Green Pastures- for healthy growth: Growing from Faith to Love

"…as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness.., exceeding great and precious promises... For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love."
(II Peter 1:3-7).

We need to understand that the task of the Church in evangelism is greater than leading a person to follow Christ as Savior; we are commissioned to bring a person from initial saving faith in Jesus Christ to the fullness of love. Our calling in evangelism is to lead a person, step by step, from initial saving faith to goodness, to knowledge, and so on through all the virtues mentioned in II Peter 1:5-7 till finally we reach the fullness of love.

The fullness of love can occur only through systematically adding each of these virtues. Love is a product or result of living by goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and kindness. If Lord willing, we will be learning about each truth in the coming days. What it means, how to practice it in our daily life and the blessings we experience when we add each virtue and grow to the fullness of love in Christ. This list of virtues appears somewhat similar to the 'fruit of the Spirit' as some have pointed out to me while discussing.

However, you can notice easily here that there is an orderly mentioning of each virtue-which comes after what. In the list of the fruit of the Spirit, love comes first and then other qualities. So they are known as the 'flavors' of the same fruit 'love', and not 'fruits' of the Spirit. We will also be studying the fruit of the Spirit along with these virtues. Many 'believers' today are satisfied with their saving faith they had several years ago when they first trusted in the Lord or 'saved'. After that they never bother to check how far they have grown or whether they are growing at all! That's why we see so many living immature lives, not knowing or practicing the new lifestyle. They are often talking about the same things, going back to the elementary principles (Heb.6:1,2) and stuck between the Red sea and the Egypt like those Israelites delivered from Egypt.!
So many believers' lives are boring, tasteless, colorless, powerless and even many have become useless and ineffective for God or even the world! Why? Many, I suppose have not read or properly studied the Epistles, especially, what Peter is saying here. Many think that with salvation everything comes. Even spiritual growth and usefulness etc. They never become aware that, along with what God has given us, we need to put our efforts or rather do our best to grow and manifest the godly character and the qualities. God's people have to go from strength to strength and be changing from glory to glory, even as the Spirit of God helps. (II Cor. 3:18). Apostle Paul explains the importance of growing into Him who is the Head in all aspects (Eph.4: 12-16).

And that is the very purpose of the gifts and the gifted people in the Church! Again apostle Peter closes his letter with this strong exhortation 'to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (II Peter 3:18). Hence, let us study diligently and apply the truth to our daily life and keep a check on our spiritual growth to see how far we have come closer to the Image of Christ. It is a long journey, it appears, from where we started at first by putting our faith in the Lord, to reach that spiritual stage where we are filled with the love of God and have the heart of the Father (Romans 5:5).

Of course, when we believed, at that time itself the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, as this Scripture says. Yet, in our practice, we need to grow to understand it, to realize it and demonstrate it in a mature way. For many it may take years to be broken and to experience the love of God so as to manifest it, as we see so many believers are lacking in this. As apostle Paul testifies in Galatians 2:20, and 2 Corinthians 5:14, we have to live the crucified life compelled by His love. Hence, it is not enough that we are saved. We have to make every effort to add the qualities in order to grow to the fullness of His Purpose. And that is what is our vision at the Calvary Centre- To see each one prepared to be presented perfect before Christ. Colossians 1:28-29. Amen!