2 Peter 1:1 – 4 “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence (goodness.) Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
SIMON PETER IS BACK! And he’s looking over his shoulder, conscious that his time is even shorter now than it was when he wrote his first letter. One of the things that is remarkable about the opening greeting in this letter is Peter’s humility. Please remember, Peter was one of the original disciples. Peter was with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter was in the Upper Room. On the day of Pentecost when the fire of the Holy Spirit fell, Peter was the one who preached and 3,000 people believed on Jesus Christ because of Peter’s message. If ANYBODY has the right to swagger a little, Peter definitely qualifies…… and yet…. Peter doesn’t.
Here Peter only mentions in passing that he is a “servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.” Having established his credentials, Peter then goes on to affirm that all other believers who have received the same faith that he has are equal in that faith. There are no second class citizens here. Long ago Peter got over feeling that he was special. Don’t you think that any time Peter heard a rooster crow, he would remember that terrible night when he denied knowing Jesus three times? God has a great sense of humor, and I suspect that for the rest of Peter’s life, God would have roosters crowing at just the right time to keep Peter truly humble! Can’t you just imagine it?
Peter, “Well, when I was in Jerusalem at Pentecost…” (Rooster crows,“Ur oo ur oo ooooo!”) Peter, blushing,“Um, well, never mind.”
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” Peter is not only pronouncing a blessing here, but he is also stating a fundamental truth. The more we learn about God and Jesus His Son, the more we study God’s word and let it soak into our hearts, the more grace and peace we should experience in our lives. Does this mean life will become easier? Are you kidding? Generally, Satan attacks more viciously as he sees Christians growing in their faith. But God is able to give believers everything they need to withstand these attacks. That is why Peter says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence (goodness.) Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
God rewards those who seek Him and they will never be turned away empty – handed. However, these rewards are not monetary but something far better; these rewards are spiritual treasures that can never be stolen. There is a reason that many Christians carry lists of God’s promises or memorize God’s promises. The more we study and memorize and soak our minds and spirits in these promises, the more peace we will have in our hearts.
In the devotional Hope for Each Day Billy Graham tells a story that illustrates the effect of these promises on our lives. “Years ago when I traveled to Europe to preach, I liked to travel by sea. I enjoyed the five days of relative quiet on the ship. On one of my voyages, Captain Anderson of the United States took me down to see the ship’s gyroscope. He said “when the sea is rough, the gyroscope helps keep the ship on an even keel. Though the waves may reach tremendous proportions, the gyroscope helps stabilize the vessel and maintain a high degree of equilibrium.” When we meditate on God’s promises, those promises will act like a spiritual gyroscope, keeping us on an even keel no matter what.
This morning, why not find just one promises in the Bible that really speaks to you and memorize it? I promise you will be glad that you did.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for your promises! Thank you that once you say something, you never change your mind. Thank you that your promises are true and that we can count on them, no matter what. Help us to truly put our trust in you. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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