Conduct Before God Part Three—Growth

When I was a young Christian, I didn’t appreciate the value of growing in the Lord and how much I needed it. We should conduct ourselves before God as mature and capable of knowing and understanding God’s Word.

Read 1st Peter 2:1-8 to prepare for today’s lesson.

To get started, read the Reading Plan for 1st Peter, Your Identity in Christ, Conduct Before God, Part One: Holiness, and Conduct Before God: Mindset..

The Word of God, Nourishment

There’s something wrong with a child who doesn’t grow. Malnutrition contributes to the problem and affects their mental ability.

Spiritually, there is no difference. We need to grow – we require the unadulterated spiritual milk of God’s Word. The truth is, we cannot afford not to grow in the Lord.

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it, you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the goodness of the Lord.

1 Peter 2:1-3

If you haven’t tasted the goodness of the Lord, then you will not want to grow. The word of the Lord is satisfying and important for life.

Being in or out of the word makes a difference in your thought life and your day-to-day life. You will notice how it affects your behavior. The word our teacher, reproves our character, corrects our shortfalls, and trains us to living right (see 2 Timothy 3:16). Without it, we are uninformed, misinformed, and conformed to the pattern of this world.

Word of God, Active

For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as to the division of soul and spirit, both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

What happens when we are naked and exposed to the Living God?

When you engage in Scripture, you encounter God. When you read it from your heart, you will discover the heart of God.

The Word is powerful to create in us an unshakable faith. It reaches into the inmost parts of our personality and judges our inner thoughts. Even the subconscious is open to the Lord.

The Word of God, Accurate

The word of God is accurate to deal with us as we need to mature. It exposes our thoughts and motives. The Holy Spirit reveals our blind spots.

The mature Christian knows they need the Word and our need for the Lord. We require His instruction, correction, and help. A hardened heart refuses to hear and turns to Scripture. The immature doesn’t want to be bothered by it, but if he has to, will choose passages out of context.

For God’s Word, we are naked and exposed. We run away in disobedience, or we draw near. His correct is hard, but good. His revelation was genuine. There are no excuses—no blind spots.

The Word of God, Protective

The protective power of God’s word is necessary for maturity. Without exposure to the Word, we will continue in hatefulness, deception, insincerity, jealousy, and slander. The spiritual milk of God’s word is not something to be taken lightly—we should crave it like a hungry child.

… They stumble because they don’t follow the Word of God, as they are destined to do.

1 Peter 2:8b

Without the Word, we are unarmed, especially in the world of spiritual warfare. We know the word of God as the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). We’re vulnerable because the weapon is missing.

We stumble without the Word, and will do so because we refuse to listen to His Word or even obey it.

God’s Word and our response are important.

The Word of God, Power to Open our Minds

Who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time… So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor, at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:5 and 7,

The Holy Spirit opens our mind to receive what we need from God’s Word, and at times, it will test us to increase the genuineness of our faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

As we read God’s Word, we become obedient children without living in the ignorance of sin. Furthermore, we no longer want to sin. Sin separates us from God, and separation from God silences the word of God in our soul.

The Word of God, Blessing

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

In conclusion, the blesses us in His Word. Why? So the name of the LORD would be on us and He would bless us.

God’s people are blessed because He blesses them and keeps them. They are secure because He finds delight in them. He is gracious to them and gives them peace. He is happy when he thinks of them.

When we grow in the Lord, we grow in God’s blessing.

God provides everything we need—especially His presence. Nothing guards the heart and mind better than God’s peace and steadfast love. God’s favor is priceless.

Conduct Yourself before the Lord, Mature

Make every effort to present yourself to God as one who is approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, correctly handling the word of truth. .

II Timothy 2:15

Finally, let us remember that the knowledge of God’s Word helps us present ourselves right before God.

We require insight and understanding from the Holy Spirit if we handle the word of truth. The Holy Spirit shines his light on the text and unwraps the secret, profound things of God. We receive discretion and can properly analyze, accurately explain, and apply Scriptures right.

In conclusion, If I haven’t convinced you yet, then please take a few minutes and enjoy this poem I’ve dedicated to the God of His Word:

The Word of God

The Word of God is a searchlight.
Examines the souls of men.
Surfaces the deep-seated and desperate state.
Exposes our true nature without Him.

Brought face to face with our sin.
Confronting the poison that seeps into our soul.
No escaping the truth.
No escaping self.

The Word of God reveals.
The root cause of our trouble.
Origin of our weakness
The foundation of our failure.

The Word of God is powerful.
Discovery.
Invitation.
Salvation.

The Word of God provides.
Rich provision of God’s grace. 
Transformation
Encounter with the Lover of our soul.

The Word of God instructs.
Inspires, counsels, and leads to maturity.
Separates us for His good purposes.

He made a way.
Where there was no other way.
Death exchanged for life.

Reconciliation.
Alone, that would have been enough.
But there is more.
Much more.

Die to self.
Rise up in newness.
Of life.

Kept us safe by the power of His love.
Because He lives.
We live also.

The Word of God is God!

Call to action

There’s not much here to do except to go to the Word and enjoy it.

• Let it nourish your soul.
• Allow it to be active in your life as it accurately shows your blind spots.
• Be protected by the power of the Word and carry the fragrance of the Author.
• Let the Word of God bless you and conduct yourself as a worthy workman, rightly handling the Word of truth.

What’s your takeaway? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Yours in Christ,