The Christian Life Begins with Faith (2 Peter 1:1-4)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/3/2012 7:17:14 AM

My Worship Time                                  Focus:  The Christian Life Begins with Faith

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  2Peter 1:1-4

            Message of the verses:  In Today’s Spiritual Diary I want to fill in some of the verses that I missed in my study of 2 Peter.  In looking back to 2004 when I began to study this letter I find that the commentary on the first eight verses is missing and so I want to go over these verses to make sure that the commentary on this letter is finished.

            In Peter’s first letter the subject was on the grace of God as we saw in the SD that was done yesterday, “12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him),I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!”  (1Peter 5:12)  Now in the letter of 2 Peter the word knowledge or know is used at least thirteen times.  Dr. Wiersbe points out, “The word “know” does not mean a mere intellectual understanding of some truth, though that is included.  It means a living participation in the truth in the sense that our Lord used in John 17:3—‘This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.”

            “Peter opened his letter with a description of the Christian life.  Before he described the counterfeits, he described the true believers.  The best way to detect falsehood is to understand the characteristics of the truth.  Peter made three important affirmations about the true Christian life.”  (Be Alert by Warren Wiersbe)

            The Christian Life Begins with Faith (2 Peter 1:1-4):  “1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3  According as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”  (AKJV)

            We see in verse one that Peter calls this faith “like precious faith” and in that he means that the faith that the apostles had was the same as the faith that we have today, that is those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  We may think that they had a great advantage in knowing the Lord in a better way, but that is not the truth at all.

            This faith is a person (vv. 1-2):  “1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ: 2  Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.”  (AKJV)

            “1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”  (NASB)

            It is very important from the outset that Peter is calling the Lord Jesus Christ God, as we see in verse two when he writes “in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ.”  Dr. Wiersbe writes “Peter affirmed the deity of Jesus Christ.  ‘God’ and ‘our Savior’ are not two different Persons; they describe one Person, Jesus Christ.  Paul used a similar expression in Titus 2:10 and 3:4.”

            We see in verse two that Peter calls Jesus Christ “our Savior.”  A Savior is one who brings salvation and this word salvation would have been familiar to those who were reading this letter.  Salvation means deliverance from trouble and that is how his readers would have known this word.  In that day both a physician and a general were looked upon to bring salvation, that is delivering them from trouble.

            When we read through the New Testament Gospels we have little trouble in realizing that Jesus Christ is our Savior, for like a physical He cured all the ills of people that He came in contact with.  He also heals the sinful heart from the sickness of sin by what He did on the cross in dying for our sins.  We are told that Jesus defeated our three enemies that are sin, death and Satan.

            In Jesus Christ we have three spiritual comedies that we can get from no one else; righteous, grace and peace.  We see these words used in these two verses.  I have mentioned in earlier SD’s that when Jesus Christ died on the cross to forgive my sins He exchanged my sin for His righteousness and so when God looks at me He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  “21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  (2Cor. 5:21)  This righteousness could never be earned “5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”  (Titus 3:5)

            Now when we look at grace we are looking at God’s favor to those who are undeserving and mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve.  Now the results of all this is peace.  Paul writes that we have peace through the blood of the cross that is we have peace with God because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Not only do we have peace with God, but according to Philippians 4:6-7 we have the peace of God:  “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is good to look at these verses in order to be reminded again of how my salvation was purchased, and to look at my Savior and Lord who is both God and man.  God so He could save me and man so He could take my place in order to give me eternal life. 

““Man of Sorrows!” what a name

For the Son of God, who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with His blood.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

“Full atonement!” can it be?

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;

“It is finished!” was His cry;

Now in Heav’n exalted high.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,

All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew His song we’ll sing:

Hallelujah! What a Savior!”

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To abide or remain in the Vine.

6/3/2012 8:10:53 AM