GOD'S GROWTH GUARANTEE!

INTRODUCTION!

As a teacher, as a pastor, and as a parent, it is frustrating to see people who refuse to grow up spiritually. Many Christians settle for the status-quo and are content with just maintaining a nominal spiritual existence. Frequently people refuse to follow instructions which are aimed at bringing them forward, yet they insist on going backwards. Many, unfortunately, feel that if they go to church once every week or two, they've done their spiritual duty and that makes everything all right between them and God. But I want to warn you against back-sliding.

If you used to listen to mostly Christian music, but now you find yourself listening to mostly secular music, you have begun the process of backsliding and you need to take your relationship with God more seriously. If you used to attend church services two or three times per week, but now you are almost forced to attend even once per week, you have already begun the process of backsliding, and this message is for you. If you have compromised your standards and are dating non-Christians, you are disobeying Scripture and are backsliding. If you find less spiritual fruit in your life now than in the past, you have already begun to backslide.

The Fruit of the Spirit, listed in the fifth chapter of Galations is a good measuring stick to find out where people are spiritually. If you don't consistently find the fruit of the spirit emanating from your life, then you are not a mature Christian, or at least you have not been spending much quality time with the Lord. The fruit of the spirit should be a natural growth from the life of one who is maturing in Christ. If you find less spiritual fruit in your life now than in the past, you have already begun to backslide.

But I want to show you today God's Growth Guarantee. In other words, if you apply yourself to these spiritual growth principles that are revealed to us in the Book of Second Peter, God gives us a guarantee that we will not ever backslide. He tells us, "..if you do these things, you will never fall" (II Pe.1:10)! What a tremendous promise! Do you see that in your Bible? He promises that if you do these things which we are about to talk about, you will NEVER fall! Well, let's get started!

GGG#1 - FAITH! (II Pe.1:5)

We begin with the subject of faith. Now, I know that I spend a lot of time on the subject of faith. But that is because it is so central to the Bible and so relevant to Christian living. And the vast majority of churches, pastors, and preachers ignore it. When we entered into the what is known as the Word of Faith movement, we began to learn about all the great and precious promises of Scripture. We learned that if we find any promise in the Word of God, we can claim it as ours, based on what Paul told the Corinthians (II Cor.1:20). Then Peter here reminds us that we have been given many great and precious promises (verse 4).

But it is faith that activates the promises on our behalf. We begin with faith, because everyone of you already have a measure faith, that is if you are a Born Again Christian. You already have faith in your heart, because you received what the Bible said about salvation, acted upon those passages, believed it in your heart, and confessed it with your mouth. When you learned about the other promises of the Bible you applied the same principles. But thank God, He has given to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness (verse 3)! He is a generous God. He is not the one who is withholding good things from you. Jesus told us that it is the thief who came to steal, kill, and destroy, but He came to give us life more abundant (Jn.10:10)!

So the first way to be guaranteed that you will continue to grow spiritually and never backslide is to develop your faith. Learn to truly trust Him with every aspect of your life. When you find yourself trusting yourself, more than you trust God, you are going to get yourself into trouble. When you find yourself trusting your spouse, friends, or doctors more than you trust God, spiritual and physical problems will soon be at your door. We need to anchor our faith in Him and we will never fail and we will never fall.

GGG#2 - VIRTUE! (II Pe.1:5)

Now add to your faith, virtue! But what is virtue? I have read and heard many different ideas as to what virtue is. Usually, it is referring to either manliness, power, or godliness. But here, the Greek word is "Arete" (ar-et'-ay), which comes from a root word that means "to lift up" or to exalt. It is translated "praise" in Peter's first book (I Pe.2:9). So, for the purpose of this teaching, I want to go with that translation. "Add to your faith, Praise".

Praise is powerful. It is a manifestation of your faith. If you are truly developing in the area of faith, it should soon begin to express itself through praise, thanksgiving, and worship unto God. Praise is not a chore, or something that we are to feel obligated to do. It becomes a pleasure and a joy. It is the natural response of a deep commitment and love for our Master and Creator. At the same time, I should tell you that praising God is not based upon your feelings. You should praise Him whether you feel like it our not.

So the second principle to guarantee that you will continue to grow spiritually and never backslide is to develop a quality praise life. Spend quality time as well as quantity time alone with God in whole-hearted praise and worship. You will find yourself falling into deeper love with Him and wanting more than ever to do His will. This is how you enter His presence and begin to truly know His heart and His will for your life (Ps.100). I guess it is almost commons sense that if you spend a lot of time in His presence praising Him, backsliding seems impossible.

GGG#3 - KNOWLEDGE! (II Pe.1:5)

Now add to your virtue, knowledge! The Bible states that His people are frequently destroyed because of their lack of knowledge (Ho.4:6). Paul instructed Timothy to study and obtain knowledge (II Tm.2:15). But not just any kind of knowledge. It is the knowledge of God and His Word that will be a guarantee for growth. There is no higher authority than the Word of God. God tells us that He exalts His Word even above His own Name (Ps.138:2). It is important to God that we each seek to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. It is our growth in the Word of Truth that will set us free in many areas.

So the third principle to guarantee that you will continue to grow spiritually and never backslide is to spend a lot of time reading and studying the Word of God. We should fall in love with God through His Word. If we have a weak relationship with His Word, it is a reflection of a weak relationship with God Himself. So I would encourage you to get God's Word into you heart and mind in any way that you can. Read it, study it, listen to recorded Bible teachings, and this includes attending Church services regularly and receiving the insights from the sermons brought forth there.

GGG#4 - TEMPERANCE! (II Pe.1:6)

Now add to your knowledge, temperance. Temperance basically projects the idea of being in control of your temper, not easily angered or frustrated with people or circumstances. Strong's Dictionary says that temperance is "self-control". But as Spirit-filled Christians, we should not seek to have "self" in control of our lives. The New Testament teaches us to be led by the Spirit, not by "self" (the soul). If you are a person who easily gets angry or frustrated, it is only by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit that it can be brought under control.

Truthfully, if you have solidified yourself in the walk of faith, praise, and the Word, the Spirit-controlled life should be almost natural. The Spirit-controlled life is one of learning to yield to the Spirit and listen to His Voice. He doesn't want to "control" you like a puppet. But to the degree that you will yield to Him, He will help you control your temper as well as every other aspect of your life.

So the fourth principle in being guaranteed that you will continue to grow spiritually and never backslide is to learn to yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead and guide you in every aspect of your life. This is not something that can be taught to you by a minister or teacher, it is only learned by being still in the presence of the Lord and learning to listen to His Voice and to feel His nudging. The true Christian life is to be a Spirit-led and Spirit-controlled life.

GGG#5 - PATIENCE! (II Pe.1:6)

Now add to your temperance, patience. Patience is a very important aspect of the Christian life. It is another manifestation of the faith walk. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that it is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God (He.6:12). The God kind of patience is encompassed with the attitude of faithfulness and perseverance. It is to hold on to what God has promised regardless of circumstances.

This means that if God has promised you something, but the answer is not manifested the next day, you don't throw your hands up and quit believing. This means that we are not moved by our feelings or any other of our five physical senses, but we continue to believe the Word of God regardless of circumstances. This also means that you don't give up, but you persevere in that which God has called you to do. Even if you have failed many times before, and people tell  you that you'll never win. But as the song goes, "...but the voice of Truth tells me a different story..." We need to patiently and faithfully persevere in whatever God has called us to do.

So the fifth principle in being guaranteed that you will continue to grow spiritually and never backslide is to be patient and faithful to God, His church, and His calling on your life. Be patient and faithful to your family and to your employer. Peter gives us additional insight on patience by saying, "...that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years is as one day" (II Pe.3:8). This means, time is irrelevant. If God promised you something, He is faithful. He will answer your request on His time table. Peter goes on to explain, "...the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Pe.3:9)

GGG#6 - GODLINESS! (II Pe.1:6)

Now add to your patience, godliness. Godliness is a spirit of reverence and respect to God in all matters. It understands that He is a Holy God. We must add Holiness to our faith. Not outward compliance to certain rules, but inward purity of heart. He tells us to be holy even as He is holy. When we are born again, Christ imputes His righteousness into our lives. We have His righteousness within us. But we now need to make sure that our daily lives reflect that righteousness. Truthfully, if you have been growing in all the principles that we've discussed so far, godliness should almost be automatic.

So the sixth principle in receiving God's guarantee that you will continue to grow spiritually and never backslide is to live a godly lifestyle.

GGG#7 - BROTHERLY KINDNESS! (II Pe.1:7)

Now add to your godliness, brotherly kindness. If you have added to your Christian life all the previous six principles that we've discussed, you will certainly not find yourself walking in rudeness. You will be walking in kindness towards your brothers and sisters in Christ. God is urging us to respond to even the least likeable among us with the utmost kindness, gentleness, and generosity. This principle is specifically referring to being kind to those within the church. This is referring to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to prefer to bring blessings upon our fellow Christians rather than receive blessings for ourselves.

GGG#8 - LOVE! (II Pe.1:7)

Now add to your brotherly kindness, love. The Authorized translation uses the word "charity", which expresses a giving kind of love. The Greek word is "Agape", which is a reference to the God kind of love. It is a complete and unselfish love. It is a kind of love that gives, not expecting anything in return. It is the kind of love that is described in detail in the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. It is this agape-love which is the principle spiritual fruit that Christians should be producing every day of every week (Ga.5:22).

Where do we direct this love? We are commanded in Scripture to love the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mk.12:30). Then we are also commanded to love our neighbors as our self (Mk.12:31). Our love walk must be extended beyond those within the church. We are to love even the sinners. We are to express love to even our enemies (Mt.5:44). Jesus tells us to bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and to even pray for those who despitefully use us and persecute us. We are to love even the unlovable. We are to love even those who are incapable of or unwilling to love us back.

In the flesh, this is an impossible request that Jesus commands us. But He is not suggesting that we do it in the flesh, but by the Spirit (Jn.14-16). Actually, once we have developed in the previous principles and characteristics, the love of God should be radiating from us in such a supernatural way that we'll find ourselves walking in the kind of agape-love that Jesus spoke of. God is love and there is no higher calling that a Christian is called to, then love.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS! (II Pe.1:8-10)

"For if these things be in you and abound,..." The truth is, these things are already within you if you are a Born Again Christian. But you should seek to have them abounding in your lives. You can be overflowing with these characteristics. "...they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge(experience) of our Lord Jesus Christ...." This is God's path to experience many great and precious promises and you'll be very fruitful in your walk of faith." But he that lacks in these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins..." We need to remember where we came from, rejoice in the blessings He is giving us daily, but also remain focused on what He has in store for us in the future.

"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence..." He wants us to be diligent, fervent, and passionate in pursuing these characteristics. "...to make your calling and election sure..." All Christians have a calling from God to a specific ministry. You should seek to served in that calling diligently, fervently, and with passion. "...for if you do these things, ye shall never fall!" As I stated at the beginning, 'what a tremendous promise!' What a great guarantee! This is God's Growth Guarantee. Following these principles will prevent you from backsliding and will guarantee growth. Praise the Lord!

These same principles can be applied not only to individual Christians, but to church congregations. As a congregation we must begin by being faith-focused. Then we must also add to our faith, virtuous praise. Growing churches nearly always are churches that know how to praise the Lord. Then we must add knowledge. God desires for His church to be grounded in His Word and in sound doctrine. Then we must add the Spirit-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. I believe His promise of never falling can be applied not only to individual Christians, but also to our church congregation! Hallelujah!