Reference: II Peter 3:18
Have you ever considered exactly what itmeans to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus? I just aboutknow for a fact that you have been taught that it means to come to theknowledge of what the scriptures say having many of them memorized in your mindetc. The average Bible teacher today will tell you that you should at leastread and study the scriptures a few minutes every day so that you will have aknowledge of the word so that you in turn can win somebody else to the Lord. Myfriend, to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord does not mean to havea mental knowledge of what the scriptures say, but rather it means to grow andcome to the measure and the stature of Christ spiritually until Christ has beenformed in you. Christ can only be formed within you by your coming to thisknowledge which is brought about through the power of the revealed word oftruth contained in the gospel. Having a knowledge of Christ is not having amental knowledge of what the word says,but rather it simply means that you have come to the knowledge that Christ hasbeen formed in you and it is now Christ that liveth in you and being manifestedthrough your mortal flesh.
The common teaching today in the religious world isthat you receive Christ in your heart and life when you confess belief in himand accept him as your Lord and Saviour and then you must come to a knowledgeof what the scripture say. This doctrine only gives you a mental knowledge ofwhat the scriptures say without realizing that the word of God is the power totransform you into another creation. The point that you must understand is thatChrist is formed in you through a daily process by your receiving and obeyingthe revealed truth and walking in it. To receive the Lord Jesus Christ intoyour heart and life is not done by just saying that you believe on him and thatyou accept him as Lord and Saviour. Receiving Christ is done through faithmeaning you must receive the word of truth and walk in it. Jesus himself saidthat he was the way, the truth, and the life. Just to saythat you believe on Christ and to say you accept him as your personal Saviourcannot change your condition phyisically or spiritually in the least. Theapostle Peter tells you to receive and to desire the sincere milk of the wordthat you may grow thereby. ( I Peter 2:2) This growing is a process of your being transformed intothe image of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word of truth is the means and thepower to do this very thing if you receive it with meekness. If you say thatyou believe in Christ, this only means that you acknowledge in your mind thatyou believe that he came to this earth and died for the sins of the wholeworld. Your believing this only gives you a mental knowledge of what he came tothis earth for. The scriptures says that if you believe on Christ and confessit with your mouth and that God raised him from the dead then you will besaved. The very next scripture tells you that with the heart man believes untorighteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. You mustfrom the heart believe your way unto righteousness. Paul tells us in Romans 1:17 that in thegospel of Christ is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith. Thisrighteousness is revealed to you progressively as you receive and walk in thelight of it. God's righteousness that the gospel contains is the very life ofChrist that you will receive if you are obedient to it as it is revealed to youby the Holy Spirit. Remember that Christ said that he is the way, thetruth, and the life. The life of Christ that a believer receives isthe righteousness of God that the gospel contains. This righteousness isrevealed to the believer as he or she walks in the light of the knowledge ofthe truth. The Holy Spirit is the teacher of the truth. He reveals Christ inyou as you receive and walk in the truth of the gospel. Just to say you acceptChrist as your Lord and Saviour is not how you receive Christ into your heartand life. Receiving Christ into your heart and life is more than saying you believeon him as your personal Saviour. Christ is the revealed truth that the gospelcontains. Christ is also the life of God and the life of God is therighteousnes that is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith. (Romans 1:16,17)Christ is also the way. The way is revealed in the word of the gospel. This iswhy Christ could say that he is the way, the truth, and thelife. If you receive and walk in the way that the gospel reveals then youare actually receiving Christ. If you receive and walk in the truth of thegospel you are also receiving Christ into your heart and life. If you receiveand obey the word of truth then you are also receiving the very life of Godwhich is Christ Jesus. Now how is it possible for you to receive Christ in yourheart and life by just your saying that you believe on him and that you accepthim as your Lord and Saviour? By doing this you are only accepting the factthat Christ died for you on the cross. This you must believe before youcan be truly saved. If you confess Christ and you believe that God raised himfrom the dead then you my friend, can be saved "if" you receive andobey the word of truth. The Bible tells us that Christ has become the author ofeternal salvation unto all them that obey him. (Hebrews 5:9) To obey Christis to obey the word of truth that the gospel reveals. The Holy Ghost revealsthe truth to you as you walk in the light of it. If you do not receive and walkin the truth then God's word very plainly says that he will send you strongdelusions that will cause you to believe lies to be damned. (read II Thessalonians 2:10-12) You will either hear the word of truth to be saved or elseto hear it to be damned. Jesus said that this gospel of the kingdom will bepreached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then the endshall come. (Matthew 24:14) My friend, you can receive the gospel and be saved or youcan reject it and be eternally damned forever. The choice is up to you. You canreject it just as easy as you can receive it. God will not force you to receiveand obey his word, but he will give you an equal opportunity to hear it. Jesussaid that many would say to him that they did many wonderful works in his nameby casting out devils, healing the sick, prophesying in his name etc. The word ofGod says that he will profess unto them that he never knew them. Jesus saidthey were workers of iniquity. A worker of iniquity is a person that claims tobe a born again child of God but all the time they refuse to receive and obeythe truth of the word of God that the gospel reveals. My friend, the truth ofthe gospel is for you to receive with meekness the engrafted word which is ableto save your soul in a progressive manner, but if you refuse to walk in thetruth of it, then you will be one that will receive strong delusion causing youto believe lies to be eternally damned. It is very easy to refuse truth. It isjust as easy for you to receive truth also. You won't receive truth because youlove darkness more than the light. The light of truth will show you your sinfulcondition whereas the darkness will tickle your ears giving you an easy way ofgoing but it will lead you to destruction. Christ is coming for a spotlesschurch my friend. If you want to be part of this church, then walk in the lightof truth.....