Re:Verse reading–Luke 2:39-52 (day five)
A personal word of gratitude and appreciation for R.C. Sproul, who has influenced me and countless others to love the Lord more deeply and to study and cherish the Scriptures with passion and humility.
Luke 2 40 The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. 52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
“And so he grew without the physical, mental and spiritual impediments of sin. And so it is natural to expect that he would be extraordinary as a human being even in his youth.” “Jesus continued to grow, not as we do sometimes, from sinfulness to obedience, but he moved from faith to faith, from grace to grace, from strength to strength, from obedience to higher levels of obedience, because as he increased in his understanding and knowledge of what God had called him to do, he had a greater capacity for deeper levels of obedience” “In all of these things he grew and grew, waiting for the beginning of his public ministry.” – R.C. Sproul
Good blog! I also take this opportunity to express a personal word of gratitude and deep appreciation for the Js, long-time family friends for decades who influenced and led us to Christianity and have continued tutoring and mentoring us toward growth in Christ!
There is a difference between change and growth. Of course, sometimes we need to change a mindset, a habit or a belief in order to accept a new way of life, a new way of thinking, or a new belief. But change is not the definition of grow. For Christians, in my view, grow means to INCREASE in our faith, trust, grace, and knowledge of Christ; therefore, continue to learn and to know Christ and about God’s truth are essential.
God’s truth is the foundation for growth in Christ! I truly believe that in order to see and hear God’s truth, change in attitudes, actions and behaviors may be needed. We will experience growth in Christ if our faith is deeper each day, our grace is deeper, and our knowledge in the Lord is deeper each day. A change in attitude, actions, and behaviors may lead us see a better path for life or a new perspective but grow is not about a change but about increasing of existing values or existing characteristics.
If our lives are becoming like Christ each day, it is the evidence that we are growing in Christ for sure. Human nature is sinful and we will displease God if we grow in sins. The choice is clear: grow in Christ or grow in sins. I am sure we all know which way we must travel to receive salvation and eternity.
Great reminder of the difference between change and grow. Thank you!