Word of the Week - Spiritual Growth
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8
Spiritual Growth is the process of growing over time as we mature in our walk with the Lord. I love how Peter challenges us in this verse to grow in our godliness and outlines 8 specific virtues for us to evaluate in our journey of spiritual growth. He says that “if we possess these qualities in increasing measure, we will be effective and productive” disciples in our calling as followers of Christ. I think it is edifying to dig into scriptures like this one so we can reflect and self-evaluate to determine if we are growing in these areas.
Virtues of Spiritual Growth outlined in 2 Peter 1:
Faith – It begins with faith. Faith is the “the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1 Throughout scripture we are reminded that faith is the key to our relationship with God. We must truly believe in our hearts if we are to experience the power and fruit of our faith. At the same time, Faith is a gift and is not something we can’t just muster up in our own strength. This is challenging, but as we pursue God and seek to know Him our faith will increase. We can also pray for our faith to increase. I have found that the more I know and experience a walk with God the more my faith increases.
Goodness – Goodness is love in action; the state or quality of being good. Moral excellence; virtue, kindly feeling; kindness; generosity; excellence of quality; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous but is more about our heart motivations as we serve and interact with others. If we do something good out of obligation or just for the sake of being seen as virtuous it is good, but if we do it from a place of love motivated by the love of God in our hearts it is godly goodness. I believe this is the goodness that Peter is referring to in this scripture. This is one of the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5 that flows from abiding in Christ. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” Mathew 5:16
Knowledge – Is to become familiar, educated or experienced on a particular topic, person, or subject. From a biblical perspective it is to become familiar with the person of God the Father, Son and Holy spirit through the Word of God, His commandments, and our experiences with Him. Knowing God helps us understand His essence and heart, so we can know Him and be in communion and relationship with God and His church. Just like many things of the spirit, it is one thing to have intellectual knowledge of God and an entirely different thing to have heart experiential knowledge. “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out”. Proverbs 15:14
Self-control – Is defined as the ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations. From a biblical perspective it is defined as a virtue that allows us to resist the temptations of our flesh and avoid conforming to the things of this world. It is one of the 8 fruits of the spirit outlined in Galatians 5 and is surely one of the hardest things to master without the power of the Holy Spirit. I have found that it is very hard to control my impulses and behaviors by simply desiring or willing to do so, especially in the middle of trials or stressful situations. We are surely creatures of habit and many of the behaviors we don’t want to do are not even conscious to us. This is why we submit our lives and personal will to the Lord and pray for self-control. I am pretty sure we cannot attain self-control in our own strength. Even with the power of God, self-control can be challenging at times, but it is God’s desire for us to overcome by His spirit living within us. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline”. 2 Timothy 1:7
Perseverance – Is defined as persistence in doing something despite difficulty or adversity in circumstances that delay achieving the desired outcome. Is also referred to as long-suffering. This is the virtue of having the internal strength, commitment, and fortitude to continue to do the right things for the right reasons despite how we feel. Perseverance produces proof that our faith is real and thus produces hope, which increases our faith. It is part of what we sign up for as followers of Christ in that we must be willing to suffer with Christ to become Christlike and godly. “because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” James 1:3-4
Godliness – Is the quality or practice of conforming to the ways of God; devoutness and moral uprightness. Reflecting the nature of the kingdom of God in the course of our everyday lives. Someone who has a healthy fear and reverence for God and delights in His commandments. Other characteristics that demonstrate a godly person include someone who loves God and loves others and lives out the great commandment. They put others before themselves and live a life thinking beyond themselves. They are gracious, forgiving and full of compassion. A person who is godly will live life with a deep respect and obedience to God’s word and use God’s word as their path towards character development. They are also mind of dependence and live a surrendered life trusting God completely. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7
Mutual Affection – Is used in some translations as brotherly kindness and it simply connotes a tender affection to all our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This suggests a selfless attitude that makes it easier for us to put the interest of others before our own. It carries a sense of reciprocity or having to do with give and take, the back and forth of human relationships. Graciousness towards one another in the effort to achieve unity and harmony. It is also demonstrated by showing hospitality towards others and making them feel welcomed and at home. “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12: 10-13
Love – “My command is this; Love each other as I have loved you. Great love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. John 15:12 God is love and He demonstrated His love by His amazing sacrifice of dying on the cross so we can have the gift of eternal life. This is the ultimate act of love. Of all the commands and all these virtues, Love preempts them all. In fact, love is the foundation of all of the virtues above. It is the heart of the matter. God defines Love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Lover never fails.” “And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:12
We are in a great season for reflection as we move into the year end Holiday Season. I would challenge us each to take a little time to assess ourselves in each of these areas. If we are really brave, we can ask our spouses for input 😊!!!! No better time to ask the Lord to help us grow in any or all of these virtues!!!
Have a great week…
-Duane