Imagine you are sitting at home one Saturday night. You are filled with anticipation because for the second year in a row the Carolina Panthers are playing the NFC championship game at home to make their way to the Super Bowl.
Suddenly your phone rings. It’s one of Jerry Richardson’s executive officers. Mr. Richardson has decided to ask you to be his guest at the game. No particular reason. He has just decided to choose you for that honor.
While you are at the game all food and beverages will be provided at no cost. Those who are there to serve Mr. Richardson will be at your disposal also. You will have as much authority as Mr. Richardson. All of his rights and privileges are yours also to enjoy.
You have the option to turn him down but why would you? You know that the seats will be in his private suite, right beside him. They tell you that there s no reason to dress up. In fact, you will be given, at no cost, a complete wardrobe suitable for you to wear. No Panther fan is going to turn down an offer like that.
We have been given a greater offer than that. Let’s read Ephesians 2:4-6. “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.”
God has made us an offer. Through his grace we have been invited to sit with Jesus in the heavenly realms. That is to say that, although physically we are still present in our bodies, spiritually we have become one with Christ Jesus. His position with God is our position. His rights and privileges are our rights and privileges. He is seated with God in honor and power and so are we. These truths become a problem when we don’t act upon them.
If you held up a spiritual mirror to yourself, what would you see? Would your reflection be one of a person seated in the heavenly or one still shackled by the sins and discouragements of the world? Is the attire you are wearing suitable for your seat in the heavenly or are you constantly trying to change clothes between two existences?
Have you ever heard the term “the black sheep of the family?” This always refers to someone who has brought some type of shame to the family name. This term can be traced back to the 1600s but a black sheep was not desirable in Biblical days either. Remember Jacob used black and speckled sheep to deceive Laban and become wealthy.
Black sheep were considered a sign of bad luck or evil. The reason being was that there wool was of much less value. To have the wool of a black sheep meant that your were stuck with black fabric. However, white wool could be dyed in other colors to make many different shades of fabric.
The process to change the white wool to colored wool was simple. The white wool was immersed in the desired color. White wool immersed in red dye would become red wool. This process could have been called “baptism.” Baptism means to plunge or dip. A white cloth dipped in red dye will become red. A black cloth dipped in red dye will continue to be black. But the power of God makes all things possible.
Romans 6:4 “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
We were black sheep in God’s family. Through our sin, we brought shame and disgrace to God. We were black with sin and death. But when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, God’s glorious power was able to do what could not be done by us. He was able to plunge, dip, and immerse in the sacrificial blood of his Son and make us white as snow. No longer should we be living the life of a black sheep. No longer are we cursed by sin and death. Now we have become a part of the family of Christ. Now we have a new life. We should be living it. However, it is often hard to do so.
As I look around this room I realize that if I had the knowledge of computers that Thad and Shane have there is not a problem that I run up against on a computer that I could not fix. I couldn’t handle children and adults the way Debbie does. I certainly couldn’t fight fires like Nicki did. Why? Because I lack the knowledge, wisdom, and experience to do these things. But I can do something that all believers can do.
Philippians 4:13 “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
This verse does not mean that I can solve every computer glitch I come across in the name of Jesus. It does not mean I can deal with children and adults with wisdom in the name of Jesus. It certainly does not mean that I should rush into a burning house in the name of Jesus.
What it does mean is that I can overcome temptations through Christ who gives me strength. I can deal with sorrows and tragedies through Christ who gives me strength. I can live that new, victorious life promised me through Christ who gives me strength. There is absolutely no spiritual obstacle that I cannot overcome because it is Jesus who strengthens me. I lack nothing spiritually. I am spiritually prepared for every task sent my way. And while this power is guaranteed, it is not automatic.
Philippians 2:12 “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.”
Some versions of the Bible translate this verse as “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ---.” We can not do any works to assure our salvation. It is freely given to us by Christ. But we are to work hard to show the results of our salvation.
Suppose you had a knee transplant by a close friend or family member. You want to show others how successful this person is as surgeon. So you work hard at your rehabilitation to walk and run again. You did not do the surgery but you have to be active in the rehabilitation part for your friend or loved one to get the recognition they deserve.
So our lives are to reflect the work that has Jesus done to assure our salvation and bring him glory. And we show those results through spiritual growth. But as I stated spiritual growth is not automatic. It is a process.
2 Peter 1:5 “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,”
The first step is to examine your faith. Faith is simply taking God at his word. We are told in Romans that we should measure ourselves “by the faith that God has given us.” We are told that if you have great faith it is a gift given by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, some may have a greater measure of faith than others but we all still have it. Faith is our assurance that things we cannot see will indeed work out to our benefit. Faith is the action that pleases God the most. In fact without faith it’s impossible to please God. However we have all been given a measure of faith. Some a bowl full, some a cup full, some a teaspoon full, some the size of a mustard seed. But mustard seed faith will move a mountain. It’s not the amount of faith but whether we exercise it or not that matters.
Next we need to supplement our faith with moral excellence. The definition of a supplement is “something added to complete a thing or supply a deficiency.” It’s like an energy drink. The supplement is called moral excellence. It is doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing. If you need your faith completed; take a swig of moral excellence. Is your faith is lacking deficiency; take a swig of moral excellence. Does your faith need to be reinforced; take a swig of moral excellence. Have the courage to exercise your faith and do the right thing.
Now we need knowledge in order to do the right thing. You have to have knowledge about God’s word. The Bible says faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. And that hearing is the Holy Spirit speaking to us as we read God’s word.
But according to a recent Gallup poll only 16% of Christians read God’s Word daily, 37% read it weekly (usually on Sunday morning), and 35% do not read God’s Word at all.
Proverbs 19:2 says “Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good---”. We can be enthusiastic about moral excellence but without knowledge we cannot achieve it.
Let’s continue with 2 Peter 1: 6 “and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,”
Knowledge must lead to self-control in spiritual growth.
There is a danger to knowledge. With knowledge comes responsibility. As you learn more about God’s expectations for your life, you must begin to exercise your self-control. Self-control is defined as “control of one’s emotions, desires, or actions by one’s own will.”
Someone angers us and we want to give them a piece of our mind but God’s Word says “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.” (Proverbs 21:23) Self-control keeps us quite.
We desire a possession that belongs to someone else but God’s Word says “You must not covet---” (Exodus 20:17). Self-control turns our eyes away from looking at someone else’s possessions.
Someone hurts us and we want revenge but God’s Word says “never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.” (Romans 12:19) Self-control places justice in God’s hands.
As you exercise your self-control you can expect your faith to be tested. This leads to our next step, patient endurance.
There are two words at play here, patient and endurance. Patient means “bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint”
Endurance means “the ability to withstand hardship or adversity”
Therefore patient endurance is the ability to withstand hardships calmly.
The Book of James paints a picture of achievement in our struggles with accomplishing our goal of spiritual growth. “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing”
James is saying here “Bring it” because once you have conquered patient endurance you are on your way to spiritual maturity.
So thus far in our spiritual growth process we’ve got our faith working along with moral excellence. We reading the Word daily and gaining knowledge. We’ve learned self-control and how to endure patiently. Now we begin to exercise godliness. At this point we should not have an issue with this. Godliness is simply acting with the virtues of God. We listen to the Holy Spirit who guides us and act upon his instruction. And the virtues of God will be exemplified in brotherly affection.
2 Peter 1:7 “and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”
I delivered bread for 34 years. We are known in the business as “vendors” and we rank along with liars and thieves to some store managers. One particular manager would not even acknowledge me when I greeted him but rather looked at me with distain. One morning he had a request for some bread and the fact that I was a pastor came up. He soon discovered that we were of the same denomination and I was acquainted with his pastor. Suddenly I was his brother in Christ that deserved respect and honor. He never knew I was a Christian. and by his attitude I would have never known he was a Christian either.
Let me read you two passages. John 13:34-35 “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
These twelve guys were very different. One was a tax collector, the other a rebel. They would have been on opposite ends of the spectrum. But Jesus said that by amazing the world with their love and acceptance of each other that people would be convinced of his lordship.
1 John 4:20-21 “If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.”
This applies to all in this room. We may be a parent and child, husband and wife, but in the eyes of God we are brothers and sisters. When we get angry with each other we disappoint God. We often are kinder and more forgiving to friends, neighbors and co-workers than we are to our parents, children, and spouses. God says if we cannot love these people than we cannot love him. That is why He says unless you forgive others He cannot forgive you.
Finally spiritual maturity brings us to love for everyone.
1 John says “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”
Taking God at his word, doing what is right for the sake of doing right, gaining knowledge, learning self-control, facing hardships calmly, reflecting God in your life, and learning to love your Christian brothers and sisters in spite of their faults has brought us to the perfect love. Faith says God loves us. Faith says we can trust him. And love is the common denominator between us and God.
2 Peter 1:8 “The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
A couple of weeks ago we went to an apple orchard. You know what I found? Apples. You know what I didn’t find? Oranges. If I had found oranges I would have been in an orange grove. The reason is, the fruit will always reflect the character of the tree.
So it is with us. When we become spiritually mature we will bear spiritual fruit that reflects the nature of Christ. We will be more productive in spreading the gospel. And more useful to our Lord. However, failure to become spiritually mature reflects a huge growth problem.
2 Peter 1:9 “But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.”
These are the blights that will keep people spiritually immature. Being shortsighted, lacking the ability to see the possibilities that lay ahead according to the promises of God. Being blind, groping about through life with no joy or sense of satisfaction. Forgetting the work of salvation, living without plugging into the power of the Holy Spirit that resides within.
These blights to hinder our spiritual growth come from one source, Satan. His desire is to keep us immature and ineffective. In doing so we are no threat to him. To find a cure for the blight that robs Jesus of our fruit we must spend time in God’s word, claiming every promise given to us. We must allow that word to open our spiritual eyes so that no darkness of depression can overcome us. And we must secure our connection with the Holy Spirit, being assured of our salvation and walking in power.
