What the Bible says about Growing in Faith
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Luke 18:7-8 Since Christ questions whether even the elect will have the kind of faith He requires, it should be obvious we must grow in faith. Our initial faith toward God has to expand from a tender trust to full-blown conviction. Though we begin by being faithful in little things, we begin to develop the absolute trust required to submit our lives to our Sovereign and Provider without question, equivocation, or wavering. Martin G. Collins Basic Doctrines: Faith Toward God Related Topics: Faith | Faith as Trust | Faith, Building | Faith, Growing in | Faithfulness | Faithfulness in Little Things | Growing in Faith | Trust | Trust in God

Hebrews 11:33-34 This passage contains two examples. Whenever God originally called these people, they were not strong enough to do what they eventually did. Out of weakness they were made strong—strong in faith. They waxed in valor, which means they "increased" or "grew." John W. Ritenbaugh The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Nineteen) Related Topics: Faith, Growing in | Faith, Increase of | Growing in Faith | Growth | Power of God | Spiritual Growth | Spiritual Growth, Process of | Strength | Strength, Growing in | Strength, Spiritual

2 Peter 3:14-18 Peter ends the epistle with the same thought with which he began: We live in spiritually dangerous times, and the way to stay on the beam is to keep on growing. If we grow, our salvation is assured. God is faithful; He has promised us salvation, and He will give it to us if we are faithful. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Do We Have 'Eternal Security'? Related Topics: Eternal Security, Doctrine of | Faith | Faith, Growing in | Faithfulness | Growing in Faith | Growth | Salvation | Salvation Process | Spiritual Growth | Spiritual Growth, Process of

2 Peter 3:17-18 Verse 18 makes it clear that there is a contrast. Peter says, ". . . but grow." Verse 17 is a warning: ". . . beware lest you also fall . . . being led away with the error of the wicked." The command is to grow, so if the contrast that he is establishing in our minds is to be met, the positive part of the instruction is that effort has to be made in order to grow. If we are not making an effort to grow, the only alternative is to go in reverse. We begin to degenerate if we do not make an effort to grow. II Peter 3:17 (Moffatt) Now, beloved, you are forewarned: mind you that you are not carried away by the error of the lawless and so lose your proper footing; My attention is on this verse 17 where he says, "mind you," rather than "beware." He turns it into something that is positive. "Beware" could mean to just look around to make sure that one is safe. But "mind you" says, "Hey, turn your attention to focus on this!" We can see from the combination of these two verses that effort must be made to produce growth or we will likely fall into the error of the wicked. In other words, doing nothing regarding our spiritual responsibilities is akin to doing nothing regarding our physical responsibilities pertaining to our physical health. So we are faced with a choice. We are forewarned. Something has to be done; we cannot just stand still. Nor can we just drift. Some effort has to be made to ensure growth takes place. John W. Ritenbaugh Titus 2:11-14 Related Topics: Growing in Faith | Growing in Grace and Knowledge | Growth | Growth, Spiritual | Personal Responsibility | Responsibility, Sense of | Spiritual Growth | Warning

 

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