Some months back, we did a blog post entitled ‘One Necessary Component You Need to Grow in God.’ In that post, based on the Epistle of Second Peter, we looked at some of the elements that make for a strong spiritual walk in God. In today’s blog we pick up, where we left off and talk about how ‘increase’ is a part of God and how it should be a part of your everyday life.

[Tweet “God’s name is El-Shaddai, not El-Cheapo. He is the God who is more than enough.”]

Review

• As stated above, some months back, we did a blog post entitled ‘One Necessary Component You Need to Grow in God.’
• From that post, came a list of eight qualities that make for a strong spiritual walk in God.

2 Peter 1:5–7 (ESV) — 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

• We repeat that list here for your edification.

Eight Areas to Key In On So You Won’t Backslide

• The eight areas are:
  • Faith
  • Virtue
  • Knowledge
  • Temperance
  • Patience
  • Godliness
  • Brotherly kindness
  • Charity
• The theme of this post is the next verse in Second Peter.

Being Effective and Fruitful in Jesus

2 Peter 1:8–9 (ESV) — 8 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. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

• Two characteristics should describe these eight areas in your life.
• The first is ownership.
• As a born again child of God, these eight areas are already inside of you.
• In fact, these eight areas show that you are a real deal believer.
• They are a badge of genuineness.
• These eight traits are supposed to be ‘yours’ as a possession so much so that the failure to exhibit any of these traits would lead to the question, ‘Are you a ‘real’ child of God in the first place?’

God Is a God of Increase

• The second characteristic is that these eight areas should be increasing in your life.
• This speaks to the issue of personal spiritual growth.
• Are you growing in God?
• Are you increasing in Him?
• The Greek word for ‘increasing’ means to abound.
• It means to become bigger or greater in amount.
• Wuest has the definition as super-abounding.¹
• The Lord introduced himself to Abraham this way, as the God of Increase.

Genesis 12:2 (ESV) — 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

• God wanted Abraham to abound.
• He wanted him to be great.
• The word ‘great’ means remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree, magnitude, or effect.
• Verses like this show the character and nature of our God.
• He’s not a cheap God.
• As one person said:

God’s name is El-Shaddai, not El-Cheapo.

• El-Shaddai means the God who is more than enough.
• Our Father God is not a barely rake by scrape by God.
• He is a God of abundance and blessing.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (ESV) — 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

• His desire is to strengthen your life so you can see and experience His life of greatness.
• When Abraham turned ninety-nine years of age, the Lord appeared to him and spoke further of multiplication and increase.

Genesis 17:1–2 (ESV) — 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.”

• Some think that God’s dealing with Abraham was just to make the nation of Israel great.
• That this blessing was just for the Jew.
• But that’s not true.
• God wants all of His family to experience greatness.
• You as a Blood bought believer in Jesus are part of His family.
• The blessing of increase is yours.

Psalm 115:12–15 (ESV) — 12 The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; 13 he will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great. 14 May the LORD give you increase, you and your children! 15 May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth!

• You can see from this verse that the blessings of God were not just reserved for Israel but are for all of those who fear and reverentially respect the Lord.
• Just take a look at these ‘increase’ verses in the Bible.
• Let your thinking rise to the level of His.

‘Increase’ Verses

Exodus 23:30 (ESV) — 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.

Deuteronomy 7:13 (ESV) — 13 He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you.

Proverbs 3:9–10 (ESV) — 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Isaiah 40:28–31 (ESV) — 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Ephesians 3:20 (ESV) — 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

• Oral Roberts used to have a sign on his desk, I’m told, that said ‘No small plans here’.
• That would be right because even if you thought small about what the Lord was leading you to do, eventually your walk would lead to increase.
• It’s just the way He is.

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