Dying Slowly or Growing Steadily?

Why Endurance, Not Just Faith, Leads to Spiritual Strength

Many people believe that walking with God will make life smooth and problem-free. They assume that if you're truly in faith, you'll never struggle. But this mindset sets us up for failure. When life hits hard—and it will—people's faith is often shaken because they believed they were supposed to be "10 feet tall and bulletproof." The truth is, we were never promised an easy journey—we were instructed to grow.

In 2 Peter 1, Peter lays out the blueprint for spiritual development. He begins by emphasizing that our precious faith was given to us not by our merit, but through the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ. That faith was the starting point. But if you stop there, you're not done. In fact, you're in danger of being spiritually ineffective.

Peter tells us to supplement our faith with moral excellence. Then add knowledge. Then self-control. Then patient endurance. Then godliness. Then brotherly affection. And finally, love for everyone. It's not a one-and-done kind of walk—it's a process of layering spiritual virtues over time.

Why? Because patience without endurance and godliness leaves you vulnerable. You’ll get torn apart—not immediately—but slowly. You’ll be dying to death, but doing it slowly. In contrast, when you build layer by layer, you become productive, useful, and strong in your knowledge of Jesus.

Don't Let It Drift

Hebrews 2 warns us not to let these truths slip. Drift doesn’t happen with a loud bang—it happens silently. Gradually. Until one day, you find yourself far from God, confused and wondering how you got there. Peter and Paul both emphasize the same truth: there's a war in your members, a pull of the flesh that wants to sabotage your spirit.

Spiritual success isn’t about avoiding all hardship—it’s about refusing to drift. It's about holding tight to what you've heard and walking it out daily. This is why you can't rely on what you once knew. Faith doesn't come by what you heard, it comes by hearing—continual, repeated exposure to the Word.

Get Back to Endurance

Paul put it this way in Romans 7 and 8: “The things I don’t want to do, I do. And the things I should do, I don’t do.” That’s the human condition, but it's not where we're meant to stay. Through Christ, we’ve been given the freedom and the power to walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh.

But we have to practice it. Endurance is learned. It’s developed in the choices we make when we don’t feel like it. It’s in saying no to shortcuts and staying faithful to God’s process.

Some of you used to read your Bible daily—until distraction set in. You used to serve with joy—until offense crept in. You used to pray first—until you started posting first. That’s the drift. That’s the slow death. But the moment you realize it, you can reverse it.

Return to excellence. Reinforce your self-control. Endure. Add godliness. And most importantly, respond. Not just with knowledge, but with obedience.

A Sound Mind Knows Better

You’re not a grasshopper. You're not disqualified. But you do have to make a decision. You can't plead the blood and live in bondage to your own decisions. There’s too much on the line to live casually. Your promise is waiting on the other side of your patience.

God doesn’t need your perfection—He desires your progression. So hold fast to what you’ve heard. Don't let it drift. Add to your faith. Grow, endure, and live.

That’s how you stop dying slowly—and start living victoriously.