Growing In Our Faith

We are sometime like the FedEx worker. We have all the resources and power available to help us grow in our faith but quite often we never take advantage of the gifts that God has given us.

This verse is also telling me that as Christians we are called to be effective and productive in our spiritual journey. It says if you possess these qualities “they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Unproductive – means to be “without fruit”. So to be productive in Christian journey then we should be producing fruit as Jesus says in one of my favorite verses in John 15:5:“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

It all comes back to our knowledge of Jesus and our relationship with Him that will help us in being productive for the Kingdom of God.

Many Christians will be happy to know they are not going to hell and not be motivated to grow in our faith. God has given us gifts and abilities to use and not to store up but it will take discipline to keep adding these qualities to our faith.

Look with me in verses 10-11 where we see the last truth from this passage which is

3. Growing in Our Faith Brings Rewards.

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Peter says to “Make every effort to confirm your calling and election.” He uses the same wording earlier in verse 5 when speaking about the qualities that we possess as Christians. What he is saying is that as we grow in our faith toward spiritual maturity – and we add these qualities to our everyday living - then we will have assurance of our salvation.

When we have the assurance of our salvation then Peter says we will never stumble. What does he mean by never stumble? From my study this week I determined that most theologians think that the stumbling here is of the final nature – denoting a fall that prevents one from getting to heaven.9

Walking in faith with these qualities will allow us to walk upright without fear of falling or losing our salvation. There will be hard times in our lives but we have assurance that God is with us every step of the way.

Then in verse 11 Peter says we will receive a rich welcome in Heaven as our reward.

Do you remember the welcome the prodigal son received from his Father when he came home in Luke 15? The son had left home – spent his entire inheritance – and then he came to senses and was ready to come back home. His father saw him from a long way off and was filled with compassion – ran to his son with his arms wide open – hugged his son and gave him a kiss. He then threw a big party to welcome his son home.

It is also a lot like the welcome grandparents receive from their grandchildren. It is nothing any better on this earth than to see my grandson come running up to me reaching out with arms stretched wide and saying “Grandpa let’s go get ice-cream”.