How We Grow As Christians

During our community group time last night this passage from 2nd Peter really stuck out to me:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV) (emphasis added)

This passage flips our usual understanding of spiritual growth and discipleship on it’s head.  This is not about obtaining these virtues, gaining levels until you reach the top.  We want discipleship to be like going through school as a child and graduating from grade to grade.  There aren’t any levels in this passage though.

What is important is “increasing measure.”  There aren’t any levels, graduation ceremonies, or completion.  You don’t suddenly find yourself a card carrying, baptized member of the Christian club who is certified as 100% Christian.  No, instead, the emphasis on who a true disciple is falls on the evidence of “increase.”

What this does is level the playing field for disciples.  We are all in this together, and a good disciple is not someone who possesses a certain amount of these virtues but the disciple who is always increasing in these virtues, whether they’ve been a Christian for six months or six years or sixty years.  The disciple is not certified, she is dynamic and always increasing.