November 11, 2017 ADD TO
2 Peter 1:15: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness……..”
As Oswald Chambers has pointed out that we must not forget that there are things that God does that we cannot do, and there are things that we are to do that God will not do. In a broad sense, it is God who draws us to Himself and only He can change us at the core of our being. However, there is a tendency for us to think that our only part in the process is to be receivers, and to wait on God to change us and make us spiritually mature. There are many scriptures that admonish us to work out our salvation, and to take the initiative in adding to our faith the things that we are told to add. “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12. Salvation is not just about going to heaven when we die, but about being transformed into His image during our life on earth. To say that we cannot do a certain thing the scriptures calls us to do is not true because the Holy Spirit in us enables us to do all that the scriptures command. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. Not to be pro-active in adding to our faith, and not taking the initiative in our spiritual development insures that we do not mature in the faith and that we remain as ‘babes in Christ.” Romans 12:2 is another clear example of where we as believers are to take initiative: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” It is God’s will that we grow and develop as a believer: “like new born babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” 1 Peter 2:2-3. God has instructed man to take dominion and it is God’s design that His children to be overcomers in the world in which we live, and because of this, when a believer is not taking the initiative to mature in the faith, he is not living according to design and he is unfulfilled, or incomplete. Contrary to taking initiative in life is to live a life of responding and reacting to whatever happens-whatever comes our way-this is not God’s plan for us. Matthew 18:18 is an interesting and challenging verse and it gives us a clue as to the awesome responsibility that God has given to believers: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Another astounding verse dealing with our having the power to take the initiative, to go on the offensive in life is found in Deuteronomy 28:13: “The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully,” Let us not live another day waiting on God to ‘zap’ us, but let us hear the call of God for us to ‘add to’ our faith, to take the initiative, to grow and be conformed to His image. God did not make us robots. When we discover that God has indeed given us responsibility and we act on what He has given us to do, we find that that that is how we are wired-that is our new nature taking dominion. May our view of life be like the baseball player that said “put me in coach”! When we read a command in scripture-just DO IT!
2 Peter 3:18: “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Philippians 2:13: “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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