Eight Habits of Highly Effective Christians 2 Peter 1:1-10 Habit Number Three: Concentration On Increasing Biblical Knowledge From this passage we began studying last week what I have called... "Eight Habits of Highly Effective Christians". After establishing the fact that the true Christian has laid a foundation of saving faith by trusting Jesus as their Savior, Peter goes on to challenge the believer to "add to" their faith. He is saying... Build upon that foundation of faith. And here in this passage, Peter shares with us the Lord's plan for building our spiritual lives. Last week we learned that, The Highly Effective Christian... 1) Practices Spiritual Diligence Remember in verse 5 we are told that we are to add to our faith.... "giving all diligence". That means giving our best effort to accomplish spiritual growth. If we are to grow spiritually then we must habitually practice spiritual diligence. We also learned that... The Highly Effective Christian... 2) Cultivates A Passion for Virtue Virtue refers to the courageous pursuit of moral excellence. Remember... we learned that Virtue is an ATTITUDE that we must have, and an ACTION that we must take. Internally, we desire to what is right. Outwardly, we demonstrate what is right. Virtue is being holy in an unholy world. Notice that Peter goes on in verse 5 to tell us that having a desire to do what is right is essential to adding to our faith, but desire alone is not enough. Therefore Peter instructs us to "add.... knowledge" to virtue. By "knowledge" Peter is referring to the investigation and comprehension of spiritual truth. He is saying that we need to add to virtue, a consentrated effort of learning spiritual truth. So let me define the third habit of Highly Effective Christians. The Highly Effective Christian.... 3) Consentrates On Increasing Biblical Knowledge The source of true spiritaul truth is the Word of God. II Timothy 3:16 states that.... "All scriptpure is given by inspiration of god, and is profitable for doctrine (what is right), for reproof (what is wrong), for correction (how to get right), and for instruction in righteousness (how to stay right). If we want to grow spiritually, then we must become students who will.... Learn, Love, and Live... God's precious Word. I heard about a little firl who had gone to Sunday School and Church with a friend. Later inthe day her mother who had not attended with her, asked her what the preacher had preached about. The pastor's sermon had been about Revival. The little girl couldn't pronounce her V's very well so when she answered her mother, she said, "The preacher said that we need... RE-BIBLE. I agree with the preacher and the little girl.... If we ever experience REVIVAL it will be because we have.... RE-BIBLED ! There are not short cuts to spiritual growth. To grow spiritually demands a diligent effort on your part to learn spiritual truth from the Word of God. That should involve... 1) Coming to hear the preaching of God's Word. The Pastor's two most important functions according to the scriptures is to... "give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word." (Acts 6:4) Peter instructed Pastor's to "Feed the flock of God.." (1 Pet 5:1). You need to be fed spiritually through the preaching of the Word of God. 2) I think getting to know the Bible better also involves participation in Sunday School. Sunday School offers the opportunity to systematically study the Word of God. Here at Harrison we have a class for everyone. If you haven't been... let me encourage you to start. If you have dropped out let me urge you to drop in. 3) Frankly, we ought to take advantage of every opportunity to learn from the Word of God. Ex... personally reading and studying. So,we are to add "knowledge"... add spiritual truth to our lives... how does that help us? First.... 1. It will help us know Right from Wrong. Some say, well... everybody knows right from wrong. Oh I wish that were true. We live in a day that is simular to a time in the Old Testament, where according to the book of Judges, every man was doing what was... "right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25) Isaiah 5:20 teaches us that there are those who... "..call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness." Everyone does not have the correct concept of right and wrong. As a matter of fact, our society seldom is right on what is right and wrong. Society is constantly putting their stamp of approval on sin. For example...I remember going to MaDonald's one day for lunch. As I was eating, I was looking trough the paper. Enclosed in the paper was one of those TV listings booklets. Dispersed among the daily listings of the programs were a few short articles focused on some of the TV personalities. I was glancing through one of those articles when to my surprise, the article announced that this particular actress had adopted a son, whom she was raising with her lesbian companion! It was written with the obvious intent of presenting her lifestyle as normal, acceptable. If we are going to know what is right, we had better look to the Word of God. The writer of Hebrews tells us that it is through skillful study of the Word of God that we are equipped... "to discern both good and evil". (Heb. 5:14b) Knowing Spiritual Truth will help us know right from wrong. Secondly... Knowing Spiritual truth... 2. It will help us win our spiritual Battles The Christian life is a battle ground. If we are to grow then we must have victory over temptation and sin. Jesus was tempted... ( Matthew 4)... and in each case, do you remember what Jesus did to counteract the temptation? He quoted the scriptures. He repeated said... it is written ! Paul exhorted believers in Ephesians 6 as to how to be equipped for spiritual conflict. He said that we are to put on the whole armour of God. A part of that armout is "the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God." A defensive tool to turn away Satan's blows. 3. It will help us know, love and appreciate our Savior. Peter's burden was to see his readers grow strong in their faith. Look at the final verse of this letter. He underscores the message of this book. 2Pt:3:18: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. We need to grow in our knowledge of Jesus. The Apostle Paul's ambition was to know Jesus. 1Cor:2:2: For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Phil:3:8: Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, When I was saved, I didn't know that much about Jesus and my salvation. All I really understood was that I was a sinner, bound for a terrible place called hell. Jesus came to the world to bring salvation. I prayed believing that Jesus would forgive me, save me, and live in me. Since my salvation, I've learned alot more of the details about Jesus and my salvation. That knowledge makes me appreciate Him and love Him more than I was able to when I first received HIm as my Savior. Get into the Word. Let it help you grow in your knowledge of Jesus Christ. For those of you who have not trusted Jesus as your Savior, let me tell you that there a knowledge God wants you to pursue. 1Tm:2:4 teaches us that it is God's will for...... "all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." God wants you to know the truth about salvation.