Kingdom Principle: God grants us godliness by giving us the gift of his Son. As we identify with Christ in us, we are able and willing to live as Christ calls us to live. The process of spiritual growth is giving ourselves over to the life of Christ in us. The problem is that the flesh (old man) is constantly fighting against that life in us. In order to counter this problem we need to practice our life in Christ and be reminded of the truth of Christ.
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2 Peter 1:10 (ESV) — 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
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When you do that which is godly, you experience the person of Christ in you and the world encounters the person of Christ through you.
Every time we act on Christ, we cement our position in Christ.
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When we make haste to practice righteousness we make firm our calling in Christ. As we act, we make that already sure foundation all the more sure.
Matthew 7:24–25 (ESV) — 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
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2 Peter 1:12ESV) — 12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.
As much as the first practice addresses our spiritual problem, this addresses it directly and assuredly. What does the forgetful man need? A forgetful man needs to be reminded. That is Peter’s ambition in life. And it should be ours as well.
Ephesians 4:11–16 (ESV) — 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Stir up = provoke or awaken
Just like a good stir brings to the surface sediment that has settled in the bottom of a drink, so preaching and speaking the truth of Christ brings to the surface the nature of Christ that has settled in the hearts of his disciples.
Questions to Consider
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In what ways is the Spirit calling you to act on Christ in your life? What is keeping you from acting in this way? How might you repent of your inactivity and trust Christ to act?
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In what ways are you keeping the truth of Jesus Christ in front of you at all times? Who is the Lord calling you to speak the truth of Christ to?
