The Christian life is entered into by faith. The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 2:89, wrote “For by grace (God’s unmerited favor) you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”
Salvation is a gift from God when by faith we receive Christ as Savior and LORD. When we are saved or born again spiritually, we experience God’s divine power. Look at Ephesians 2:1 where we read, “And you He (Christ) has made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
Before Christ came into our lives, we were spiritually dead. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “…I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” HE IS THE LIFE-GIVER.
Returning now to 2 Peter 1:3-4 we read, “as His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
I really love the way verse 3 reads in the New Living Translation, “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life…” We appropriate everything we need by embracing His great and precious promises by faith.
So, what are some of those great and precious promises?
1. God promises to forgive sinful people. John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
2. He promises strength for the weak. Isaiah 40:29 “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” In verse 30 we read “But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength…”
3. He promises to bless (in many ways) the godly. In Psalm 5:12 we read, “For you bless the godly, O LORD, You surround them with your shield of love.”
4. He promises comfort for those who mourn. Revelation 32:4, “He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more sorrow or crying or pain.”
5. He promises power to those attacked and afflicted. 2 Cor. 12:9-10, “Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need.’ My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
6. He promises hope for the dying. Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the LORD from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work, for their good deeds follow them.’”
7. He promises His presence when we face threatening situations. Hebrews 13:6 “We can say with confidence, ‘The LORD is my helper; so, I will have no fear. What can people do to me?’”
8. He promises to resurrect us after we die. John 11:25-26 “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in Me, and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this, Martha?’”
Note: Spiritual maturity begins with God’s provision and Peter tells us that “God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” (Vs. 3) We have no excuse for living a life that is less than pleasing to God. We receive what we need for living a godly life by embracing by faith, the great and precious promises that God has given us.
Blessings,
Pastor Leonard
