The course of my study has brought us to the point of our ever growing in the pure Knowledge of the LORD GOD in the Spirit of Christ. The anointed One in Whom we receive His anointing of which many speak of but miss out on. Because they lack the Wisdom of GOD which comes to us from on High. From here I will again call upon the writing of Pastor Hoekstra and then use the ESV translation for our text. And should the LORD give me further utterance as doing I will as always break in where and where He does so.
"Growing in Knowing the Lord"
"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever." (2Peter 3:18)
"Peters statement by the way is a commandment to grow in the Knowledge of the LORD with hesitation or argument. The New Covenant of Grace (at its very core) is a Covenant of Relationship reestablished. GOD's Grace is available to enable us to grow in spiritual Intimacy with our LORD. "Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ." Here, Grace is linked with Growing and with Knowing the LORD. As surely as Grace is the requirement for spiritual birthing, Grace is also the requirement for our Growing. The most strategic area of Spiritual Growth is progress in a deepening Intimate Relationship with the LORD. Paul prayed in this manner for the saints: " that you may have a walk worthy of the LORD, fully pleasing Him . . . and increasing in the Knowledge of GOD" (Colossians 1:10).
This process of Growth necessitates consistent intake of the word of GOD by having our mind set on Him. "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1Peter 2:2). It is through the scriptures that we learn of the Grace of GOD. The words of GOD are "the word of His Grace" (Acts 20:32). Also, the word of GOD has the LORD Christ Jesus as the constant, primary subject. "And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them and then through them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:27). From Genesis through Revelation HE has established this standard for our learning in many ways HE has done so. Of course, the Holy Spirit is the One Who is to guide us into all of these great truths of the LORD Christ Jesus. "However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all Truth . . . He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13-14).
GOD Wills for our lives is that we might live in His Will which is revealed through and to us by HIS Word. This allows us to Grow in His Grace that we might know Him better. This is what is to delight our hearts and change our lives. "Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,' says the LORD' " (Jeremiah 9:23-24). So many people (sometimes, even the people of God) chase after human wisdom, earthly power, or material riches. Thus is our being contrary and hostile to GOD, which is spiritual idolatry which is fornication. GOD desires that He becomes the delight of our hearts and the goal of our life: "that he understands and knows Me." So, let's respond with joy to Hosea's call: "Let us know, let us pursue the Knowledge of [the knowing of] the LORD" (Hosea 6:3)."
Prayers for Wisdom:
2Chronicles 1:7-13 "In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you." And Solomon said to GOD, "You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O LORD GOD, let Your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of Yours, which is so great?" GOD answered Solomon, "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like." So Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel."
Psalm 90:7-12 "For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. For all our days pass away under Your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of Your anger, and Your wrath according to the fear of You? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."
Proverbs 2:1-15 "My son, if you receive My words and treasure up My commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of GOD. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; HE stores up sound wisdom for the upright; HE is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways."
Ephesians 1:15-2:10 "For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the LORD Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the GOD of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give you the Spirit of Wisdom and of Revelation in the Knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which HE has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that HE worked in Christ when HE raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And HE put all things under His feet and gave Him as Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills All in all. And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But GOD, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which HE loves us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by Grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming Ages HE might show the immeasurable riches of His Grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by Grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of GOD, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which GOD prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Colossians 1:9-14 "From the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His Will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the LORD, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the Knowledge of GOD. May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
James 1:5-8 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask GOD, Who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the LORD; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
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