Embracing Possibilities of Growth - a sermon on 2 Peter 1:1-11

(1) Why Growth?

From the moment we’re born we grow physically, and that growth is quite obvious. Often children will have their progress in height marked on the kitchen wall. When I was in year 8 I was tall enough to play centre half forward, but unfortunately I peaked early, and by year 10 I was in the back pocket, heading towards the end of my football career!

But how well we are growing spiritually might be a lot harder to track. Here in 2 Peter chapter 1 is a general call to Christians of all ages to strive to get closer to God. This means that we’ll have to perform some sort of assessment as to how we are travelling in our spiritual growth. If we think we’re cruising along okay, what steps can we take to stretch ourselves even further and better connect with God’s purpose for our lives? If we are struggling, what steps can we take to experience God afresh and sense a degree of hope again?

Spiritual growth has been defined as, “growing in our knowledge of Christ and in our likeness to Him”. So this is both a head and a heart thing. This is both an internal and external matter. This is an active as well as a passive thing.

The last three weeks’ sermons have laid some foundation here. If we can move beyond worry, deal with our discouragement, and recover from bitterness, then we are better placed to embrace the opportunities of growth that surround us. While we allow our head and heart to dwell in more negative pastures, we might just miss the blessing and future ministry God has for us. Indeed we can utilise the more difficult circumstances we have faced, together with the process we have undergone to move forward, as triggers for growth. We can see the whole tapestry of our past lives being the basis on which we make the best of the future.

Whereas this letter is attributed to the disciple Peter, internal evidence of the issues it deals with would indicate it was written at a date later than Peter’s lifespan. Yet is has been accepted as Holy Scripture, because it genuinely represents Peter’s authentic discipleship experience which can enlighten the human path ahead (and thus was published under Peter’s name, as was the custom of the time).

Peter was certainly one who could learn from his mistakes, accept his humanness, make himself humble, commit to Jesus, receive the Holy Spirit, and go about changing the world. The purpose of this letter is clearly outlined in verse 2: that those who accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour might experience grace and peace in ever increasing quantities; for this is what the people of the time would need to survive life in a complicated world (where moral lapses and misleading teaching were rife).

What would these ever increasing quantities of grace and peace mean to us? This would mean that we would more and more sense the favour of God upon us, that no matter where life takes us, and no matter what circumstances cross our path, that God is with us, and with Jesus we can meet any challenge. This would also mean that we know such a peace within our own skin, and such a clarity in our own mind about our relationship with God – that we would truly become peacemakers in our community and the world.

Sometimes we hear people admitting to and bemoaning the fact that their spiritual life is going nowhere. There is a choice to be made here: either remain unsatisfied, or take some action. It won’t just happen. It may take courage (for there could be opposition)! But it is those who are desperate for change that will make it … as Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they [these are the ones that] will be filled (Matthew 5:6).

Other times we might meet certain people who call themselves Christians, but their conversations, various attitudes and activities seem to contradict this; there seems to be a lack of grace and love in them. They would need to also hear Jesus when he says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit [the humble, the open, the vulnerable], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3).

As verses 3 & 4 of our text indicate, God has not held anything back that we need to go forward; and most especially God has given us the opportunity of continually finding reasons for having the faith that will carry us through the limits of our humanity [refer also v.1b] toward participating in the “divine nature” [v.4].

(2) What does it mean to “become participants of the divine nature”? Here are some thoughts:

· Cranfield, drawing on Calvin, suggests this means that, without ceasing to be human, we shall share in that which is characteristically God’s own nature, which includes God’s glory, blessedness and immortality. This obviously has implications for eternity, but this text is addressing the here and now.

· To have our lives reflect or represent Jesus to the world at large, as if they were looking at Jesus himself!! So, a measure of spiritual growth might be to assess ourselves against the question: ‘How much of Jesus Christ can be seen in me?’ or ‘How much has the Spirit of God [another member of the Divine Trinity] been allowed to work in my life setting forth Jesus Christ?’.

· To embrace the “divine nature”, the biggest hurdle to overcome is the lure of the “corruption” in the world around us. Just like the fish most desires the promise of a feed that the lure suggests to it, human beings have to deal with and move beyond selfish, individualistic pursuits promised by the prevailing culture, toward God’s grand purposes.

· Psalm 1:3 describes the growing person this way … “They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither”. If we think of the needs of our garden – all the plants have been planted with great expectations, yet if they’re going to thrive they will need proper attention (fertiliser, mulch, water) and occasionally some pruning, and the whole garden area will need some regular weeding!

So clearly, just believing God exists, while this is a good start, will not cut it for long. Also, just paying token attention to Jesus will only lead to disappointment. The faith that has welled up in us has to be channelled directly into everyday living. Such effective and fruitful living (refer v.8) will necessitate: goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection and love. This will require our “every effort” (v.5). We know that God will always do His part while we are doing ours!

Sometimes we might find ourselves seeking to defend the reasons why we are Christians or why we think Jesus is important. But defending the faith like this is a poor substitute for actually living it in such a way that it already makes sense to people who see and begin to know us.

(3) Areas of Growth

“Faith” is the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). We have found that our faith has been well-founded, because God has changed our lives for the better, and give us hope and purpose. Even when life has been hard, God’s promises of nearness and spiritual resources have been fulfilled: ‘God will never leave us or forsake us’; ‘Ask in My Name and it will be done’!! It is on the strong foundation of this faith that additions are made. A concrete slab is the foundation on which many houses are built. But we cannot live just sitting on a concrete slab. Walls and a roof have to be erected. Plumbing and electrical fittings need to be added. And finally there needs to be paint and furnishings. Faith needs to be built on for us to experience growth in life.

The word translated “Goodness” in verse 5 refers more to a character trait than single acts of goodness … like we have an innate virtue, or by nature we seek excellence in all our endeavours. This is where our faith affects our morals and ethics, the decisions we make … especially as they affect other people.

The “Knowledge” referred to here concerns understanding what God wants from us. Seeking to understand the culture in which we live and the functioning of the world around us is important for our relevant witness, but is not the basis on which we build our life; it is the Scriptures that provide that. So it is the ‘Word of God’ the Bible that provides the clearest revelation and interpretation of the character and priorities of God. And it’s not just the words on the page that we’re giving attention to, but we also need to listen to the voice of God behind the words, as these scripture verses are applied to our particular situations.

“Self-control” will guard us from the excesses that are earlier described as the corruption that is in the world”. This brings in the concept of discipline and giving ourselves boundaries within which to live. These are not so much about denying ourselves certain things, but rather about how best we can enjoy and share the freedoms we have been given. Self-control will bring us a measure of protection, and will give us to capacity to hang-in long term with our commitments.

As self-control becomes our habit, next comes “Endurance” … that will be the capacity to persevere through all of the pressures that come to bear on us. Negative events are not as problematical as they once were – they don’t throw us off as much. We should here grow in patience, seeking to see things from a broader perspective, and other people more from God’s standpoint than from ours.

“Godliness” is a constant and very practical awareness of God in every aspect of life, and life responses that are consistent with being devoted to God (as God is devoted to us) [EMB Green, L Richards]. All what God has done has been on the basis of His own righteousness; it was through God’s own nature and character that He had to make an attempt to save us; God could not deny His own unfailing love – such that God supplied in Himself the redemption of those caught up in sin; God had to be true to Himself in expressing saving love [Richards]. This is the righteousness that is the basis in which God wants us to live! It’s about being true to our calling, as God has been true to Himself.

Closing with the additions of “Mutual affection” & “Love” clearly bring in the outward elements of caring for others, practical kindness and self-sacrifice.

We are going to need help with the first six of these, and we are going to need a context in which to practice the “mutual affection” and the “love”. This is why Christians have to become part of local churches, which should provide both the help and the context for growth. Joining together in worship, prayer, bible study and mission, strengthens our desire to know Jesus more and work on these areas of growth that we have discussed.

The New Testament knows nothing of Christians living in (self-imposed) isolation from other believers. Quite the contrary, verses like Colossians 3:16 and James 5:16 show the richness of interrelationships in Christian community. “In the Bible, believing always implies belonging. A ‘Christian’ without a church is like a sailor without a ship, or a bee without a hive: [it’s] unthinkable” [Kim Hawtrey in Christianity – A Pocket Guide from Matthias Media].

(4) Being Near-sighted or Having Good Vision?

Verse 9 brings a strong challenge to us. Have we taken the forgiveness we have received from God, bought at such a great price, too lightly? Have we accepted, then unwrapped the gift, but having seen and touched what was inside, put the gift away in the cupboard (just like the Christmas gift we have no idea what to do with). To do this, according to this scripture, is “nearsighted”. This may suggest that we have become blinded to the far-reaching implications that our forgiveness should relate to; or that we see only the temporal rather than the eternal – those things that are close more so than those matters which are vital.

We could use the list here in 2 Peter 1 to assess our spiritual health, and where we might be on the journey. If we need help we should seek it, and we shouldn’t delay. God has acted and fulfilled His promises, and now is looking for our response. As verses 10 & 11 indicate, taking this upward growth curve seriously … would show that we are recommitting ourselves daily to the good cause we have adopted, enabling us to continue to walk without any threat of ultimately stumbling.