He has given us everything we need for life and godliness
2 Pet 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Pet 1:3…he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us! (TLB)) 4 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. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge (firsthand experiential knowledge) of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,
- Grace and Peace comes through the knowledge of God.
- Grace: you receiving what you do not deserve – through the knowledge of the right position.
- Peace: This can be seen as the condition to enjoy what you have received. It is a state of harmony with God and man. Getting them is one thing, being able to enjoy it is another.
- EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness – through the knowledge
- Life: YOUR whole of life. Life in the flesh in the soul and in the spirit.
- Godliness: our reverent relationship with him.
- Godliness and Holiness is not the simple elimination of Sin! It is the oneness with the Holy One, with GOD!
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1-2-3
KNOWLEDGE – PRECIOUS PROMISES – PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE NATURE
- 1. KNOWLEDGE – firsthand experience
- Eternal life comes through the knowledge ( full discernment and recognition, firsthand experiential knowledge) of God.
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (NIV)
· There is a difference between knowing about and knowing! Z.b. Mandarinky…
- We are missing firsthand experience!
- 2. PRECIOUS PROMISES – through our firsthand experience of his LOVE for us, we love him and he reveals his promises to us personally. Z.b. What if you heard me make a promise to my wife to take her to dinner tonight after church? I said “I love you so much and I want to take you to a wonderful place at Dejvicka.” Then we arrive there and we find the whole church waiting to eat and that I pay. What happened? You tell me we heard your promise, and we know that you love us too and… 1 Cor 2:9 However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"--10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.(NIV)
- 3. PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE NATURE – we become like him! His desires are our desires, his ways our ways, his thoughts our thoughts, his will our will.
- THEN WE WILL BE…effective and productive!
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FOR THIS VERY REASON, MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ADD TO YOUR…
- We can practice these things in our lives and they will lead us some place. *..if you possess these qualities in increasing measure… they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive
* note: Between having believed (faith) and Love is all these things!
Faith= trust, conviction of truth / practice trusting God in your life. Healing, provision, not worrying, asking, experience his goodness through interaction with him.
goodness= Virtue, excellence / become better, increase in the things of God. Keep learning, practicing, make it better. In every area of your life.
knowledge= knowledge of what we believe, God’s will / Don’t ever stop studying.
self-control= the practicing of.. / when the holy spirit speaks to you in your heart DO IT or DON’T DO IT! Practice listening to the still small voice.
perseverance= hopeful endurance / Don’t give up so easily. Verbally, mentally, physically, spiritually Hold on to him and go through things. The easy way is most of the time not God’s way.
godliness= godly relationship with God / Time with him being honest, real,
brotherly kindness= Brotherly love, love for your own Christian family / if we can’t love people in our own church family we will not love others either. Practice. Do the practical relationship building. You need what others have too.
love= agape, love for all. God so loved the world… / God’s unconditional love for all people. You will never get good at this or any other thing if we don’t practice.
- if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins… if you do these things, you will never fall, · IF = Conditional, Positional Grace
· YOU = Nobody else but you
· DO = Action is required
· THESE THINGS = These things not your own things.