Very Great Promises

II Pet.1:3-4

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires.

 

In God's sovereign plan and purpose, He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. We are lacking in nothing! This gifting was through the knowledge of Jesus, the mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory. However, it wasn't a supernaturally imposed knowledge. We didn't accept Jesus as Savior and then suddenly know Him; instead, when we accepted Him, He and the Holy Spirit indwell us. But still the process is not complete. Jesus, the Logos,  gave us the very great and precious promises so that through them we become partakers of the divine nature, through them we access all things that pertain to life and godliness, through them we grow and have victory over the flesh and sin, and through them we reflect the glorious Savior who indwells us. The promises are the key! Jesus is the living Word, and His promises are the very words of God.

 

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

For this reason, that reason being that we are granted all things that pertain to life and godliness through the precious promises of Jesus, we need to grow. We don't have to remain stunted in our growth and helpless to our flesh. We need a faith that is active, alive, and outwardly visible. How powerful and life-changing are His promises! But, I notice that Peter doesn't say go after these things and add them in your own strength; instead he relates them to the word because it is in the word that we get the grace and strength to live out the promises of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am...I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God that is within me. Here is the process: my working in His strength. His strength comes into my life as the very great and precious promises take root in my heart and give me the strength and grace. The Word of God is living and active...piercing to the division of soul and spirit...It is through the Word that I grow, pressing on, straining forward that I might obtain the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

Father,

Thank You for giving me everything that pertains to life and godliness. Give me the desire and the means to saturate myself in Your words. Teach me to try as hard as I can but only in Your grace!

In Jesus name,

Amen