As we continue looking at GROW in 2026, we need to stop and take a long hard look at our FAITH. Is our faith as strong as we need it to be? Is our faith grounded where it needs to be? Let’s look closer at securing our faith and making sure our faith is secured in our relationship that we have with God.

We can now know God, really know Him. We can commune and fellowship with Him and have His presence and power operating in our lives. God’s presence and power can conquer all the problems, trials, and temptations of life that attack us. The living God can be a living reality in our lives. His presence and power can conquer all the enemies of life, including the last great enemy, death. How? How can we lay hold of such a new and living faith - lay hold of the living God in our lives?

(v. 22) The first duty of a Christian is to draw near to God. Jesus Christ has opened the way into God’s presence for us. He has taken our sins upon Himself and bore the guilt and judgment of them for us. He has freed us from sin, removed all sin off of us. He is now ready to present us to God as being sinless and righteous. Jesus Christ has made us acceptable to God. He has provided a new and living way into the holiest place of all, into the very presence of God Himself. We can now know God, know Him personally and intimately; we can now commune and fellowship with God, have His presence and power in our lives as we walk day by day. Therefore, let us draw near God. But note how we approach God is important. He must be approached in a particular way; some preparation is necessary in order to approach Him.

•     We must have a “true heart”. This means genuine, sincere, honest, meaningful and without hypocrisy. A true heart involves an attitude of gladness, freedom and enthusiasm. A true believer knows that Jesus Christ has opened the door into God’s presence; therefore ...

•     he is thankful and appreciative

•     he is glad and joyful

•     he feels free and at liberty to enter God’s presence

•     he is enthusiastic and excited about entering God’s presence

•     There is no hypocrisy or insincerity, no dishonesty whatsoever in a true heart. A true heart knows what Jesus Christ has done—the great impact and meaning of what He has done. A true heart knows that it can really draw near God—that it can know God and commune and fellowship with Him. It knows that it can walk in praise and thanksgiving to God all day—that it can have the presence and power of God looking after and caring for it all day—that God will deliver from all trials and temptations and give victory and triumph over all. The true heart knows what it is to draw near God—what it is to live in an unbroken communion and fellowship with Him.

•     We must have “full assurance of faith.” Full assurance means unqualified assurance in Christ, that He is the One Person who can and does give us access into God’s presence—that Christ and Christ alone makes us acceptable to God. It means to be absolutely convinced that the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ is the only perfect sacrifice—that His sacrificial death is the only sacrifice that God accepts.

•     Too many people have divided loyalties. They do not have the full assurance of faith - full assurance that Jesus Christ is absolutely sufficient to present them perfect before God. Too many think that they are acceptable to God …

•     because they are a good person and do a great deal of good works.

•     because they belong to and attend church.

•     because they have been baptized and confirmed.

•     because they have never done anything considered bad.

(v. 23) The second duty of a Christian is to hold fast to our hope. A person who makes a true profession in Christ believes two things:

•     that Jesus Christ is his Savior from sin and death - that Jesus Christ is the perfect sacrifice for his sins - that Jesus Christ and His sacrifice covers his sins and makes it possible for God to forgive his sins.

•     that Jesus Christ is the risen Lord - that Jesus Christ is his High Priest who is seated at the right hand of God - that Jesus Christ is the perfect Mediator and Intercessor who makes him acceptable to God and presents him as perfect and sinless before God.

•     When a person professes Christ to be his Savior and Lord, he is to hold his profession fast and he is to do it without wavering.

•     The believer is not to listen to the voices of the world and return to worldliness and materialism.

•     The believer is not to doubt that Jesus Christ died for him.

•     The believer is not to doubt that Jesus Christ arose for him.

•     The believer is not to listen to the voices of doubt and false teaching.

•     The believer is not to let circumstances, trials, or temptations shake his faith in Christ.

•     God keeps His Word. And He is the One who has promised to let the sacrifice of Christ count as the sacrifice for our sins. God is the One who has promised to accept us in Christ - to accept us in His perfection and righteousness. God will do exactly what He has said. He is faithful. Therefore, “let us hold fast the profession of our hope without wavering.” We have been saved and will inherit eternal life - given the glorious privilege of living with God forever and ever in the new heavens and earth.

(v. 24) The third duty of a Christian is to stir up one another to love and to do good works. Let’s look at the word “consider”. It means to give attention to; to fix our attention upon; to give continuous care; to watch over. What an exhortation to believers!

•     Give attention to one another.

•     Fix your attention upon one another.

•     Give continuous care to one another.

•     Watch over one another.

•     How different the church would be - how much stronger we would be in Christ and in life - if we heeded this exhortation! And note what it is that we are to give attention to: to make sure that we are stirred up and living for Christ - that we are loving one another and doing good works. This simply means …

•     that we are considerate of one another.

•     that we show concern for one another.

•     that we meet one another’s needs.

•     that we strengthen one another’s weaknesses.

•     that we help one another through every trial and temptation.

•     It means that we love - love in act and not in word - that we …

•     feed the poor

•     visit the sick and shut-ins

•     look after the orphans and the children of broken homes and single parents

•     become a friend to the lonely

•     give direction to the empty and those without purpose.

•     Note the exhortation again: we give attention to one another. Why? To make sure none of us are slacking up - to stir one another to love and to do good works. This is the duty of the new, living faith Jesus Christ has wrought for us. It is not a dead faith. It is faith that stirs us to action - that stirs us to live, truly live, live in love and good works - for the sake of a needful and sick world.

(v. 25) The fourth duty of a Christian is to not neglect worshipping together. We are never to forsake our assembling, not even for a brief time. This is the meaning of this exhortation. Believers are to assemble together …

•     for worship

•     for prayer

•     for the study of God’s Word

•     for ministry

•     for witnessing

•     Read the verse closely and it is clearly seen that the idea is often: we are to assemble together often and never to forsake our coming together. Genuine believers need each other - the presence, fellowship, strength, encouragement, care, and love of each other.