Sunday, March 31, 2019

GOD'S GRACE & PROMISES - 2 PETER 1:1-4

This is the second letter written by Peter. He identified himself in verse 1. Interestingly, he used his Hebrew name, Simeon. Most English versions translate it to “Simon”, but the English Standard Version (ESV) maintains the Hebrew.

The letter was written to the same people he addressed in his first letter. We know this because he said “this is the second letter I am writing to you”. (2 Peter 3:1) So, again, he addressed the churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. (1 Peter 1:1)

Peter wrote this letter in the mid 60s A.D., from prison, not long before he was martyred.

Introduction
1:1-2

In addition to giving his Hebrew name, Peter identified himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. (1) The Greek word for “servant” is “doulos”. It really means a slave. By this Peter means he is “owned” by Jesus Christ, serving him only, living under his authority, and dedicating his life to him.

There is, however, a certain honor in using the term. In the Old Testament, those faithful men who were called by God to do special things, such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and David, were also called servants of God. It is an honor to be chosen to be a servant of the Lord to accomplish his work.

He also identified himself as an apostle. By doing so, he asserts this authority to teach them and command them, as he had authority directly from Jesus. He was specifically called to be one of the Twelve. (Matthew 4:18)

He heard Jesus teach and was called to teach. (John 21:15-19; Matthew 28: He had authority to say what was sound teaching and good doctrine, and he had the authority to rebuke false teachers and their teaching. (Matthew 16:19)  He will go on to do that in this letter.

Peter addressed his readers as “those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours”. (1) Although these were second generation believers who never saw or heard Jesus in the flesh, their salvation was as valid as Peter’s. All believers stand equally in the grace of Christ. There are different roles and different offices in the church, but all believers are equally saved.

Faith comes from God to us. Ephesians 2:8 says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” And the faith he gives is effective to bring each believer into salvation. It is of equal standing with the faith of others.

We have this faith “by the righteousness” of Jesus. We receive his righteousness as part of the gift of salvation. Therefore, all faith is of equal standing, based not on our righteousness, but on that of Jesus.

The last item to note in this introduction is Peter’s clear declaration of the deity of Jesus. Peter’s blessing is that grace and peace would be multiplied to his readers in the knowledge of “God and of Jesus our Lord”. (2) The original language is more clear, as it literally says “of our God and Savior Jesus Christ”. Additionally, the title of Lord implies divinity. Peter believed in the divinity of Jesus.

Peter stated that grace and peace would be multiplied to the believer through knowing the Son. We begin to know them when we are converted, or saved, and we come to know them in a deeper way through our walk with him and our study of his word.

This growth in grace and peace begins and ends the letter. In 3:18, Peter urged his readers to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.  

Christ’s Provision For The Believer
1:3-4

When we come to Jesus in faith for salvation, we begin to know him. As we come to know him, His divine power gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He gives us life, which is eternal life. That life begins when we come to faith. Jesus said that whoever believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Jesus calls us to a high standard of holy living. He calls us to his own glory and excellence. (3) But, in addition to eternal life, Jesus gave us everything that pertains to godliness.

What are those things? He regenerated us. He took us from being dead in trespasses and sins to being made alive in Christ. (Ephesians 2:1-5)  He made us new creations. (2 Corinthians 5:17) He took away the old and gave us the new. (Colossians 3:9-10) He gave us the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us. He gave us his word to teach us.

By Christ’s glory and excellence, he gave us his precious and very great promises. What are these promises? They are the promise of eternal life, the promise of the Holy Spirit, the promise of increasing sanctification (becoming more and more like Christ) and the promise of his return. (4)

Through these promises, we become partakers of the divine nature. This does not mean we will become gods, as the Mormons teach, or that we will become part of the divine, as Pantheists teach. It means that we will become like Christ.

In this life, sanctification means we become more Christ-like as we mature as Christians. We also escape the corruption of the world caused by sin.

When Christ returns, we will be changed to be like him. Now we bear the image of the man of dust, Adam, but then we will bear the image of the man of heaven, Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:49)

That is exciting, isn’t it? That is why we can pray along with John in the Book of Revelation, “come Lord Jesus”.

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