Acts 2:1-8, 14-24, 37-40
SS Lesson for 05/07/2023
Devotional Scriptures: Joel 2:28-32
The descent of the Holy Spirit “like a dove” on Jesus at his baptism might suggest a picture of peace and acceptance (Luke 3:22). But the work of the Holy Spirit was not always a pleasant experience for those affected, since Jesus would baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (3:16). Imageries of fire in the Bible are associated with the destruction of God’s enemies (Ezekiel 22:17-22, 31; Hebrews 10:26-27; 2 Peter 3:7; etc.) and the testing or purification of his people (Zechariah 13:8-9; 1 Corinthians 3:12-13; 1 Peter 1:6-7). The depiction in Luke 3:16 speaks of the power to do both, especially in light of the “winnowing fork” imagery of Luke 3:17. The most important observance on Israel’s calendar was Passover. It was a time to remember deliverance from slavery in Egypt, when God’s angel of death “passed over” Israelite households that had been marked with the blood of a lamb (Exodus 12). Within a few weeks of leaving Egypt, the people of Israel arrived at Mount Sinai (Exodus 16:1; 31:18; etc.). There they entered into a covenant with God, agreeing to be his people while the Lord promised to be their God. For centuries thereafter, the Old Testament covenant people celebrated their deliverance on Passover and followed it 50 days later by celebrating God’s giving of the law. Pentecost occurs seven weeks after the Passover Sabbath plus one day, which equals 50 days; it was one of the three great pilgrimage festivals (Deuteronomy 16:9, 16). This celebration is also called “the Festival of Harvest,” “the Festival of Weeks,” and the “day of the firstfruits” (Exodus 23:16a; 34:22a; Numbers 28:26). The Jews in the time of Jesus had a marvelous temple in Jerusalem (see Mark 13:1). The city’s economy centered on that structure, as the periodic influx of visiting Jews brought in money (compare John 2:14-15). We might say that the Jerusalem of the time had a tourist economy, and the height of the tourist season was the period from Passover to Pentecost. Many visitors would stay for the entire 50-day period between those two observances
For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.
38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty.
7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.
3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts--
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
5 so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
4 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean."
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ
20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.'
22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know —
23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
11 "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
28 He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,
9 He who has ears, let him hear."
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.
31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.
37 It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment."
32 "We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.
4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation."
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?
22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
The question has been asked of Peter and the other apostles: “What does this mean?” (verse 12). Peter will now take his stand, along with the rest of the apostles, and give them the explanation of Pentecost, its meaning, and its implications.
The first thing Peter did was to answer the charge of some that they were drunk. He denies this charge, not on the basis that none of them ever touched wine, but on the fact that it was too early in the morning—the “third hour of the day” (verse 15), or 9 a.m.11 It was not only untrue (a simple denial probably would not have convinced them), it was unreasonable (this would carry greater weight).
Peter did not hesitate to tell his audience what Pentecost did mean. He quickly turned their attention to the prophecy of Joel and specifically to his words recorded in Joel chapter 2, verses 28-32:
17 ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT UPON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; 18 EVEN UPON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT
And they shall prophesy. 19 ‘AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS TO THE SKY ABOVE, AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BENEATH, BLOOD AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. 20 ‘THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.
21 ‘AND IT SHALL BE, THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.’
The phenomenon of Pentecost was not the result of “spirits” (alcohol), but the Spirit. The prophet Joel foretold of the time when the Spirit of God would be poured out on all mankind. If the Spirit of God had been poured out in the Old Testament times, it was on a few people who had specific tasks to perform. In the future, however, the Spirit would be much more widely poured out and not just upon Jews, but upon “ALL MANKIND” (Acts 2:17).
Peter was thus claiming that what these Jews had witnessed was the outpouring of the Spirit which Joel foretold. But there was much more to it than that. The question was not so much the source of this phenomenon, but the meaning of it. Peter would tell them, but it was not all good news. In the context of Joel’s prophecy, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was a sign which was to precede the coming “day of the Lord” ( Acts 2:20; cf. Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14). The “day of the Lord” was not only the day when the kingdom of God would be established on the earth and God’s promised blessings would be poured out on His people, Israel. It was to begin with judgment.
It is of this judgment which Joel spoke in his prophecy. It is very evident in that portion of Joel which Peter quoted. He spoke much more of the judgment of God than of His blessings. Israel must first be judged and purged of her sins and then blessings could come. The outpouring of the Spirit was said by Joel to be a warning that the time of judgment was at hand. Fortunately, the last verse cited by Peter was the promise of salvation, to all who called upon the Lord (2:21). Before Peter will tell his audience about this salvation, he will explain the specifics of the judgment which looms large before them, from which they could be saved.
In verses 22-24 Peter lays the charge against the people of this city, the people who stand before him:
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—23 this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 “And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its powers.
Jesus the Nazarene presented Himself to His people in Jerusalem, even as the prophets had foretold. Jesus came not only with the claim to be the Messiah, but God Himself testified to His identity and authority through the signs and wonders He performed through the Holy Spirit.
In spite of this, Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah. And not “Israel” in some general sense; those hearing Peter rejected His claim to be Messiah. The One whom God accredited, they rejected. Worse yet, they nailed Him to a cross. This was all within the sovereign plan and purpose of God, but they put Him to death in an evil conspiracy which involved the Gentiles as well. God’s purposes were not overthrown in all of this, for He raised Jesus from the dead.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Peter will first demonstrate the necessity of Christ’s resurrection and then he will spell out its implications. He told this audience that it was impossible for Him not to be raised. As proof, Peter turns to Psalm 16, a psalm of David. He quotes these words from the psalm:
‘I WAS ALWAYS BEHOLDING THE LORD IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, 26 ‘THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL ABIDE IN HOPE; 27 BECAUSE THOU WILT NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW THY HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. 28 ‘THOU HAST MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; THOU WILT MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH THY PRESENCE.’
In this psalm, David reveled in the inheritance which God had prepared for him and promised to him. The blessings to which David looked forward were largely “heavenly blessings” as I understand his words. Note the words in verse 11 which conclude David’s psalm:
Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; In Thy presence is fullness of joy; In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever (NASB).
What is the basis of David’s confidence in these future blessings? How can he know he will experience them? Will they not be terminated by his own death? David’s answer seems to be this: “My future rests in God, and specifically in my own offspring, the Messiah, whose kingdom will be eternal” (cf. 2 Samuel 7:14). “I know that I will die, but my future rests in God’s Holy One, who cannot be held by death or the grave.” David somehow knows that His Savior will die, but this does not shake his faith, for he also knows that death cannot hold him. His Savior may die, but he will not stay dead. He will die, but His flesh will not see corruption. Since David’s future rests on His Messiah, his future is secure, even after his own death, for God has made known to David the “path of life” (verse 16). David will rise from the dead, to enjoy the blessings God has promised him because His Messiah will rise from the dead.
When David spoke of resurrection in this psalm, Peter pointed out, he was not speaking of his own resurrection but of his Son’s resurrection. David’s tomb was still there, and it was occupied—with David! The empty tomb was that of Jesus, the Nazarene. David was speaking of Jesus in Psalm 16, and the empty tomb was proof of that. The Old Testament taught both the necessity of the death of Messiah and of His resurrection.
If prophecy was one line of evidence, pointing to the resurrection, Pentecost was another. Pentecost was not just a fulfillment of God’s promise, it was the pouring out of the Spirit as proof that Jesus had risen from the dead. John the Baptist had said that Jesus would pour out the Spirit, that He would baptize with fire and with the Holy Spirit. And he was absolutely right! Having been raised from the dead, He was also ascended into heaven. The outpouring of the Spirit was from above, where Jesus now was, at the Father’s right hand. Both prophecy and Pentecost were proof of Jesus’ resurrection.
The death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ is not only a fact, it is a truth loaded with implications, very distressing implications. If Messiah is now in heaven, at the right hand of the Father, for what is He waiting? The answer was given in Joel chapter two, but it is also to be found in Psalm 110:1, which Peter now cites:
‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR THY FEET.”’
Having been raised from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father, the Christ is now acclaimed Lord. He is given full power and authority, the right to reign. Then what delays the establishment of His kingdom? Psalm 110 tells us: before He can reign, the Father must put all of His enemies under His feet. The delay in the establishment of the kingdom is only until the enemies of the Messiah are put down. To sum it up, God has made this Jesus “both LORD and Christ” (verse 36). This is a very pregnant expression, but at minimum it means that Jesus is not only the Messiah who was rejected and put to death, but He is the LORD who is returning to reign, just as soon as His enemies are put down.
And just who might those enemies be? The answer to this question was all too clear from Peter’s message. They had rejected and crucified the Messiah. God had raised Him from the dead, and He was soon to subdue all of Messiah’s enemies. God was soon to bring judgment upon this generation. Jesus had spoken of this. Joel foretold it. And Psalm 110 spoke of it as well. The outpouring of the Spirit was not good news, but bad news. All except for the last verse of Joel’s prophecy which Peter cited,
“And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (verse 21).
No wonder Peter’s audience is cut to the heart (verse 37). They need no prompting, no persuasion, to ask what it is that they must do to be saved and to be delivered from the wrath of God. The answer is short, but profound. They must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Jesus the Christ, the anointed One, the Messiah). Doing so, their sins will be forgiven, they will be saved from God’s wrath, and they will receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, the firstfruits of the kingdom to come.
Verse 40 is a further clarification of Peter’s words of application. What is most important to see in these words is that there are two senses in which the Israelites of that day were saved by their repentance and faith. They were saved, first of all, from the coming wrath of God upon that city and that generation, for rejecting Messiah and putting Him to death. They were also saved from God’s eternal wrath and assured of eternal life and the blessings of His promised kingdom
(Adapted from URL:https://bible.org/seriespage/4-putting-pentecost-perspective-part-3-peter%E2%80%99s-interpretation-pentecost-acts-21-40)
Acts 2 presents something fundamental: the Holy Spirit has come, and he has come with power. The long waiting period is over. We are in the last days, the era of Holy Spirit-empowered ministry. There is power in the gospel. When this message is preached faithfully, God’s Spirit is active in the reception of it. This is true whether preaching from a pulpit or sharing with a friend. Whenever the gospel is communicated, God’s Spirit is working with us to convict the hearer of his truth and bring that person to faith in Christ. How do you live out this reality?
Have you ever noticed that a person will persist in doing those things that really matter to him? You can tell a lot about someone’s philosophy of life by the activities that regularly mark his days. Clearly, the people of the early church had been transformed by the Holy Spirit so that they desired nothing more than knowing God and His people better. They devoted themselves to the things of God. Their attendance at Christian activities was not mere habit or a small part of their lives. They were determined to persevere in the faith no matter what obstacles they might face. The life of the early church had a solid foundation in God’s truth as it had been revealed to the apostles. It is a mistake to get so caught up in religious experience that we neglect paying attention to what God’s Word teaches. There is a good reason why sound teaching heads the list of the early church’s priorities. A solid grasp of the great truths of the faith lays the groundwork for rich experience and service. The first believers faced great pressure to revert back to legalistic Judaism. They needed to listen to the apostles, who had been with Christ and had learned the truth of redemption by grace through faith in Him. If they did not hold to this truth, the church would collapse and fail. In order to encourage one another in the truth, the first believers also remained steadfast in Christian fellowship. This was not a burdensome duty to them. They desired to be together. For the early church, fellowship meant more than gathering for a worship service once a week. It was also more than chatting and having a good time at social events. Of course, Sunday worship services and social occasions serve important purposes. But for Christian fellowship to take place, there must be a deep love of Christ and a desire both to know Him better and to share our joy with other believers. The lesson text elaborates on what it means to persevere in fellowship. Two key components of fellowship are mentioned: the “breaking of bread” and “prayers.” The “breaking of bread” may refer to sharing meals together. It seems likely, however, that Luke was making reference here primarily to the Lord’s Supper. At the heart of the Lord’s Supper, of course, is reflection on the sacrificial love of Christ and the covenant relationship He has with His people. We experience communion with our fellow believers around the Lord’s Table as we share in a time of meditation upon Him. Prayer is another important aspect of Christian fellowship. When we gather together for corporate prayer, we are in fellowship with God and show concern for our fellow believers. The church of Christ is made up of a diverse group of people. For unity to prevail among people of such different personalities and traits, there must be a conscious effort to keep Christ at the forefront. Without Christ, the church would have no reason to exist. As we concentrate on Christ through sound teaching, remembering His saving work, and prayer, we will grow in godliness and usefulness in His kingdom.