2Peter Ch1: Growth in the Spirit

This book of the Bible was written around 65AD and was a professing letter to call Christians into a growing in faith in Jesus Christ.

(v5-v7)   G R O W T H:

Faith—–> Integrity.

Integrity—–>Knowledge.

Knowledge—–>Self-Control.

Self-Control—–>Endurance.

Endurance—–>Godliness.

Godliness—–>Christian Affection.

Christian Affection—–>Love.

From faith we grow in maturity to love. It is from the outpouring of our faith in Christ that we delve into the riches of His love for us. Not only His love that was shown on the cross, but His continual love expressed daily. In the next verse (8) it says that ‘if you have these qualities and they are increasing it demonstrates that your knowledge about Jesus Christ is living and productive.’

I want to focus on these two words: Living AND Productive.

Through reading the Word of God we are living out the Word of God. What do I mean by this? We are integrating our lives to the storyline based in Christ. When it says ‘it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me’ It shows that are storyline is wrapped in Christ’s identity.

He is the Son of the LIVING God. Now our identity is the following:

‘I no longer live, for Christ is Lord.’

‘I no longer live, for Christ is Savior.’

‘I no longer live, for Christ is King.’

‘I no longer live, for now Christ is my life.’

These might be extreme statements to our carnal nature; however, this is what dying to self means. There are no longer selfish desires, but selfless desires being expressed in the Kingdom. This is through the outpouring of His selflessness made manifest in the Cross. It is through this selflessness that we are now called redeemed, whole, and set free!

Living in the word of God is essentially dying to one self’s way of thinking, operating, and doing. It is now Jesus Christ that is magnified in and through your life. His word is living in you. His word is living in you, through you, above you, and for you. He is magnified because you have declared Him Lord of your life!

As believers we produce the choice vines because He is the vine! (John15). I declare there to be a pruning process that happens over the heart of the believer who reads this. I ask that the Lord prunes the vine, so that the vine may produce fruit and fruit abundantly. The production of our faith is made manifest in our love for Christ. The more we love Christ, the more that love saturates into every part of our lives. It is through this love that lives are transformed!

Now I’m called to do a virtual alter call. If anyone would like to receive Jesus Christ as Lord over your life, please comment forward. It says in His word that when we both believe that He died for our sins AND profess with our mouth that He is Lord, that we may gain eternal life. One of my favorite verses is ‘no one comes to the Father except through me’ quoting Jesus speaking to His disciples. This is so true. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only one who possesses the eternal keys to life and death. He also possess the richness of His divine glory, and the satisfaction of beholding Him in honor. Seeing His face is what it’s all about!

Yours Truly,

Destiny Rose Nielsen.