when Christ
was raised from the dead. I was saved when I was raised
from the dead. I was given spiritual life. And
one of these days we're going to have the physical resurrection
of the dead and of eternal judgment. Everything God does is eternal.
Everything he does is eternal. It was all done before time began.
Do I have to understand that? I can't. Do I got to believe
it? Absolutely. Grounded. in these is what's
going to bring on this maturity. Now, let me close with this thought. What does a Christian look like? Let me tell you one phrase I
hate. Living the Christian life. I hate that phrase. It's not
in the Bible. Whenever I hear somebody talk about living the
Christian life, my first thought is, well, why don't you do it
then? It's a phrase I hate, but let's say for a moment it is
a good phrase. What is living the Christian
life? I can answer that question from
the scriptures. Living the Christian life is being poor in spirit. It's mourning. And that word
mourning is a participle in the present tense It acts both as
an adjective describing you and a verb, it's what you do. A Christian,
someone who is presently mourning over their sin. The sins of now,
not the sins of, yes, the sins of yesterday are included, but
the sins of now. A Christian is someone who is
meek before God's providence. Everything God sends their way
is right and it's right because He did it. That's the only reason
it's needed. A Christian is someone who hungers
and thirsts after righteousness because they know in themselves
they don't have any. That's why they're hungry and
thirsting for it. A Christian is someone who is merciful. Having
experienced the mercy of God, they extend mercy. A Christian
is someone who's pure in heart. How do I know if I have a pure
heart? It's only a pure heart that sees nothing but sin. It
takes a pure heart to see that. If you see purity in yourself,
you just don't have a pure heart, that's the problem. A Christian is a peacemaker. A Christian is someone who stands
for the righteousness of Christ so much that he's persecuted
because he believes Christ's righteousness really is the only
righteousness. Now that's the Beatitudes. That's the ones the
Lord pronounced blessedness on. That's what a Christian is, described
in the Beatitudes. What is it to grow in grace?
It's to grow in poverty of spirit, to know that you have nothing,
to know even more clearly that you have nothing to bring to
the table. All you have is Christ. What
is it to grow? It's to mourn even more over
your sin, to see your sinfulness and your wickedness and your
need of his grace. It's to grow in meekness. It's
to really believe God's on the throne, even more, and whatever
He sends your way is right. It's to grow in hungering and
thirsting after His righteousness. Oh, I need His righteousness. It's to grow in being merciful,
having experienced the mercy of God. You want to be merciful
and forgiving. That's your great desire. It's
to grow in, well, you don't grow in purity of heart, but you see
more clearly your own need, and that's the pure heart that sees
that. You see that more and more and more. It's to grow in being
a peacemaker, not a troublemaker, but a peacemaker. It's to grow
in this thing of standing for his righteousness as being the
only righteousness there is that you're persecuted for it. Now,
that's what it means to grow in grace. That's what it means. It's to
grow in the Beatitudes. Now, I grow in grace when I grow
in my seeing my need of grace. I grow in grace when I understand
more clearly of how much salvation is by grace. I grow in grace
when I grow in my love for grace. You know, grace is always sovereign. It's always free. It's always
saving. And I always love that. And I
want to grow in graciousness. And what to take to grow in grace.
Two things. First, grace. That's what it
takes to grow in grace. Grace. And what is the means
that God uses? Desire the pure milk of the word
that you may grow thereby. If you desire the pure milk of
the word, everything's going to be fine. Everything's gonna be fine. People
preach on growth and grace and they'll give you, here's what
you need to read the scriptures more, you need to set aside more
time for prayer, you need to be around Christians and don't
be around unbelievers, you need to partake in the Lord's table
and the ordinances, you need to, just all these how-to things. How-to, how-to, how-to. Now all
that's doing is putting the cart before the horse. That's putting
the effects before the cause. It's making the effects the cause.
No, it takes grace to grow in grace. And this thing of growth
is seen in an appetite for the Word. And when there's no appetite
for the Word, there's trouble. Grow in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, both
now and forever. Amen. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name
that we might be enabled to grow in grace, to grow in poverty
of spirit, to grow in mourning over our sin, to grow in meekness
before thee, to grow in hunger and in thirsting after righteousness.
Oh Lord, that we might grow in being merciful and that we might
see more clearly the pure heart, that we might see our own sinfulness
and our need of thee more, that we might be peacemakers and not
troublemakers and bringing in sorrow, that we might be privileged
to be persecuted for thy righteousness. Lord, bless this message for
your glory and for our good. In Christ's name we pray, amen.