Many New year’s resolutions will include becoming active and fit. People will change their diet, join fitness clubs and become set on improving their physical and mental health through clean living. While none of this is a bad thing it is to no avail if we do not also take care of our eternal man. While the outward body is perishing the inward man will live on in eternity, so it is therefore imperative to be renewed daily (ref. II Cor. 4:16) How we live our life out in relation to our Father God will determine where we will spend eternity.
Let’s take a look at what the spirit of the Lord would speak to us in His word concerning the strengthening and growth of our eternal inward being.
But also, for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1: 5-8
The Amplified Bible uses the word “exercising” In the above verse to describe the phrase from the NKJV “add to your faith,” so that it reads “employ every effort in exercising your faith”. Therefore, we can understand that the place of growth for the inner man begins by exercising what the spirit of the Lord has given us. When we exercise in the physical, we become stronger, our muscles develop and our overall stature is affected. We stand straighter, and feel better as we develop and “add to” the muscles we already have. The same is true for the inner man. The core of our inner man is our faith, it is what every other Christian attribute is built upon.
We have already seen in verse three of 2nd Peter Ch. 1, that it is the divine power of God who gives us everything we need, so we are not on our own to produce the Christian attributes as described above. God is there to help us but it is our responsibility to give ourselves to that training and teaching. Just as we set ourselves on a physical regimen to become more fit, we need also to set our mind and heart on exercising our inner man. To build upon those things God has imparted to us. Sometimes physical exercise can be painful, and sometimes exercising our Godly character may feel awkward or ill fitted. Our out-ward man may rebel against things like self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. But it is inevitable that the more we practice, and give ourselves in obedience to live out the character of Christian living growth will come, fruit will be produced.
May 2020 be the year of abundant growth and development in your inner man! To God be the glory!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your divine power which helps me day to day. I ask you to help me to begin to live out your divine nature in my everyday life, bearing fruit that others may see you in me. Let your love flow from me to others. In Jesus name. Amen.