Our spiritual journey with Christ begins with faith. With faith we confess
By growing our knowledge in Christ, we also grow in faith. It is in faith we appreciate the good times in our lives, and it is in faith we endure the difficulties in life.
our sins, our belief in God’s salvation, and our desire to live a Christian life. But our faith should not be confused with a state of being or as a description of our Christianity. Our faith is the beginning of an active Christian life. We know we are sinners. We believe in the promises of God, and we desire a relationship with Christ. In faith we put our trust in God, but when we seek a relationship with Christ, we must increase our knowledge in Him. In 2 Peter 1:5–8, the apostle Peter lists the attributes we need to grow in our knowledge of Christ.
Faith – Trusting in God
Goodness – Pursuing a Christian life in all aspects of our lives
Knowledge – Actively seeking God’s will, and the purpose he has for our lives
Self-Control – Keeping our mind on our faith
Perseverance – Holding on to our faith
Godliness – Surrendering to God’s will
Kindness – Respecting others
Love – Loving others as God loves us.
Our faith is only as strong as our relationship with God. As our spiritual journey begins, we are seeking a life of goodness, and we are certain that a Christian life will bring goodness into our lives. However, our faith is fragile, so we build our faith by actively seeking a relationship with Christ. Our relationship with Christ is built upon our knowledge of His word, as well as opening our hearts to Him through prayer, praise, and worship. As our knowledge increases, we can recognize and avoid circumstances that will compromise our relationship with Christ.
By growing our knowledge in Christ, we also grow in faith. It is in faith we appreciate the good times in our lives, and it is in faith we endure the difficulties in life. Our knowledge in Christ allows us to keep our mind on our faith, allows us to hold on to our faith, and most importantly, allows us to surrender to God’s will. Once we surrender to God’s will, we can love and respect one another, not just because God has commanded us to but because of His love for us.
