I was reading 2 Peter this morning after listening to a Podcast from Pastor Jerry on walking in this world as citizens of Heaven rather than blending in as citizens on earth... ANYWAY.... Chapter 1, Verse 2 starts out as this:
"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the KNOWLEDGE of God and of Jesus our Lord;"
So, right there I am reading that we will recieve GRACE and PEACE through KNOWING God & Jesus. I read the next few verses which I was reading last night and wanting to chew up a little, but let me first skip down to verse 10 which made me go back to thinking about this topic. LISTEN TO THIS!!!!
"Therefore, bretheren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, YOU WILL NEVER STUMBLE;"
Did you read that last part? As long as you practice these things, YOU WILL NEVER STUMBLE! Okay, so the answer we are looking for is in there--- practicing "these things"... what were "these things"? So, rewind to the middle verses:
2 Peter 1:3-9
"seeing that His divine POWER has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Now for this very reason also,applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self control, and in your self control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
For in these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins."
See why that was so much? Because looking at it in that big a chunk is overwhelming. And, because it seems like those things are just things to HAVE, but HOW? It goes right back to the same SIN question- HOW to escape from sin's hold??? But I think ONE major answer is way back up in the first verse I included, 2 Peter 1:2- the KNOWLEDGE.... How do we get knowledge of God and Jesus? Easy answer = being in the word. And the next verse is REALLY REALLY COOL- "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us..." He has given us EVERYTHING pertaining to LIFE and GODLINESS THROUGH what? "The True KNOWLEDGE"- It's all in the Bible! EVERYTHING we need is in there.... And, I am confident THAT is our answer! Then I think the next verse is explaining it even further: "by these He has granted to us His precious and Magnificent promises so that by them (BY THE PROMISES > IN HIS WORD) you may become partakers of the divine nature--- (GET THIS) Having ESCAPED the corruption that is in the world by lust." And we already know "Lust" leads to "SIN"! So- his promises in the WORD are the answer to escaping LUST! And, I believe all the rest will come as we pursue His promises. Diligence, moral excellence, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, love!!!!! They are so similar and even overlapping to the fruit of the spirit.
I have to go wake up Tabby for school but what AMAZING ANSWERS right from God- HE IS SO GOOD!!!!!
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