The Progression of Faith

October 6, 2019

Sermon Notes

If there is a true profession of faith, there should be a true progression of faith. While you have not arrived at complete spiritual maturity yet, you should be making progress.

Evaluate

  • How committed am I to my discipleship?
  • If there is a true profession of faith, there should be a true progression of faith.
  • You cannot take the full credit or give the complete blame for your spiritual condition.
  • Your spiritual health at the end of your life will be greatly determined by how diligent you are right now.

Examine

2 Peter 1:1-9

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

  • How committed is God to my discipleship?
  • No Christian has a different standing before God than another (1:1).
  • No Christian lacks anything necessary to live a godly life (1:2-4).
  • Your faith is sufficient for salvation, but you must supplement it for sanctification (1:5-7).
  • Every person’s discipleship could be categorized as either increasing or ineffective (1:8-9).

Engage

  • Do you have a Distinctive Discipleship plan prepared?
  • The Distinctive Discipleship plan is a targeted guide to mature you for a set time.
  • This plan is good for an individual, better with a partner, but best with a mentor.
  • My Distinctive Discipleship Plan:
    1. I need to delight in Jesus more than
    2. My disobedience that must be addressed is
    3. The pivotal doctrine for me to study is
    4. I need development in learning how to
    5. I will focus on the spiritual discipline of
    6. My prayers of dependence will ask God to