Growing in God’s Grace

TEXT: 2 Peter 3: 14 -18

AIM: To remind the children of God that we are all products of God’s grace, and that on daily bases we must make conscious efforts to grow in this knowledge through the word of God.

INTRODUCTION

Someone once defined ‘GRACE’ using its acronyms: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

After “Jesus” there is no sweeter word in the entire Bible than “GRACE.” Someone once posited that, “It’s the greatest unused resource in the entire world”. It is the wealth of God’s kindness and love; the riches of his mercy; the soothing ointment of his forgiveness; the free and undeserved, but lavishly offered hope of eternal life. Grace is what we crave when we are guilt-laden. Grace is what we must have when we come to die. Grace is our only ray of hope when the future darkens over with storm clouds of fear. Peter opens his second general epistle with, “May grace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God,” and closes with the command to grow “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.” In fact, in Apostle Paul’s case, the first greeting with which he begins each of his epistles is GRACE, and he uses it with its full Christian meaning. Grace! God’s grace! The unmerited favour of God toward humanity.

To grow in grace is to grow in our understanding of what Jesus did and to grow in our appreciation of the grace we have been given. The more we learn about Jesus, the more we will appreciate all He has done, and the more we appreciate His love and sacrifice for us, the more we will perceive the never-ending grace of God.

Peter also confirms that we need to grow in our knowledge of Jesus and to have that intimate relationship with Him because the more we know of Him, the more of Him will be seen in our lives. Paul said in Colossians 3:1–4: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

The Scriptures contain all the knowledge we will ever need to learn of God, His Son, and His Spirit, at least in this life. God‘s desire for those He has saved is their sanctification and transformation. He wants us to become more holy like Himself. He wants to transform us into the image of His Son. The way to do this is by meditating on the Scriptures and applying their principles to our lives as we yield to the conviction and power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Then we will prove 2 Corinthians 3:18: “We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord.”

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

(1)      Let someone briefly share with us his/her experience of God’s grace in his/her life?

(2)      Let us read 2 Peter 3: 16 together. What is your understanding of this bible verse?

(3)      What do you understand by ‘Growing in the grace and knowledge of God’; and how can God’s Church help her members grow in the grace and knowledge of God?

TALK BACK: Questions or comments (IF ANY)

CONCLUSION

It was of grace that the worlds were hung in space and the earth was disposed for human life. Grace caused that the mountains were created and that the world was filled with life. By grace man is made in God’s image with every capacity for fellowship with Him. By grace after the fall men received the biblical revelation. By grace God chose Israel for a special purpose in history. It was of grace that the Lord Jesus came — to live a life that revealed the Father and to die for human sin. Grace leads men to trust in Christ. Grace sent the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and our guide. Grace has preserved the church through the centuries. Grace will bring forth the final resurrection. And grace will sustain us throughout eternity as we live in unbroken fellowship with God and grow in the knowledge of Him.

MEMORY VERSES – 2 Peter 3: 17 -18  “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”.