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3 Ways to Grow Into Your Salvation

We all know what it is like to grow into something. Perhaps you remember from childhood when your mother would use her thumb to check the gap between your big toe and the tip of your new shoes. If she detected a lot of space, she would say you needed to “grow into them.”

So, too, must we grow into our salvation.

 We find this truth in these words from the Apostle Peter to believers: “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:1-3, emphasis added).

Don't get confused. Peter is not saying spiritual growth earns our salvation. Scripture makes it evident that salvation is a free gift of God, given to us and measured out into our lives by His grace through our faith and faith alone. Pastor Adrian Rogers famously stated, “When I put my hand of faith in God's hand of grace, that's salvation.” When you are saved, it is a momentary act of the will of God in response to a measure of free will that He has given you.

But just because God declares you born again and makes that a reality inwardly, you are not the full picture of Christlikeness in that moment.  The rest of your life will be spent growing into the shoe He slid the foot of your soul into.  

So how do you best position your soul for growth? 


Let’s look at the three steps Peter presented in the passage above:

  1. Discard the wicked (v.1)

The first step of growing spiritually is not what you choose to do; it's what you choose not to do. Peter states we must rid our lives of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Again, not so that we can be saved but because growing into our salvation means who we are outwardly more and more matches who God has declared us to be inwardly.

Does that mean we will be perfect and never sin? No. One of the telltale signs of a mature Christian isn’t perfection but having a heart continually set on repentance. We all need to ask Him to search our hearts and lives for that which does not honor Him. And when the Holy Spirit helps us see anything that displeases the Lord, we must repent, get rid of it, and set up wise boundaries.

START TODAY: Consider things like your language, thought life, media intake, habits, relationships, or even substances you may be abusing - the list can go on and on. If something in your life doesn't honor the Lord, and you attempt to compartmentalize and tolerate it, you will greatly hinder your spiritual growth. As you attempt to discard those things that dishonor the Lord, don't try to do it alone. Confess it to a small circle of people who love you, love the Lord Jesus, and will hold you accountable. 

Secondly, we don't just discard that which is wicked. We must replace that with the right desire. 

  1. Desire the Word (v.2)

Peter uses the metaphor of desiring God’s Word as a newborn infant desires his or her mother’s milk. Just as a newborn baby comes out with the natural and needed desire to nurse, we should have that same level of desire for God’s Word. Note that Peter isn't just referencing new believers or “babes” in the faith. All believers need consistent time in God's Word, or we will dry up spiritually. 

START TODAY: If you want to taste and see that the Lord is good through meeting Him in Scripture, it helps to have a few things set in place. 

Pick a time. Many people prefer the morning, but you can choose a time that best fits your schedule and personality. 

Find a place. Finding a specific place for your quiet times can help you consistently spend one-on-one time with Jesus. This can be anywhere that is comfortable and quiet enough so you are not interrupted. Kitchen tables, front porches, corner booths, pickup trucks, and living room couches can all be fine places to meet with the Lord.

Get a plan. The best way to experience Scripture is not to open your Bible to a random page. Instead, find a Bible-reading plan to guide your time with God. You can find reading plans from the church where I pastor HERE.

Choose a method. There are different methods you can use to help you study. You may have used ones like the SOAP Method, or there is the CAMP Method that I created and you can learn about HERE.

Tell a friend. Ask someone you trust to help hold you accountable. 

Finally, Peter addresses the posture of our hearts. 

  1. Delight in the Lord (v.3)

This is where spending time with the Lord goes from being legalism to love. Consider the metaphor of the baby Peter used. Once babies discover how good and satisfying their mother's milk or even baby formula is, nothing else will satisfy them. 

Peter is saying it should be the same for us! If we have tasted how good the Lord is through His Word, we should crave it all the more. We should continually desire to hear from Him through His Word. 

START TODAY: We don't have to fall into the trap of reducing time with the Lord to a checklist. We can pray for Him to stir a genuine desire in our hearts for His Word and His presence. Add this prayer to your time with Him, “Lord, let me delight in You more. I want to enjoy Your presence.”

May the rhythms we set for this year reveal that we are people who desire to grow into our salvation. People who discard the wicked, desire the Word, and delight in the Lord.