The Habits Of Spiritual Growth Series

For the next few minutes and the next few Sundays, I want to speak to you about forming some great spiritual habits.

Today’s Scripture Passage

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 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, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:2–11).

In my mother in law’s house, there is a really important wall. It’s a wall that has marked our children’s growth over the years. When you walk in and look down, you see little pencil marks on the wall next to dates from years ago. Then as you look eye-level, you more current dates of how these three have grown physically. As I survey that wall, I have a sense of pride in how tall they’ve grown through the years.

Time-lapse photography will allow you to see physical growth over a span of years. But there are no photographs that can show you your spiritual growth.

I want to serve as a catalyst for your personal spiritual growth for the next few moments. I want to encourage you to form some personal habits that shape and focus your life. Most of us want to see dramatic breakthroughs of personal and spiritual growth. We want to wake up one day to see that we have left our superficiality behind. Yet, spiritual growth doesn’t happen this way. Spiritual growth happens through “little advances.” God has designed your growth to happen through spiritual disciples such as Bible study, prayer & fasting, and attending worship regularly. When we devote ourselves to these disciples, we will see growth over time just my mother in law’s wall shows the growth of my three children.

1. You Have the Resources You Need

Like a business needs capital to grow, a Christian needs certain items to grow as well.

Peter informs us that we have everything we need: “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, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3-4).

Again, you have everything you need. Jesus has provided everything I need to grow spiritually. Can we say this together? Jesus has provided everything I need to grow spiritually.

1.1 What God Has Provided

The Bible says we have peace through our relationship with Jesus Christ: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2).

But we also have power through our relationship with Jesus as well: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him” (2 Peter 1:3a).

1.1.1 God’s Power and Grace

You need God’s grace and God’s power as your foundation. When (and only when) you have these as your foundation, you are able to pursue spiritual growth. Like Monopoly, you cannot collect your $200 without passing “Go.” And you cannot grow spiritually unless you have first been born spiritually. You cannot grow spiritually unless you have first experienced God’s grace and God’s power as your foundation. You are born spiritually dead but you have to be spiritually alive to grow spiritually. So let me ask you: have you been born again? If you know Jesus Christ, then you have everything you need supplied to you for growing spiritually (verse 3).