Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today let’s close the week inspired to grow in our knowledge of Christ, and to show others we know Him personally.

Today’s scripture, 2 Peter 1:2‭-‬9 (NLT), says…
May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

Consider…
According to BambooHR, new hire orientation is important because it signifies the beginning of the relationship between employee and employer. It’s used to introduce employees to your company and prepare them for their role.

Anyone who has started a new job or changed jobs is familiar with new hire orientation. I find it interesting employers require new employees to learn the company’s mission, culture, beliefs and products or services before allowing them to represent it.

Well the same is true with God. He expects us to know who He is, what He’s about and how He wants to be represented, before allowing believers to represent Him.

Before diving into our new lives orientation, let’s state something often overlooked when discussing salvation. God made our lives new for us to do what He wants us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (ERV) explains…
God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.

Our salvation is just the beginning of our selection for service. In the employment world, being saved is akin to being hired.

Also like the employment world, once we’re hired, we must be onboarded. According to Acts 2:38 (AMP), God begins our new lives relationship with the onboarding of the Holy Spirit. It says…
Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is vital to us successfully living the lives and doing the good things God pre-planned for us. That’s because according to Titus 3:5-6 (AMP) God says…
He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior,

Notice the cleansing, transforming, regenerating and renewing work is done by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ finished work saved us, but it’s the Holy Spirit’s work that sanctifies us.

Like a company’s Human Resource professionals, the Holy Spirit has the responsibility to orient us to the ways of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives.

I find it fascinating that Jesus told His disciples in John 16:12‭-‬14 (NLT)…
“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.

Notice Jesus said the Spirit of truth. That’s because Jesus is the self-proclaimed Truth. (John 14:6). That means, the Holy Spirit’s primary role and responsibility, as God’s human resource, is to help us know and live the truth of Jesus!

Today’s scripture challenges us to grow in our knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. And the Divine power He has given us to do so is the person of the Holy Spirit. We know that because Ephesians 4:21‭-‬24 (NLT) exhorts…
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Pay attention to the fact that we have to throw off the old, which is also known as repentance. But we’re told to LET the Spirit renew.

God’s way of thinking and being must be taught, and the Holy Spirit is the teacher. Like a new company, God needs to reorient our thinking to His, in order to ensure we accomplish His will His way!

Never forget, we belong to God and He sets the rules and expectations for success. Our responsibility to our relationship with God is to grow in what we know, and then let it show.

Which brings us to the last part of today’s inspiration, which is let what you know show.

Looking at today’s scripture I see show statements that show how well we know God and Jesus. The Apostle Peter said respond to God’s promises by supplementing…

• Faith with a generous provision of moral excellence. Our standard of conduct should be a reflection of our faith.
• Moral excellence with knowledge. Our standard of conduct should grow with the more we know. Know better, be better. We shouldn’t have to guess how to behave like Christ, we should know.
• Knowledge with self-control. We just wrote know better, be better. People should see us be able to control ourselves in every situation and amid every temptation.
• Self-control with patient endurance. A major demonstration of self-control is the ability to keep our peace and hold our tongue. The only way we can do that is to patiently endure whatever or whoever God allows to challenge our faith in Him. Patient endurance stems from a peaceful confidence that God keeps His promises, which includes Isaiah 54:17.
• Patient endurance with godliness. Godliness is looking like and behaving like God! 1 Peter 1:15-16
• Godliness with brotherly affection. 1 Peter 3:8 (NLT) tells us…Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude… Outsiders pay attention to family dynamics in deciding if they want to join. Don’t let the way you treat fellow Christians dissuade contemplating Christians.
• Last, Brotherly affection with love for everyone. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NLT) exhorts…And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

… Peter said….The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Continue to grow in Who, and what you know about Him, and then with the Holy Spirit’s help, show others you belong to Him.

Today’s song is…
He’s Preparing Me

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)