2Pe 1:3-4 | KingComments | STEP | . Everything you have received and that has been summarized in the expression “faith” ( ), has been granted to you by God’s “divine power”. You yourself did in no way contribute to it or paid the slightest bit for it. What you have received has been really “granted” to you. That is all a gift of grace from God. What is it that you have received? He has delivered you from the power of sin and has given you the forgiveness of your sins. He has given you free access to the sanctuary, in His presence. You are allowed to come there to worship Him and ask for His help. He has given you the Holy Spirit and His Word. He has provided you with the prospect of an inheritance. These are just some blessings that have become your portion because He has given them to you. No one has been able to keep Him from doing that. Everything that God has granted to you by His Divine power is fully fitted to enable you to live the life that is only worthy of living. That is a life to His honor, a life in holiness and dedication to Him. It is a life that is entirely focused on God alone, a life that shows true Godliness, a life in holy respect for Him, which He values and in which He finds His pleasure. You can only live to His honor according to the extent of the knowledge you have of Him, Who has called you. God’s power doesn’t become visible in your life through signs and wonders that you might perform, but through your actions in accordance with the knowledge you have of Him. What do you know about Him? You know about Him what you have seen of Him. Thereby it is important how you have come to know Him, your first encounter with Him. He called you at the beginning of your life as a believer. You have come to Him because He has called you. And how did He call you? It is said here “by His own glory and excellence [or: virtue]”. You were living in your sins and you were not able to save yourself. Then God revealed Himself to you in His “glory”. Such a great power came from that, that you were drawn to Him, as it were. Abraham had such an experience. He saw the God of glory and left the idolatrous environment where he was living ( ; ). Also Paul was completely changed in his course by that glory ( ). It is inevitable that you have seen something of God’s glory, for nothing else could cause you to give up the world. “Excellence” [or: virtue, i.e. spiritual courage and power] here indicates something that exceeds everything. God possesses a glory and excellence by which every earthly glory and excellence utterly pales. With ‘excellence’ is also associated the power of your calling. He who sees the glory and excellence of God, if the eyes have been opened for it, experiences an irresistible attraction. . By His glory and excellence He “has granted to us His precious … promises”, which are promises of great value. They are also “magnificent” promises. It is all those promises that are “yes” and “amen” in Christ ( ). Thus you have received the Holy Spirit as a pledge of the promise that you will receive the inheritance ( ; ). Another promise is that you are already now may have eternal life, while the full enjoyment of it will be given to you when you are in the Father’s house ( ; ; ). Aren’t they “precious and magnificent promises”? First, before you go further, just take a moment to thank the Father for this. All those promises for which you have just given thanks, show that you are a partaker of the Divine nature. Without the possession of God’s nature, in other words, without life of God, you would neither have possessed those promises nor would you have been able to enjoy them in fellowship with God. The possession of the Divine nature and what you are able to enjoy as a result is a huge contrast to the life you used to live. Everything you used to long for was connected to the world and to destruction. Your lusts were fed by the world and could only end up in destruction. It was all filthy and unclean and only focused on satisfying your own lusts. You did not care at all about what you did to yourself and others and above all that, to God. You didn’t care about the fact that because of that you were heading for eternal judgment. Now you have escaped from all that. You have fled from that and by Divine power you have been taken out from that atmosphere. That’s also something you may thank Him for. . Except a reason to thank Him eternally for it, it is also an exhortation to make efforts to seek God’s honor in all things. His Divine power should make you to diligently make use of it. If you think that everything is all right, it may prove that you are not a partaker of the Divine nature. For the possession of the Divine nature will make you conscious that you live in a world that seeks to eradicate your testimony. A person who really is a partaker of the Divine nature, which is given to him by Divine power, will desire to do everything that glorifies God, Who has blessed him abundantly. He will exert his best efforts to bring that about. Then Peter shows the seven phases that bring faith to its optimal functioning. “Faith” is the faith in the Divine power and the glory of Christ that will be revealed. That is not a dogma, not a doctrine, but the reality which is the fundamental point. We go our way in that confidence of faith. That confidence of faith has to be deepened. 1. Therefore, “for this very reason”, “moral excellence” must be added to the faith, which is your trust in God, applying all diligence. If there is true faith, our confidence of faith will surely be tested. We will then not be scared by that, on the contrary, it will only be an occasion for us to show, especially then, spiritual courage and power. The hardships will be overcome instead of giving in to the pressure of relinquishing the faith. 2. The difficulties will drive you out to God. You will seek and experience the fellowship with Him and in that way gain more knowledge. Therefore “knowledge” follows after showing moral excellence or spiritual courage and power. If knowledge is not added, the tests will only become emotional events, where there is a great danger of showing off. Excellence, or courage and power, can only function well if there is knowledge of God’s purpose with the test of faith. By growing in the knowledge of God’s will, you will rightly use the spiritual energy. In that way knowledge will become a guide for your conduct. It leads you to a deeper familiarity with God that works in your heart and that is seen in your conduct. It prevents you from error. 3. . Knowledge must function in the right way. Therefore “self-control” must be added to knowledge. You may grow in the knowledge of God, you may get to know Him and His plans better and better, but then the important thing is that you make use of that knowledge in the right way. The intention is not that you should think that with all the knowledge you’ve gained you should serve God uninhibitedly and that wherever you go you see a reason to do that. Real knowledge will focus your heart on Christ. He always perfectly faithfully did the will of God and He did that in perfect rest. He never let Himself be overwhelmed or be rushed to do something. His life was led by the knowledge of God’s will. 4. If you are willing to do the will of God in this way you will surely face resistance from the world. The Lord Jesus also had to do with that, but in no way did He let Himself be drawn away from the path of obedience to His God. He went on with perseverance. That goes also for you. Therefore you should add “perseverance” to self-control. The reason why self-control and perseverance are asked of you, is because you have an old nature and because you live in an environment that seeks to draw you away from God and His matters. 5. It goes without saying that you must persevere in the good things and that you must also bring them into practice in the right way. You could easily persevere in meaningless things. Therefore you should add “godliness” to it. Godliness is the consciousness of living in the presence of God. From there automatically, as it were, the next aspect flows. 6. . If there is godliness, if your heart has such fellowship with God, then “brotherly kindness” will not be a difficult task. It will not be difficult to love all who are partakers of the same Divine nature. You will love your brothers and sisters with a love that will only increase the more you are in fellowship with God. 7. Brotherly kindness ultimately leads to “love”, that is the highest love, the Divine love. With brotherly kindness you may find that there are things that make loving one another easy. Divine love goes much further, for God also loves even if there is nothing worthy of being loved. It is the source, the revelation of love at the highest level. If this is the way you love, then you are connected to eternity and can resist the spirit of the age. Now read 2 Peter 1:3-7 again. Reflection: Make a list of some blessings that Divine power has given to you. What can be expected from you as a result of that?

‏ 2 Peter 1:3-4

Divine Nature and Spiritual Growth

2Pet 1:3. Everything you have received and that has been summarized in the expression “faith” (2Pet 1:1), has been granted to you by God’s “divine power”. You yourself did in no way contribute to it or paid the slightest bit for it. What you have received has been really “granted” to you. That is all a gift of grace from God.

What is it that you have received? He has delivered you from the power of sin and has given you the forgiveness of your sins. He has given you free access to the sanctuary, in His presence. You are allowed to come there to worship Him and ask for His help. He has given you the Holy Spirit and His Word. He has provided you with the prospect of an inheritance. These are just some blessings that have become your portion because He has given them to you.

No one has been able to keep Him from doing that. Everything that God has granted to you by His Divine power is fully fitted to enable you to live the life that is only worthy of living. That is a life to His honor, a life in holiness and dedication to Him. It is a life that is entirely focused on God alone, a life that shows true Godliness, a life in holy respect for Him, which He values and in which He finds His pleasure.

You can only live to His honor according to the extent of the knowledge you have of Him, Who has called you. God’s power doesn’t become visible in your life through signs and wonders that you might perform, but through your actions in accordance with the knowledge you have of Him. What do you know about Him? You know about Him what you have seen of Him. Thereby it is important how you have come to know Him, your first encounter with Him. He called you at the beginning of your life as a believer. You have come to Him because He has called you.

And how did He call you? It is said here “by His own glory and excellence [or: virtue]”. You were living in your sins and you were not able to save yourself. Then God revealed Himself to you in His “glory”. Such a great power came from that, that you were drawn to Him, as it were. Abraham had such an experience. He saw the God of glory and left the idolatrous environment where he was living (Jos 24:2-3; Acts 7:2). Also Paul was completely changed in his course by that glory (Acts 22:6-11). It is inevitable that you have seen something of God’s glory, for nothing else could cause you to give up the world.

“Excellence” [or: virtue, i.e. spiritual courage and power] here indicates something that exceeds everything. God possesses a glory and excellence by which every earthly glory and excellence utterly pales. With ‘excellence’ is also associated the power of your calling. He who sees the glory and excellence of God, if the eyes have been opened for it, experiences an irresistible attraction.

2Pet 1:4. By His glory and excellence He “has granted to us His precious … promises”, which are promises of great value. They are also “magnificent” promises. It is all those promises that are “yes” and “amen” in Christ (2Cor 1:20). Thus you have received the Holy Spirit as a pledge of the promise that you will receive the inheritance (Gal 3:14; Eph 1:13-14). Another promise is that you are already now may have eternal life, while the full enjoyment of it will be given to you when you are in the Father’s house (Tit 1:2; 1Jn 2:25; Jn 17:3). Aren’t they “precious and magnificent promises”? First, before you go further, just take a moment to thank the Father for this.

All those promises for which you have just given thanks, show that you are a partaker of the Divine nature. Without the possession of God’s nature, in other words, without life of God, you would neither have possessed those promises nor would you have been able to enjoy them in fellowship with God.

The possession of the Divine nature and what you are able to enjoy as a result is a huge contrast to the life you used to live. Everything you used to long for was connected to the world and to destruction. Your lusts were fed by the world and could only end up in destruction. It was all filthy and unclean and only focused on satisfying your own lusts. You did not care at all about what you did to yourself and others and above all that, to God. You didn’t care about the fact that because of that you were heading for eternal judgment. Now you have escaped from all that. You have fled from that and by Divine power you have been taken out from that atmosphere. That’s also something you may thank Him for.

2Pet 1:5. Except a reason to thank Him eternally for it, it is also an exhortation to make efforts to seek God’s honor in all things. His Divine power should make you to diligently make use of it. If you think that everything is all right, it may prove that you are not a partaker of the Divine nature. For the possession of the Divine nature will make you conscious that you live in a world that seeks to eradicate your testimony. A person who really is a partaker of the Divine nature, which is given to him by Divine power, will desire to do everything that glorifies God, Who has blessed him abundantly. He will exert his best efforts to bring that about.

Then Peter shows the seven phases that bring faith to its optimal functioning. “Faith” is the faith in the Divine power and the glory of Christ that will be revealed. That is not a dogma, not a doctrine, but the reality which is the fundamental point. We go our way in that confidence of faith. That confidence of faith has to be deepened.

1. Therefore, “for this very reason”, “moral excellence” must be added to the faith, which is your trust in God, applying all diligence. If there is true faith, our confidence of faith will surely be tested. We will then not be scared by that, on the contrary, it will only be an occasion for us to show, especially then, spiritual courage and power. The hardships will be overcome instead of giving in to the pressure of relinquishing the faith.

2. The difficulties will drive you out to God. You will seek and experience the fellowship with Him and in that way gain more knowledge. Therefore “knowledge” follows after showing moral excellence or spiritual courage and power. If knowledge is not added, the tests will only become emotional events, where there is a great danger of showing off.

Excellence, or courage and power, can only function well if there is knowledge of God’s purpose with the test of faith. By growing in the knowledge of God’s will, you will rightly use the spiritual energy. In that way knowledge will become a guide for your conduct. It leads you to a deeper familiarity with God that works in your heart and that is seen in your conduct. It prevents you from error.

3. 2Pet 1:6. Knowledge must function in the right way. Therefore “self-control” must be added to knowledge. You may grow in the knowledge of God, you may get to know Him and His plans better and better, but then the important thing is that you make use of that knowledge in the right way.

The intention is not that you should think that with all the knowledge you’ve gained you should serve God uninhibitedly and that wherever you go you see a reason to do that. Real knowledge will focus your heart on Christ. He always perfectly faithfully did the will of God and He did that in perfect rest. He never let Himself be overwhelmed or be rushed to do something. His life was led by the knowledge of God’s will.

4. If you are willing to do the will of God in this way you will surely face resistance from the world. The Lord Jesus also had to do with that, but in no way did He let Himself be drawn away from the path of obedience to His God. He went on with perseverance. That goes also for you. Therefore you should add “perseverance” to self-control. The reason why self-control and perseverance are asked of you, is because you have an old nature and because you live in an environment that seeks to draw you away from God and His matters.

5. It goes without saying that you must persevere in the good things and that you must also bring them into practice in the right way. You could easily persevere in meaningless things. Therefore you should add “godliness” to it. Godliness is the consciousness of living in the presence of God. From there automatically, as it were, the next aspect flows.

6. 2Pet 1:7. If there is godliness, if your heart has such fellowship with God, then “brotherly kindness” will not be a difficult task. It will not be difficult to love all who are partakers of the same Divine nature. You will love your brothers and sisters with a love that will only increase the more you are in fellowship with God.

7. Brotherly kindness ultimately leads to “love”, that is the highest love, the Divine love. With brotherly kindness you may find that there are things that make loving one another easy. Divine love goes much further, for God also loves even if there is nothing worthy of being loved. It is the source, the revelation of love at the highest level. If this is the way you love, then you are connected to eternity and can resist the spirit of the age.

Now read 2 Peter 1:3-7 again.

Reflection: Make a list of some blessings that Divine power has given to you. What can be expected from you as a result of that?