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Covenant Love Discipleship Lesson 8 - ABUNDANT GROWTH by Samuel Jeanrenaud
Growth is part of the Christian life. The very last words Peter gave us as a command is found in II Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ… To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”
To grow means to develop and increase and multiply. God desires for us to grow in knowledge of His character and of His will for our lives.
Dr. Luke has two references of Jesus’ growing up. Luke 1:80, “And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of His showing unto Israel.” Also, Luke 2:40, “And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”
Jesus talked about faith as a grain of mustard seed. Luke 13:18-19, “Unto what is the Kingdom of God like? And whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden; and it grew and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.”
Jesus also likened the kingdom of God unto a sower, “Who went forth to sow.”
Some seeds fell by the wayside. Some seed the fowls came and devoured. Some seed fell upon stony places where they had not much earth, and forthwith
they sprung up, and because they had no deepness of earth, and when the
sun was up they were scorched, they had no root, they withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked them. But, others fell into good ground and brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold,
some sixty-fold, and some, thirty-fold. They asked Jesus, “Why do you speak in parables?” He replied, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to them, it has not been given.
Revelation begets more revelation. Abundant growth in the gift of love is found in II Thessalonians 1:3. “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth…”
To grow abundantly in love means to increase beyond measure. The word is “huperauxano” – To increase beyond measure. “Huper” means “over and above”, and “auxano” means to grow or increase of the growth – that which lives naturally or spiritually.
It literally means, “an internal organic growth as a tree – a diffusive or expansive character, as of a flood irrigating the land.” In other words, God’s plan for our lives is to grow as big as trees and as wide as a flood in love and faith. That’s extravagant growth; but, it is possible in Jesus Christ. If we let the Word of God grow in us, we will grow into His full stature.
Full stature means to the Father, that we understand God’s concept of full stature. A great word picture for that is John exhorting the Church of his day in I John 2:12-14.
I write unto you little children I write unto you young men I write unto you fathers
John saw believers in these three different levels of maturity, and he understood that the eternal Father could only be satisfied when they were brought into full stature of fatherhood. In this level of full stature, believers share with Him, His life, nature, purpose, and vision.
Peter reminds us that we are to, “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace is that wonderful, humble state where we are trusting in Him for all things. We cease to squirm, worry, and fear, and we learn to rest, abide, and “be still and know that He is God.”
How well are you doing in this rest and abiding and being still, knowing that he is God?
CONCLUSION:
John Piper, that wonderful Pastor/Scholar has a phrase that has captured my heart. It fits here as we close. “God is most glorified when I am most satisfied in Him.”
Is this the measure of your maturity? How satisfied are you in God?
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