LEARNING DAILY

2 Peter 3:18, But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

The message given by Pastor Jim Piper at NorthRock Church concerned the decision to grow in walk with God. In the booklet that goes with this series there is this statement: “God’s design for your life is not stagnation – it is transformation.”  With that thought Pastor Jim Piper shared 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Piper emphasized anyone belonging to Christ is a new person. “Not a better version of yourself, a new person!” As a new person the Believer “has a change in allegiance; the old authority – guilt, shame, failure – in your life is gone. There is a new you” (JP).

The next step is to grow in the Lord. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

Piper said every Believer “must grow intentionally, must grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” He explained that this walk with Christ is not self-centered; it is not self-directed. “You are no longer the boss.” Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told the disciples they would “receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them” (Acts 1:8). When you received Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit came to live in you. Do you realize the power that You have because of that? He came to be in you to give you direction, perspective, help you understand God’s Word, and so much more. Piper gave an illustration about your cell phone needing to be charged, the need to be powered. The Holy Spirit is that power for the Believer.

The problem for the Believer is being raised in a world where their flesh has led them and told them what to believe and how to behave. Do you see the problem when the Holy Spirit comes into their life and begins to show them God’s way, His direction. The flesh fights against it. Piper added that this growth in following the Holy Spirit comes when the believer makes the time to be alone with God in His word and in prayer. If Jesus made the time to withdraw to places where He could be alone with His Father, it is a great idea to follow His example.

I am going to finish this today with some thoughts from the booklet mentioned earlier. The question becomes making this idea of wanting to grow in the Lord personal. What can you do to grow in this discipleship? Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to this pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”  Here is the answer from the booklet. “Decide to saturate your mind with God’s Word. Decide to declare and speak God’s truth over your life. Decide to be aware of your thoughts and notice what is going on in your mind. Decide to challenge thoughts that do not align with God’s truth. Decide to replace negative thoughts with positive, biblical ones. Decide to surround yourself with people who encourage your growth.” The emphasis on these is mine because you alone, as a Believer, must decide for yourself what you do.

“Thoughts create feelings that drive decisions which lead to actions which determine your outcomes.” Something to consider from the booklet.