Consider the birth of a child; the anticipation and preparation which accompanies the moment. It is an exciting time. Tami and I did not have a gender reveal party, however, we were excited to share the news. Rooms were repainted; beds and closets refitted; and a host of other things shifted in our home during the time of expectancy.
The New Birth experience is a pivot point in every person’s life. Jesus called it being Born Again. It is the plan of Salvation. There is an excitement in that moment and rightly so. Much like the birth of a newborn, we rejoice at the experience of the Gospel in the life of every believer. The Bible states that the angels rejoice over one sinner that repents. Our church body rejoices over the baptisms of Water and the Spirit. This is an exciting time!
However, after the New Birth comes what I call “The Walk.” This is the growing process of the believer. We were never meant to live as a “new born.” We were meant to learn and grow. Peter will press the reader to give 2 Pet 1:5 “…all diligence,” adding to your faith seven key elements for growth: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, kindness, brotherly kindness and love.
2 Peter 1:8-9 “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”
Growth is found in the adding to our faith. Peter submitted that both sight and memory are connected to these necessary additions. After our Born Again experience, the “adding” invokes thankfulness for our new life and the pursuit for our future. Furthermore, when we add to our faith, we become established in The Faith. The Walk matters! New Birth happens once, but growth is found in the daily walk.
Failure to “add” results in a lack of vision and legalism. Forgetting where we have come from causes us to falsely judge one another. Likewise, the failure to add to our faith limits our sight about Kingdom. I urge you, give all diligence and add to your faith. Those seven things are paramount for your life! The Walk is waiting.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole
One response to ““The Walk””
Good Word, Pastor!