GROWING IN GRACE – 2 PETER 3:18

GROW: To grow is to become larger to increase your size, amount etc.

To grow is to become better or improved in someway, to become more developed, mature etc

To grow is to become larger and change from being a child to being an adult as time passes to pass from childhood to adulthood to spring up and develop to maturity.

GRACE:

Grace is unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification.

Grace is a virtue from God

Grace is a special favour

Grace is divine approval, mercy and pardon

GRACE – God in the RACE

INTRODUCTION

A stagnant life is never the plan and agenda of God for us His children.  This is in all spheres of our human endeavours.  It is equally divine that the glory of the latter should surpass the former.  It is also not the desire of God that we should speak of a better yesterday nor of blessings that were once upon a time.

There are forces that want to hinder our growth and there are forces who want us to end up on the note of disgrace.  We must be conscious of this and make up our mind to grow in the grace of Christ in all human of our human endeavours.  This is the focus of this fellowship

THE BACKGROUND

2 Peter was written

1. To exhort believers to diligently pursue godliness
2. To pursue a true knowledge of Christ
3. To expose the activity of false prophets and teachers among the churches in Asia Minor
4. To counter those who were undermining the truth
5. To warn them to beware of being led away with the error of the unprinicpled men
6. To charge then to grow in grace of Jesus Christ
7. To charge them to grow in the knowledge o f Jesus Christ
8. To charge them to remain diligent without spot and blameless till the coming of Christ.

1. WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT HINDER GROWTH
2. SIN – Simple Instruction Neglected
3. Disobedience 1 Sam 15:10-24        3.Wrong Assosciation  – 2 Pet. 2:20; 2 Kgs 2:1-5
4. Wrong Location Gen. 34:1-2                       5.         Misdirected glory
5. Lack of focus  –  Lk 9:62, Heb. 10:38
6. Loss of spiritual enthusiasm  – Rev. 2:4
7. Absence of spiritual leaders – Exod. 32:1, Exod. 32:8
8. Evil Associaiton  –  1 Kings 11:4      10.      Wordly success  –  2 Chro. 25:2, 14
9. Complancency – Deut. 1:6-8                        12.      Shallowness  –  Lk. 8:13
10. Lack of spriitual insight –  Jh. 6:63-66
11. Love of the world –  2 Tim. 4:10
12. Instability of faith –  Eph. 4:14
13. Lack of zeal, desire and passion for growth –  Heb. 5:12
14. Hardness of heart and inability to receive strong doctrine – 1 Cor. 3:1-2
15. Pride – Is. 14:12-21 19.       Lack of understanding and knowledge – Hos.4:6
16. Satani / Demonic limitations, barrier and obstacles

1. SPIRITUAL GROWTH entails
2. Being fruitful  –  2 Cor. 9:10                      2.        Being in Christ  –  Eph. 4:13
3. Being in love  –  1 Thess. 3:12
4. Being righteous  –  Job 17:9;  Ps. 84:7;  Ps. 92:12;  Prov. 4:8

1. HOW TO GROW IN GRACE
2. We must put away childish things  –  1 Cor. 13:11
3. We must crave for more understanding  –  1 Cor. 14:20
4. We must strive after Christ’s ideal –  Eph. 4:13
5. By partaking of the deeper truths of the gospel  –  Heb. 5:14
6. By overcoming temptation –  Matt. 4:1-11
7. By the word of God  – 1 Pet. 2:2
8. By adding knowledge to our zeal – Rom. 10:1-2
9. By praying  –  1 Kings 4:29;  1 Chro. 4:10
10. By resisting the devil  – Jh. 10:10
11. By remaining in Christ Jesus as the Vine – Jh. 15:1-8;  Hosea. 6:3
12. By shunning sin – Rm. 6:1-2

I          EXAMPLE OF GROWTH: WORTHY OF STUDY AND EMULATION

1. The Boy Samuel  –  1 Sam 2:26                  2.         John the Baptist  –  Lk. 1:80
2. The Boy Christ  –  Lk. 2:40, 52                  4.         Paul   –  Acts 9:22
3. the Thessalonians  –  2 Thess. 1:3
4. CONCLUSION

We are what we are today by God’s grace and it is certain that we can only be what we desire to be in the future by God’s grace.  We must remain in this grace, shun every appearance of sin and evil and remain determined to grow.

Prayer Point:

Lord let me grow in your GRACE, let me not fall from GRACE to GRASS and let me not experience any from of DISGRACE in all my endeavours.  Load me with favour and make me enviable in Jesus name.  Amen.