Can you Smell what the Rock's been Cooking -Wk 3

2 Peter 1:1–4 NET

From Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, have been granted a faith just as precious as ours. May grace and peace be lavished on you as you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord! I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.

Hey guys, welcome to the Show and Week 3 - Smell what the Rock’s been cooking

Last week we looked at how Peter views himself first as a Doluos and Bondslave of Jesus and how the use of both Names Simon and Peter in this opening passage wants us to see the man Peter once was ....and the man that he has become in the Gospel, the man Jesus has made him to be.

It’s that transformation Peter wants to highlight that every man who is in Christ should and can learn to walk in.

This week Peter wants to show us, How God sees us. he wants us to grasp the reality of the situation and wrap our minds around the Divine Power, the Dynamis, The Explosive Supernatural Power that has been Bestowed on us.

As fantastic and cool as the this concept of explosive, supernatural power is to me and the Rabbit Holes I could follow on this idea alone, it was the word Bestowed that stood out to me... because it’s not a word that we use often, the greek word DOreamai meant to present to or gift to, it’s a gift or an office that is conferred on a person.

and in this case, it is PAST TENSE.

This isn’t going to happen. The Conference of Supernatural Power isn’t something I need to look forward too...It has ALREADY happen. This Bestowment of Divine Power has already taken place. IF you are in Christ, this is Active Right now in your life!

And it is through this awesome gifting of Divine Power.....we have been given EVERYTHING Necessary for Life and Godliness or Simply Put Godly Living.

I gotta ask myself ....if this is true.... then why are so many who claim to KNOW Jesus continuing to struggle with life controlling issues, addictions and sin?

That thought triggered another one in my mind. “What is Godly Living?”

I feel like this idea of Godly Living triggers a lot of people, because we live in a culture where some legalistic bible teachers and preachers lay out a series of prohibitions and outward lifestyles that range from the ridiculous to the repulsive and none of those prescribed do’s and don’ts actually produce something that is as attractive as Jesus, some that reflects true Godly living.

The Apostle Paul warns Timothy in his second letter to him of People who are “holding to a form of godliness but denying its power” 2 Tim 3:5

The the word used for Godly living

GREEK (eusebeia) carries with it the idea of an attitude that promotes a deep reverence or rightly placed respect of God.

Think of is as respect that motivates behavior.

Like when you are driving down the highway at 5 miles over the speed limit and you see a State Trooper in the distance either in front OR behind you, it is eusebeia that causes your heart to leap up to your throat and your foot to involuntarily apply pressure to the brake pedal.

Or when you are in an amazing relationship with your wife and some girl comes on to you at the gym, it is eusebeia (deep respect for your bride) that causes you to ignore the action because you would NEVER EVEN DARE mess up what you got for something so fleeting and cheap as sex.

This Divine Power which HAS BEEN bestowed on us produces a deep respect for God which in turn can’t help but produce a behavior that reflects this in...Godly Living or in other terms...a lifestyle that reflects Christ

And how pray tell do we get this Divine Power BESTOWED on us??

First, it is Bestowed so, We are recipients, the work of the Bestowing is done by God and him alone; through, another phrase that jumped out at me... Rich Knowledge

First, we should notice that it is God by Holy Spirit that gives us the ability to receive and understand this Rich Knowledge we are about to discuss.

The Apostle Paul teaches us in 1 Cor 2 :10-14 by say this

10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means1

1 Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), 1 Co 2:10–14.

This Rich Knowledge is Spiritual Knowledge and because we have been given the Promise of Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, we can know and access this Rich Knowledge.

The word used here for knowledge isn’t just your average run of the mill word for knowledge which would be gnosis. No, the the word used here is epignosis!

Michael Green, in his commentary on 2 Peter and Jude: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 80–81. says this

“J. B. Lightfoot defined epignōsis as a ‘larger and more thorough knowledge’ than gnōsis. In 2 Peter, at all events, Lightfoot’s understanding is more SUITABLE than that of Robinson’s; for in each of the occurrences it is epignōsis of Jesus Christ that Peter is talking about. It is ‘the decisive knowledge of God which is implied “

It’s worth mentioning that Peter’s comments here are understood by most scholars to be sarcastic or polemic in nature.

Again from Mike Green’s commentary he says

“Peter was writing to people who claimed a real knowledge of God and of Christ, but continued in immoral behaviour.

Knowledge may have been a catch-phrase of theirs which Peter takes up and fills with authentic Christian content.

True knowledge of God and Christ produces grace and peace in the life; what is more, it produces holiness (v. 3). The whole New Testament unites in denouncing a profession of faith which makes no difference to behaviour.

1 Michael Green, 2 Peter and Jude: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 80.

From the very beginning of this Letter, Peter is drawing comparisons that he wants us to see.

Simon compared to Peter.

Their so-called knowledge gnosis to epignosis.

Peter takes a JAB at his reader’s claim to any knowledge of Jesus, because their So-Called Knowledge isn’t producing Christ-likeness.

REAL DEEP KNOWLEDGE of Jesus produces a lifestyle that is in alignment with Christ and that alignment can been seen daily in the actions of those who are living in the Rich Knowledge of Jesus, given to us by Holy Spirit.

This Rich Knowledge, IS of Jesus, not ideas and theories of the Man but of our King Himself. We know this because Peters plainly says it is epignosis of the ONE who called us by his own glory and excellence.

The terms Glory and Excellence get blown passed when most read this, but there is something here in the two words I want you to see.

the One who called (summoned) us by his own glory doxa (Honor and Greatness) and excellence. (Arete) Manly Valor, Excellent and Brave Deeds.

I love the imagery here. I was drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit. When I heard and understood of my Kings great strength and his amazing Valor and his stood in my place and took my punishment, willing suffering the beating and execution of a Roman Cross.

When I understood that because of his greatness and who he really is, he could have called 10,000’s of his Angels to rescue and avenge him, but as the perfect Son of God who demonstrated complete love and obedience to our Father, he suffered unimaginably for me and for you and finished the work our Father had given him to do.

The Valor and greatness, the true Manliness that was on display that day, when I finally saw it.. summoned me.

By his Strength, his greatness, character, honor and valor HE gave to US

us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

2 Peter 1: 4

You and I have BEEN GIVEN.. again past tense, this is DONE. Been Given precious promises that ENABLE US to SHARE in HIS (Jesus’) Divine Nature and ESCAPE the Corruption of this World caused by HUMAN Desires.

In Mike Green’s commentary on 2 Peter he says this

The divine virtue and transcendent goodness manifested in Jesus both constitute and validate the call to come and participate in the divine nature.

We are promised a share in his moral excellence during this life, and of his glory, hereafter.

For, taken together, the triple agency of the promises, the power and the person of the Lord Jesus.... regenerate a man and make him a sharer in God’s own nature, so that the family likeness begins to be seen in him.

What contrasts these verses contain! Corruption vs life and godliness; evil desires vs the knowledge of him who called us.

Green goes on to say

“Peter begins his letter with the theological indicative.

They are in God’s family; they have left the world; they possess precious promises; they know Christ. That is the basis for Peter’s ethical imperative, which comes so strongly in the succeeding verses. They must become in practice what they already are in God’s sight.”

Is this true of you today?

If you are in Christ, it is!

In God’s sight this is how he sees us,

We are his Sons , We are no longer of this World, We possess precious promises, we know Christ and have been given EVERYTHING we need to become in practice what we already are in God’s sight.

You are a Son of God, if you have obeyed the Gospel and given you life and loyalty to Jesus..Now, let’s learn how to live like that!

This isn’t optional by the way…it is a command.

Your purpose in Life starts with learning how to live in practice what God says is already true of you. Until this becomes your priority and focus, you are not On Mission.

Set you mind this week to GET On and Stay ON MISSION!

Pray this week that Holy Spirit would empower you to start living in practice what is already true of you in Christ.

Until next week

24 ‘May the Lord bless you

and protect you.

25 May the Lord smile on you

and be gracious to you.

26 May the Lord show you his favor

and give you his peace.’