Friday, January 9, 2010
Graceful Growing
(II Peter 3:18)
Having warned of the possibility of being “led away with the error of the wicked” (17), Peter uses the final words of his epistle to encourage his readers to “grow in grace.” The Christian life is never an instantaneous success. While salvation settles forever the question of eternity, only the process of Christian growth through grace can transform character. And growth, by its very nature, is a process.
Every year I plant a garden. I’m glad to report that this year’s was the best to date—most likely due to the effort I put into it. Early in the spring, Thomas and Matthew turned it by hand. Once the ground warmed, I planted seeds: beets, beans, potatoes, leaf lettuce, cucumber, and squash. Then I waited. After a couple weeks, the seeds began to sprout. Then I had to deal with weeds. I weeded, watered, tended, coddled, cajoled, and prodded. And, after a couple months, I began to reap a harvest. You see, growth is not instant—it requires time and effort.
Growth in grace requires the same. It takes time to grow strong in the Word. Though some grow more rapidly than others (the lettuce was ready weeks before the tomatoes), all require time to mature.
In addition, growth in grace requires genuine effort—both on the part of the immature believer and on the part of those discipling him. The new believer should seek to sink his roots deep into the Word by being faithful to preaching services and personal Bible study. And the ones discipling him (the “gardeners,” if you will) must be diligent to water with the Word and pull the weeds. If each does his part, growth—and a spiritual harvest—are sure to follow.
