GROW IN LOVE AND KNOWLEDGE
COLOSSIANS 1:3-6; 2 PETER 3:18
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory now and for ever. Amen.”
Introduction:
The Apostle John tells us, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” (1 John 3:14a). Verse 16 of the same passage tells that our love toward our brethren should be like that of our Lord for them, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Let’s examine our love for the brethren and others, as well as our love of knowledge of the Lord.
I. LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN
A. UNFEIGNED love, 1 Peter 1:22, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:”
1. “Above all things have fervent charity [love] among yourselves,” 1 Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
2. Genuine [unfeigned] love, John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
B. Love with a PURE HEART, 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
C. Some of the QUALITIES of fervent love, 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;”
1. Love suffers long, = to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles.
2. Love is kind, to show one’s self mild.
3. Love does not envy.
4. Love is not proud.
5. Love is not easily provoked, to arouse to anger.
6. Love thinks not evil, Numbers 12:3, “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)”
II. FOR THE SINNING BROTHER
A. He “shall save a soul from death,” James 5:20, “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
1. The subject here is sin among believers.
2. The “death” here is physical death, not spiritual death.
B. He “shall hide a multitude of sins,” Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” 1 Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
III. KNOWLEDGE OF OUR GOD AND SAVIOR
A. Seek to know more of him in his divine nature.
1. In his human relationship, John 13:1, “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”
2. In his finished work, John 5:17, “But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”
3. In his death, Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
4. In his resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:19-21, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”
5. In his present glorious intercession, 1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
6. And in his future His royal advent, John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
B. The best tests of growth in grace is…
1. An increase in love for Jesus, Matthew 22:37, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
2. A more perfect understanding of his love toward us…
a. He laid down his life for us, 1 John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
b. God sent his Son to be the propitiation [the means of appeasing] for our sins, 1 John 4:10, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
c. If we love one another his love is perfected in us, 1 John 4:12, “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” [to accomplish a goal]
CONCLUSION
Are we growing in grace? If you don’t see some of these signs in your life, perhaps it is time to take stock to see where you stand in your relationship with Christ.