How's your walk?

When we think of our growth in Christ it’s easy to go to one of two extremes. We will tend to focus too much on our own responsibility OR to focus too much on God’s role in our growth. Paradoxically, both perspectives are important and both must be embraced, even though at times they seem contradictory. 

The apostle Peter handles this often misunderstood aspect of the  the Christian’s walk in his second epistle.

2 Peter 1:2–3 (NAS): Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;

 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

In chapter one, we see a great emphasis on what Peter calls, “the true knowledge” of Christ.  In the amplified version, which gives a closer rendering to the Greek, it says,

2 Peter 1:2 (AMP):[the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Verse three clearly states that we have been granted everything we need for life and godliness THROUGH this deep personal relationship with Christ. It appears that His divine power has already granted us EVERYTHING.  When we come to Christ we are coming to a true knowledge of Him and He is the One who has called us to Himself.  What a tremendous promise!  In Christ we already have everything we need to be effective in living life AND living it in a godly way.  How insecure and inconsequential we often feel.  What a false illusion.  Through Christ we are totally equipped for the life ahead.  We are empowered to live in a godly way.  This is something God has done for us.  It is part of the inheritance we have in Christ.  It is a certainty.

If we read just a little further, however we see another perspective.

 2 Peter 1:5–8 (NAS): Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

          6      and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,

          7      and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

          8      For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter lists a series of areas to grow in as a Christian.  It appears that we are to apply diligence to the pursuit of a variety of character qualities.  They seem to build on one another.  In this section the emphasis is on us.  It appears we have some work to do.  Furthermore, verse 8 indicates that if we are making significant progress in these areas that we will be neither useless or unfruitful in the true knowledge of the Lord. I suppose we could have an incomplete, impersonal, inaccurate, and incorrect knowledge of God.  What makes the difference- applying diligence.

It appears that as we apply diligence in our character growth that it contributes to our true knowledge of Christ.  

So is our growth mainly something God does in us and for us?  Or might it be mainly dependent on our effort? Or both?

We start with a true knowledge of God in Christ at salvation, which equips us for life and godliness, but we must continue to grow in that knowledge of God.  We are not complete.  There are progressive areas of development both in our character as well as in our relationship with Christ.  It's 100% God AND 100% us.  His power makes it all possible, but we also must apply ourselves to our growth.

In recent days I've been asking young men how their walk with God is going.  I ask what they do to stay close to Him and grow in their relationship with Him.  Most seem to be well connected to others for fellowship and encouragement.  Most say they grow from sermons and online resources.  When I ask about their personal time of prayer, bible study, and meditation I often get a blank stare.  This concerns me.  If we take to heart what the apostle Paul is saying we would conclude that through Christ we have everything we need for godliness, BUT we ALSO must apply diligence in our growth.  I don't see very many young men applying diligence in some of the most important areas.  How about you?