Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 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.
2 Peter 3:17-18
In October 1944, while World War II was still raging, Johnny Mercer recorded a new song that became a massive hit. “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” reached the top five in the country for Mercer as well as for two other recording artists in 1945. Its encouragement to focus on what was good resonated with a war-weary public, as did its warning not to settle for something in between. Interestingly, the idea for the song reportedly came from a sermon that one of Mercer’s friends had heard and later described to him.
The Christian life is not meant to be lived in a spiritual “in-between.” Peter warned believers of the danger of being “led away” and falling from their steadfastness. His answer to that danger was clear: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Spiritual growth is not optional for the Christian who wants to remain faithful. We need to keep learning God’s Word, deepening our walk with Christ, and becoming more like Him.
There is no point in the Christian life when we have grown enough that we no longer need to keep moving forward. Years of faithfulness do not remove our need for daily dependence on God. If we stop pursuing Christ, influences that once seemed powerless can begin to draw our hearts away from Him. Demas had once served alongside the apostle Paul, yet Paul later wrote, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10). His example is a sobering reminder that past faithfulness does not guarantee future steadfastness. Keep growing in grace. Keep growing in your knowledge of Christ. Keep moving forward with Him.
