Twin Strategies

Nº 226

weekly devotions to refresh your soul by Dr. Dan Bolin - November 29, 2022

It is, in fact, a law of the spiritual life that the further you go, the more you are aware of the distance still to be covered. Your growing desire for God makes you increasingly conscious, not so much of where you are in your relationship with Him as of where as yet you are not. - J.I. Packer

My five-year-old grandson is fascinated with chess. We play often and somehow; he always seems to win! So, when a weekly Chess Club organized at his school, he was eager to join. After the first meeting my wife asked him, “Did you learn how to play chess?” “No,” he replied. “I already know how to play chess; we just learned strategy!”

Every chess grandmaster began by grasping the essential rules and learning the basic moves assigned to each piece. But improvement requires a proven strategy and a life-long commitment. Everyone’s development is filled with wins, losses, and steady growth.

Growing is not confined to chess. Peter’s final instruction captures the essential strategy of Christian development. He said, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

For healthy Christians, the two-part strategy of grace and knowledge is essential and requires steady growth. We cannot merely be gracious people while remaining void of God’s truth. But neither should we become biblically and theologically accurate while practicing harsh, critical behaviors.

Move on from the basics. Learn more and more about the twin strategies of grace and knowledge from the only true Grandmaster, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dan Bolin

Author & President

Refueling in Flight Ministries, Inc.