Spiritual Growth – Part Two

“….Grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” II Peter 3:8

        “….add to your virtue….”

Knowledge is insight, understanding. Something has to be known before it can be understood. Therefore “Study to grow in faith and in knowledge.” Spend time studying the Bible. That involves more than just reading the Scripture. Engage in the exploration of the meaning of it. Move it from the head to the heart. This takes time and a deliberate desire to continue.

We gain knowledge to understand how a thing operates or what it means. 

The better you know the man of the Word the better you know the Word of the word of the man.

There’s a story about a proud young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the muscular philosopher and said, “O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.” Socrates recognized a pompous numbskull when he saw one. He led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, “What do you want?” “Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” said the young man with a smile. Socrates put his strong hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later Socrates let him up. “What do you want?” he asked again. “Wisdom,” the young man sputtered, “O great and wise Socrates.” Socrates crunched him under again. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man was gasping. “What do you want, young man?” Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, “Knowledge, O wise and wonderful….” Socrates jammed him under again forty seconds passed. fifty. “What do you want?” “Air!” he screeched. “I need air!” “When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge.”    

Do you want Bible knowledge enough to make an effort to get it? 

You may own a Bible. It is a possession. You may read it and it becomes a precept. When you live it, it is a practice. The objective is to move it from a possession to a practice. 

Grow to the point you can say, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” (Psalm 119:11-18)

Spiritual Growth – Part One

 “…Grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” II Peter 3:8

Spiritual growth is an elemental essential for spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is essential for contentment, joy, and fulfillment. There is a spiritual progression that is helpful in the process. Note that progression as follows.

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence,

add to your faith       

virtue, to virtue knowledge

to knowledge self-control,

to self-control perseverance, 

to perseverance godliness,

to godliness brotherly kindness,

to brotherly kindness love.

For if these things are in you and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” (II Peter 1: 5 – 9) Memorize this.

Faith is foundational to all. It is the bedrock on which to develop the others.

It is also the essential cement that holds these building blocks together. Faith is confidence in Jesus and His word. Then trust Jesus to transform you into the image it projects. To accomplish this, feed your mind on the Word. Build each of the following progressively on the other.

                “….add to your faith ….”

Virtue is moral excellence; goodness; righteousness. It is a  code resulting in the conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness; rectitude. In summary virtue is moral excellence, moral goodness.

A summary listing that collectively defines virtue is: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..” (Galatians 5: 22, 23)

These admirable attributes are aspects of virtue. They are core values in a virtuous life. They are admirable habits on which persons can rely. Virtues must become a lifestyle. Virtue is to be habitual conduct.

Virtue is a living out of the internal quality of one’s life based on the Word of God.

Angels Watching Over Me? Oh, Glory! Part Three

The topic of angels is a popular one. Angels recently made the cover of Time and were the feature article in an issue of Newsweek. 

At Saks Fifth Avenue there is a new “Angel” perfume from French clothing designer Thierry Mugler who believes that since every person has a guardian angel they should smell like one.

The question is often asked: are we human beings alone in this vast universe? No, the universe is full of supernatural beings. There is not only extraterrestrial intelligence, there are extra-cosmic beings, called angels. 

Once there were no angels. That means they were created by our Immortal Creator.

“Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts… Let them praise the name of the Lord; for He commanded, and they were created.” (Psalm 148: 2 – 5)

They are not like God in that He is all present, so they are unlike Him in that they are not all knowing.

Jesus said of His second coming the angels don’t know the time.

Angels presently occupy a state higher than human beings. However, someday the saints of Christ will rule over angels: “Do you not know that we shall judge angels?” (I Cor. 6: 3)

Presently, they are supernatural and we are natural. After death in eternity we will be exalted supernatural saints who rule over angels. Be in mind we will not become angels, we are saints.

Angels are not inferior deities interposed between God and human beings. Instead they are instruments of God’s use. They do not exercise independent power. They are not to be objects of our worship. Neither are we to be preoccupied with them, but with Jesus.

Guardian angels are with us wherever we go. Again, we are not to be preoccupied with them, but with Jesus.

Our guardian angels have one final role to play. From the experience of Lazarus, the beggar who died, we know we will have an angel escort on our journey from our mortal body into the immortal home in heaven. He was “carried by the angels” into the very presence of God. (Luke 16: 22)

Until then let your heart sing the chorus, “I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind, The God of angel armies is always by my side. The one who reigns forever He is a friend of mine.”

Angels Watching Over Me? Oh, Glory! Part Two

The Greek word “angelos,” translated angel means “a messenger.” In the Old Testament the Hebrew word with the same meaning is “mal’akh.” They are servants of God. Excelling in strength they await the slightest intimation of God’s will to carry it out. They never add to nor diminish their message and assignment. This unseen army of God constantly awaits His command. They perform God’s will and don’t wait around for human thanks.

        Angels announced the forthcoming birth of Jesus Christ.

        Angels proclaimed His arrival in Bethlehem.

        Angels attended Christ during His exhausting wilderness temptations.

        Angels attended Him in the hour of His grief in Gethsemane.

        Angels were battle ready awaiting His orders while He hung on the cross.

        Belief in angels is an ageless conviction. The earliest reference to them is found on a five by ten slab of limestone at Ur-Nammus which dates back to 2250 BC.

        Plato and Aristotle believed God used angels to govern the world.

        Epictetus said, “God assigns to every man a guardian angel.”

        Seneca and Virgil believed in angels.

Angels are spoken of as flying, but it is not said they have wings. Seraphim have wings but nowhere does it say angels had wings. The idea of winged angels didn’t appear until the third century when Christian polemicist Tertullian stated that “every angel and demon is winged. Consequently, they are everywhere in a moment.”

Around the fourth century angels began to appear in Christian art and soon became very popular. To distinguish them from Jesus and His disciples in their art work they depicted them with wings. 

Angels are spirit beings. In their normal state they don’t have physical bodies. Though they are spirits they are not omnipresent, all present, that is. They are restricted to being at one place at a given time.

Their role is defined for us: “Are they not ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1: 14)

Rarely do they appear to persons. However, they have on rare occasions. Don’t be disappointed if you never see one. Remember, Billy Graham said he had never seen one.

A special word of caution is needed here. Don’t pray to angels. This is unbiblical. Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father…” Believers have direct access to God the Father through Jesus Christ, God the Son.

We are warned not to let anyone trick us into worshiping angels. “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping angels.” (Colossians 2: 18)

Human beings are not creatures in transition on their way to becoming angels. When a believer dies that one becomes a perfected saint. Born again human beings are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” Angels are separate created beings. Till then live loyal to the royal blood that flowed from Jesus’ veins.

Angels Watching Over Me? Oh, Glory! Part One

“Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”  Hebrews 1: 13, 14

Jesus believed in angels. Do you? At his arrest “more than twelve legions of angels” were on stand-by to defend Him (Matthew 26: 53). That means He could have called 72 thousand angels. I know the song says 10,000 but the book says 12 legions and that is 72,000. Angels are mentioned in 34 books of the Bible for a total of 273 times (108 in the Old Testament and 165 in the New Testament.)

Revelation 5: 11 describes the indescribable number around the throne of the Lamb: “…the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” That means there are billions.

Billy Graham wrote in his book entitled, Angels: God’s Secret Agents, “I am convinced that these heavenly beings exist and that they provide unseen aid on our behalf… I do not believe in angels because I have ever seen one — because I haven’t. I believe in angels because the Bible says there are angels; and I believe the Bible to be the true Word of God.”

Our culture’s inclination toward materialism has robbed us of much. Secular minds think of the universe as a closed system. The mentality of the moment is that we are just the highest form of animals devoid of an immortal soul, and with no other purpose than to attain security and enjoy pleasure.

Many materialists allow nothing from the spiritual world to enter their closed circle of life. This leaves no room for supernatural spirit beings, angels.

The Bible tells us that countless beings fill the vastness of space around us. Actually, since the dawn of creation they have mingled in human affairs. They have in yours. Hebrews 13:2 notes, “Some have entertained angels unawares.”

They are servants of saints. They are not little gods we talk to, worship, or pray to. Nowhere does the Bible authorize praying to an angel. You have direct access to “Our Father….” They do not call attention to themselves, but to Jesus.

Good news! Yes, every person has a guardian angel or angels. That means you are so important to God He wants to provide you with a special guard. To shun this companionship is to abandon help offered by God.

Jesus made specific reference to the guardian role angels play regarding children. “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)

Again, it is our text that reassures us of the guardian role they play in our lives: “Are they not ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” (Hebrews 1: 14)

“For He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91: 11)

“The angel of the Lord encampS round about them that fear Him, to deliver them.” (Psalm 34: 7) We will never understand them, but we are blessed to have them.