In the first section of this chapter we are reminded of the necessity of growth in our Christian life. Once we have accepted Christ, we are born anew. We start learning again, first learning to crawl, then to walk, then to run. Just like it took time and effort to move through each of these stages, so too is it with our Christian walk. When we are new Christians, we are often still in awe of what has transpired in our lives and what Christ has done for us. This is an appropriate response and one that hopefully remains with us throughout our lives. However, there comes a time and place when it becomes necessary to grow up, to become a man so that we may lay the foundation of salvation in other's lives. As Christians we are called to bear fruit and we are judged by the fruit we produce. Verses 7 and 8 in particular speak to this.
The second section of this chapter is really awesome and heart-warming. Here we see again the faithfulness of God, the certainty of His promises. If God says He will do something, He will. There is no ifs, ands, or buts. You can take His word to the bank and cash it. And this is awesome because it means that we should never doubt the love of Our Father. He has said he loves and will continue to love us, so it must be true. Understandably, God is not always the happiest of father's, particularly when He sees how we sin, but He will always be there to welcome us back, just like in the return of the prodigal son. This enduring love encourages me for I am not worthy of such love yet it has been given to me. It makes me want to strive to live up to the image of me that God wants to see.
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