All across the world, good and honest believers have this idea that they must work at “doing good”. They must struggle and strive to “do the right thing”, to make God happy or to prove their love for Him, or whatever the underlying motivation may be; it leads to the same place: a merit-centered, man-centered mentality which is not focused on God, but is focused on self-performance and behavior.
Many believers think that if they themselves or their fellow brother or sister in Christ is failing in a particular area of behavior, that it is due to some sin in their life, or that they are just being lazy and they need to try harder. But is this what the scriptures actually say?
In this study today, we will be taking a look at what God has to say on this very subject, and how God’s diagnosis of the problem of wrong behaviors is not what we might expect. As you see this truth, it will give you a new mindset regarding this issue, and a new confidence in your relationship with God as well.
So let’s begin today by reading 2nd Peter 1:2-9:
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
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:
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.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”
Verse 2 starts off by saying what every single person needs to be continually reminded of Grace and peace. Grace and peace are precisely what Jesus came to give us, and they are exactly what we need. There is an incredible lack of both grace and peace in the majority of believers today, but this verse also tells us how to get more of it, it says Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. Now this statement flies directly in the face of what most believers think and feel. What many people actually believe is that grace and peace is multiplied in your life when you perform well and earn it through your obedience – but that’s not what the verse says. The Holy Spirit could’ve wrote that if He wanted to, but He chose to write verse 2 instead… telling us that both grace (the undeserved, unearned, unmerited favor of God) and peace (the divine all-encompassing peace and rest of God) is multiplied in our lives through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. Very interesting indeed!
Take notice that this is the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. This is not just knowledge about God and about Jesus Christ. What’s the difference? Anyone can have knowledge about God. There are plenty of people who know facts about Jesus. A lot of people know historical facts about Jesus and they know a lot of trivia about the Bible, and they are very learned and knowledgeable people. Yet that is not what this verse is talking about… it is not just knowledge about Jesus here, but knowledge of Jesus. This is knowing Jesus personally. And every single time you see something about Jesus and receive real revelation about Him for you, it multiplies grace and peace in your life. You will see more of His loveliness, more of His tender mercies, more of His goodness, gentleness, power and holiness, and it will bring you more grace and peace.
Now look at verses 3 and 4 of our text:
“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:
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.”
It is the divine power of God which has given us all things that pertain to both life and godliness. Now life and godliness are two separate things, and we are going to take a few moments here to examine both of them. First however, I want you to pause and take notice of where these things come from… who is the one supplying both of these things? By what channel does it flow? It is God and His divine power that gives you all things that pertain both to life and to godliness. Many believers think that they need to work for or strive for these things (especially godliness), but as we can plainly see from this verse, it is God’s divine power which supplies them, and again, it is through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue. We know from the previous verse that this is Jesus, but here Peter mentions that fact that Christ has called us to glory and virtue, and now we also know how this is accomplished… also His divine power through that same knowledge. This is not through our own power. This is not through our own strength. Some people have a natural tendency to take these verses and use them as directives that we need to strive for these things. But no my friend, Peter is not telling us what we need to strive for here; he is telling us what we already have in Christ Jesus!
So what is it that we have again? All things that pertain to life and godliness. Let’s take a closer look at them. First, the word “Life” used here is zoe. Which defined as the absolute fullness of God’s divine life. A totally blessed life both now and in the future of eternity.
This life is absolute blessing, both now in this life, and in the future life to come. So let me ask you a question: Would you say that health pertains to life? Would you say that provision pertains to life? Would you say that protection pertains to life? His divine power has given you all things that pertain to life! If you take a moment to digest that truth, it will change your entire outlook on things.
Now this second item, godliness, is the main focus of our study today, because as mentioned, many believers think that it is their Christian duty to strive and work for godliness with their own effort and strength; however this is not what the scripture actually says. We can see plainly here that just as with the zoe life of God, His divine power also supplies everything in the area of godliness. How does it come? Through working? Through trying harder? Through clenching your fist tighter? No. Through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Verse 4 makes this even more clear: God has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises. These promises have been given (past-tense) to you by God. You do not have to wait for them, nor do you have to qualify for them or earn them in any way. They have been bought and paid-for by Christ, and they have been given to you. For what purpose? Why have they been given? …that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature! This is a huge statement if we stop and think about it. By you receiving these exceedingly great and precious promises, you will actually become a partaker of the divine nature of God Himself! This divine nature includes all of the aspects of life and godliness that we looked at a moment ago. Furthermore look at the end of verse 4: it says having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Notice that the word “escaped” is also in the past-tense. You are not trying to escape the corruption of the world, you already have escaped! When did that happen? The moment you accepted Jesus Christ.
The word “corruption” there means destruction and death. You are not striving and fighting to escape the destruction and death of the world… you already have escaped it through Christ Jesus! This fact is a key point. Keep it in mind as we move forward.
Now verses 5, 6 and 7 are often used by the proponents of works and merit to try and convince people that they are supposed to conjure up these things within themselves. And when a brother or sister in the LORD seems to be deficient in any of these areas these people are usually quick to rebuke them.
Let me be perfectly clear we are supposed to have these things. Verse 8 makes it clear that the purpose of us having all of the things listed in verses 5, 6 and 7, is so that we will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that last part is very important, because it shows us that we are still talking about the knowledge of Christ here. This is how it happens… You see Jesus in His virtue, and you bear fruit to virtue as you receive knowledge of Him. You see Jesus’ love and kindness, and you bear fruit to knowledge and kindness and so on… it all is founded on Jesus Christ.
Now look at verse 9 – verse 9 is very important, because if we see someone lacking in these things, should we rebuke them? If we see ourselves lacking, should we guilt ourselves? Verse 9 says:
“But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”
This is very interesting and turns most church doctrine on its head in this area. If someone is lacking any moral-excellence or self-control, God’s diagnosis is that the person is shortsighted and even blind to seeing Jesus Christ, and has forgotten that they were cleansed from their sins. In other words, they have forgotten who they are in Christ. This is why it’s so important to always remind people of the truth in Christ and the Gospel of Grace. It doesn’t matter how long someone has been a Christian… five minutes or fifty years – this truth of Christ and who we are in Him is essential to life and godliness because it is all supplied by Him anyway.
Some people say “Well that’s just sloppy easy greasy grace”, and those people who say that don’t really believe the Gospel. Romans 5:17-19 makes it very clear:
“For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came on all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came on all men to justification of life.
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
It is by the abundance of Grace and the gift of righteousness that we reign in life by Jesus Christ.
When you reign in life, neither Satan himself nor any of the forces of hell can reign. There can’t be two kings on the throne. Why? Because you are reigning by the One Jesus Christ… and it is through the abundance of His grace and the gift of righteousness!
But we need the Law for obedience still… No. Look at verse 19: by the obedience of One [Jesus] many are made righteous.
Your obedience today is to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ… and it will produce good fruit, but your self-effort and works has no part to play, it is all His work and His doing in you. Believe the truth, and as you believe right, your entire life will be right.