Rooted and Built Up
2 Peter 1:1- 2
[1] Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
[2] grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
The essence of why we shouldn’t rush growth is for us to embrace growth as a process. Salvation is instantaneous while growth is continuous.
Jesus demonstrated instantaneous salvation to the armed robber on the cross. He may not have understood what happened but he got saved. If only Judas Iscariot was a good student he would have been the first partaker of salvation.
Salvation is one believing the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Faith which is salvation comes through the righteousness of God. Growing in grace comes through knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3:18
[18] But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.
You don’t rush growth. Jesus himself in fulfilling the assignment God has given him grew.
Colossians 2:1- 12
Paul wrote this particular letter out of a burden to go see the people, so that they can be assured of the full riches of God. That they should come to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and the Father.
Verse 3 “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
That was what Paul was carrying to go show them.
Verse 4 says “And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.”
The reason for all of that is so that nobody will be beguiled, deceived, distracted or carried away. So that nobody will be moved away from the reality that is in Christ Jesus.
“And this I say” in that Scripture was referring to the first two three verses he has been talking about.
That nobody will be able to deceive you because you have come to a place of stability, a place where you have full riches of the assurance of understanding and acknowledgement of the mystery of God which is Christ, in him is hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to the extent that no man will be able to beguile you.
If the mystery is not to reveal Christ, then it is no mystery. Persuasive arguments and clever words are to shift your attention from Christ. Don’t be carried away by the eloquence of men because when you listen to some of them patiently, you will realise that something is missing.
The mystery is what God did in Christ and he factored us into it. By the spirit of revelation, Paul said the mystery is that Christ in us is the hope of glory.
Verse 5 “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.”
As a pastor, as someone that has oversight over another, joying and beholding are primarily two things to do. Pastors should be able to joy and not just joy but should also behold how deeply and commitment you are.
That someone is saved, we can be joyful about that, as a pastor you can’t stop at joying, there is another responsibility which is help them TO BEHOLD.
The word “beholding” comes from a sense of oversight, having oversight.
Verse 6 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:”
Paul was not satisfied that they have received Christ, his also saying as you have received Christ, you walk also in him. So Paul’s responsibility will be that there are not just in Christ but they are also walking in Christ.
The explanation of walking in Christ is to be rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Verse 7.
The reason why you need to be rooted and built up in him, the reason why you have received Christ and you must continue to walk in him, the reason why you must put all of that in place, the reason why you must come to the full assurance of understanding, the reason why you must come to a place where you are acknowledging the mysteries of God which is Christ, is that in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”
Your responsibility is to beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Verse 8.
The issue is that many people has alot to say, many philosophies are out there, many persuasive words are out there, many things that look like they are deep are out there. Paul says if all these things are not after Christ, then you are trying to spoil me. And I refuse to be spoiled.
Outside Christ is emptiness, in Christ it is fullness. Any attempt to distract you is to lead you away from fullness and when fullness is taken away from you, emptiness is indirectly handed over to you which is vanity. That’s why mysteries will never end.
Every teaching should be targeted towards the fullness of Christ in you, growing in the stature of Christ.
It is important for us to preach the mysteries and the operation of God, instead of dwelling on understanding the operation of the devil and his cohort. What is the operation of God? His operation is that, God came to earth and died for man that man might be free and be a God on earth. That’s the mystery of God. He carried out that operation by giving up Jesus to be nailed to the cross, he became sin for us that he that knew no sin became sin for us. We only have to receive it by faith. We cannot fully understand that. It’s called the unsearchable riches of God.
Ephesians 4:9-12 reveals that the one that died, resurrected, and ascended gave some, and why did he give some? So that he might fill the entire universe with himself. It was Christ that gave us apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists. If you decide to become a Bishop it means you have given yourself responsibility over a group of people.
O UNITY IN FAITH IS CENTERED ON KNOWLEDGE. The growth in the body of Christ is not the one that one church will invite another church leader. The day we come into the understanding that our faith is through the righteousness of God.
The essence of coming to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God is maturity. The essence of maturity is growth.
This growth is unto a perfect man. This man is not a man without mistake but a man that grows in Christ.
This is the essence of Paul’s writing. When he wrote to the Corinthians church, he spoke about the distraction in the conflict he had in coming to them to be taught.
The ministry gifts are to bring the church into full stature of Christ. If there is any ministry that is not hinged on this truth, such needs to be checked and questioned.
Ephesians 4 is the job description for the ministry. The same way a person is given a job description upon being recruited in an organization. If there is any reward and notable recognition that will be given to this person, it will be based on the job description. It helps to check if it is being done well. It is not about coming to the workplace everyday.
This is why the minister should not substitute his job to commercialization and teaching on career. This is because he will appear before the Father. Jesus will not thank him for that but for that which is only within the job description.
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;(KJV). Ephesians 4:15-16
We draw from the head. The nutrient comes from the head. Every part works according to their measure. You cannot work beyond your measure.
Ephesians 4:15-16 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love (KJV)
You cannot supply if you are connected to the head.
We need to move away from the so-called mysteries and eloquence as well as rhymes and move on to ensuring whatever we teach makes men grow.
We should be able to measure the growth of men in an increasing manner whenever they come to church.
This is to ensure all that the whole earth is filled with the fullness of Christ. If you are a minister your role is to bring men to the fullness of the stature of Christ.
Your stature is not the same as your status in Christ. Your status in Christ is constant, it is your identity. Your stature is your growth parameter.
Your status in Christ is superior to your stature. Your status guarantees your communion with the Lord. We cannot see your status physically but your stature can be related with.
An instance is where you still see believers having character deficiency.
This is why you need to work out your salvation. Philippians 2:12.
The whole essence of this is that you must be rooted.Walk in him. Don’t rush growth, get built and rooted. Your growth reflect in the way you speak, the way you deal with matters. Show an intentionality for learning. Let your growth be known to all. Be a replica of the truth you’re learning. That is what bring glory to the father.