Do You See Evidence of Godly Growth?

PRAY OVER THIS

“To godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 1:7-8

 

PONDER THIS

When people see you, they should be reminded of Jesus. They should also see brotherly kindness. This passage is interesting because Simon Peter by nature was not given to brotherly kindness. He was a debater and an arguer. One of the great pieces of evidence of the new birth is that you are kind. A little girl once said, “God, make all the bad people good and all the good people nice.”

You can’t imitate kindness and love, and you can’t manufacture them. These are the fruit of the Spirit. Throughout your walk in faith, you can use these things as a checklist to say, “Am I growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?”

We need a faith that knows intimately. Then we need a faith that grows: Add to your faith, virtue. Add to your faith, knowledge. Add to your faith these things. Don’t be satisfied. Are you a growing Christian? Remember, to cease to be better is to cease to be good. We all need to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior at all stages in our lives.

When is the last time you grew significantly in your faith? How can you measure this?

How has God worked in your life to show familial love and kindness to others?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask another believer to honestly assess how you are growing in your faith.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

How Are You Growing to Godliness?

PRAY OVER THIS

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness.” 2 Peter 1:5-6

 

PONDER THIS

When you observe babies, you can see they are often out of control. They often struggle with tantrums. If you have young children, you know that is true. Paul taught the importance of self-control. Are you under control? How about your sexual desires? How about your appetite for food? How about your sleep? How about your recreation? How about your quiet time?

Paul also mentioned patience or perseverance. That means steadfastness. Are you a patient person? Traffic jams, losing your keys, long lines, late airplanes, flat tires, interruptions, why do these things happen? I spilled something the other day. It went all over my stuff on my desk, ran all over into my papers that I had stacked up neatly and everything. I asked “Why God? What is the purpose of all of that? Why would that happen?” Then I thought, “Thank you Lord for that—if for no other reason than just to help develop my patience.” Things happen to us that we can’t explain. If we can just praise God for the unexplainable, we know and understand what real patience is.

What is more difficult for you: self-control or patience? Why?

How can small frustrating moments become opportunities to practice patience and self-control?

PRACTICE THIS

The next time you feel tested in your patience or self-control, turn to the Lord in prayer and use the moment as an opportunity to grow in your faith in Him.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Are You Holding On to the Wrong Things?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” 2 Peter 3:11

 

PONDER THIS

Once in Oklahoma City there was a fire in an apartment. The flames were consuming that apartment, and there was a woman who’d been carried out by a fireman and was fighting to go back into the fire. She said, “My baby is in that apartment!” They had to hold her back because she surely would have perished. One fireman volunteered to go get her baby. He went up the ladder, through the window, into that smoke-filled room, and felt his way through. He found the baby crib, reached in and picked up that little bundle, held it close to him, and came back to the window, choking through the blinding smoke. The people gave a cheer as he handed the woman the bundle. But as she pulled the blanket back, she cried, “That’s not my baby. That’s my baby's doll!”

I wonder if we’re going to come to the end of an age hugging the toys of this world when everything is going up in fire. My friend, the house, the car, and all these things—they’re not that important. What is important? The souls of men! I want to get as many to come with me as I can. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

How can you be sure you are valuing the right things as you wait for the return of Jesus?

How do we show others that they are more important than the “stuff” of the world?

PRACTICE THIS

Have a conversation today to let another person know how much God values him or her.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Do You Desire Godly Children?

PRAY OVER THIS

“‘For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.’ So they worshiped the Lord there.” 1 Samuel 1:27-28

 

PONDER THIS

If our desire is for godly children, then our goal will be to live as godly parents. Have desires for your children. Have goals for yourself. Say, “By God’s grace, I will be a magnificent mom like Hannah was, a woman of grace.” Hannah prayed, “Lord, I want him to serve You.”

Do you know what Joyce and I do every morning that we’re together? We sit at the breakfast table and hold hands, and we pray for each of the children and the grandchildren by name. We’ve done this for many days, morning, and evening, over and over again. We’re not praying that they’re going to be rich. We’re not praying that they’re going to be famous. We are praying that they will know and love God with all their hearts. That’s what we want from the Lord.

When you look at the goals you have for your children, are you certain they are worthy goals?

Who do you need to submit before the Lord today, recognizing that He is in control, and you are not?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out a list of desires you have for loved ones in your life. Submit these desires before God. Commit to praying God’s will for your loved ones.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Ignorance Guarantees Ungodliness

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3)

I am amazed at the power that the Bible attributes to knowledge.

Listen again to 2 Peter 1:3: “[God’s] divine power has granted . . . all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

Literally, all the power available from God to live and be godly comes through knowledge! Amazing! What a premium we should put on doctrine and instruction in the Scriptures! Life and godliness are at stake.

Not that knowing guarantees godliness. It doesn’t. But it seems that ignorance guarantees ungodliness. Because, Peter says, the divine power that leads to godliness is given through the knowledge of God.

Here are three implications, a warning, and an exhortation.

1. Read! Read! Read! But beware of wasting your time on theological foam and suds. Read rich doctrinal books about “the one who called you to his glory and excellence.”

2. Ponder! Ponder! Slow down. Take time to think about what the Bible means when you read it. Ask questions. Keep a journal. Let yourself be humbly troubled by puzzling things. The deepest insights come from trying to see the unifying root of two apparently antagonistic branches on the tree of truth.

3. Discuss. Discuss. Be a part of a small group that cares passionately about the truth. Not a group that just likes to talk and raise problems. But a group that believes there are biblical answers to biblical problems, and they can be found.

Warning: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).“They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). So beware of the deadly effects of ignorance.

Exhortation: “Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3).

John Piper