As believers mature in their walk with God, they are called to continually deepen their understanding and application of spiritual truth. According to 2 Peter 3:18, this process involves growing in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul encourages Timothy to nurture his spiritual gifts, as seen in 1 Timothy 4:15, and the book of Hebrews emphasizes the importance of progressing from spiritual infancy to maturity, as described in Hebrews 5:12-14 and 6:1. Through this growth, Christians develop perseverance and hope, as outlined in Romans 5:2-6, ultimately becoming more like Christ.
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But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.
Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food! For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God,
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you actually fail the test? And I hope you will realize that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not that we will appear to have stood the test, but that you will do what is right, even if we appear to have failed.
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.
Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.