God’s divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness. In this way he has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature. For this very reason do your best to

Add goodness to your faith;

To your goodness add knowledge;

To your knowledge add self-control;

To your self-control add endurance;

To your endurance add godliness;

To your godliness add brotherly affection;

And to your brotherly affection add love.

These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:3-8

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you started out with faith in Him. After you recognized your sinfulness and need for a Savior, you asked God to forgive your sins. When you trusted in Christ, you received the gift of eternal life. By grace you are a child of God and you are promised an eternal home in heaven with Him. But don’t stop there! No one who has put his or her faith in Christ can afford to let spiritual growth and maturity start and stop with one act of spiritual surrender. Salvation must be followed by spiritual growth. We must go beyond belief and seek out the truths God provides in the Bible. If we don’t, we will fall victim to the dangerous thinking patterns that mark our world. Faith in Christ is the starting point, but keep going. Study the Bible and then you can grow in the grace and knowledge of God and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A steady diet of God’s word will keep you growing.

Our Daily Bread – September 19, 2002