Solomon tells us that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP). God undoubtedly has a sense of humor; we need only look at some of the animals He created (it’s hard not to smile at the sight of a hippo, a monkey, or a puppy). Or think of some of the married couples you know: don’t you think God was smiling at the wedding as He looked ahead to the interaction of the wildly different personalities that will be living together?
I’ve just finished the first chapter of Beth Moore’s Believing God, and I want to take a few minutes to record my thoughts on what looks to be a great — -and challenging — -study.
Moore quotes 2 Peter 1:3 — 4, long a favorite of mine:
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (NIV)
Wow! I’m a little overwhemed when I stop and consider what Peter is saying — -when I stop to actually believe that Peter speaks literal truth. It helps me to take this passage piece by piece, because there are a lot of pieces here.
- God’s divine power has given me everything I need for what? life and godliness (what’s not covered by these two terms?)
- how? through my knowledge of Him who called me by His own glory and goodness. Several translations add the word true before knowledge, and the Amplified uses full, personal knowledge. What difference does this make? It would seem that Peter is not talking about head knowledge here, having facts stored in memory; rather, he is talking about a deep knowing, experiential and personal. (This idea of knowledge is clearly important to Peter, because he uses this same word in verses 2 and 8 as well — -and it’s worth considering what Peter has to say about our knowledge of Jesus Christ. But that’s for another post!).
- So, my knowledge of Christ is the conduit by which He gives me everything I need for life and godliness.
- Peter adds that He called me through His own glory and goodness — -perhaps to distinguish it from mine (in case I thought I had any!). But then Peter builds on this: it is through His glory and goodness that He has given me His “very great and precious promises.”
- Through (notice that this is the third time the word “through” has occurred in these two verses)His promises I can do 2 things:
- participate in the divine nature, and
- escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Let’s see if I can put this in my own words: As I know Jesus Christ fully and truly, His divine power gives me everything I need to live for Him. Because He is good and glorious, He has also given me His incredible promises, and these promises allow me to be what He wants me to be, sharing His character and nature, and these promises allow me to escape from the death and destruction that would otherwise come into my life apart from Him.
Imagine the power of believing this, of truly embracing this truth with all our hearts! To put it simply, I lack nothing to live an incredible, victorious life that honors God.
- filed in living the life, reading
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Reflections on a Christ-centered, grace-filled life. Writer and teacher Dan Butcher's blog takes an eclectic approach to faith.
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.