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Today we will continue our examination of 2Peter, chapter 1. This section of God’s inspired word is perhaps one of the most profound, straightforward, and clear instruction about the purpose and meaning of the Christian life in the Bible. It reveals what Jesus Christ would have us be doing with whatever amount of time each one of us has to live, after we have surrendered to Him. What we DO with the time we have in this life is important beyond measure It will be to our peril if neglect this key to so great a salvation! (Matthew 24:48-51) By God’s grace that we have received, a great work will be done in us.

Last week I referred to this endeavor as the building of a “pyramid” (1 Corinthians 3:9-11). Each one of these attributes of the divine nature empower the next, so that if one is ignored, or dismissed as unnecessary, the pyramid cannot be built. It is intriguing to think of the many analogies and parodies that have been drawn using the pyramids in Egypt. Whatever the reason or reasons for God having left them standing, certainly they can be applied to the building of a human life into an edifice for eternity, constructed into the image of God Himself. After all, this is “what its all about” (Genesis 1:26-27).

In order to be in God’s “image”, the very first thing necessary to have is God’s CHARACTER. Many things can “exist” without character.- objects certainly can. Animals have instincts, even personalities, but not character. People can have character of various types and dimensions (he is a “character”). Therefore, a defining word must be added to the word “character” - we must have GOD’S character in order to become created in His image! As we noted last week, Peter says that God has already ENABLED us to receive the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The enabling is given to us via God’s “precious promises”. If we belong to Him, our past sins have been forgiven, we have been cleansed from the corruption of the fallen world. However, Peter shows us that although the building of our pyramid has been enabled, it still MUST BE APPREHENDED.

There is an undercurrent, a presumption - or an assumption - rampant in the Christian world today that subtly teaches that once we receive the Holy Spirit, then He will do everything else. There is a belief that our sanctification is mostly a waiting game. To use a humorous printing on a coffee mug, this can perhaps be described this way: “If you lead a good life, say your prayers, and go to church, when you die, you will go to...[a certain town]”. Many Christians would agree, and fill the blank with “heaven”. But, “is this all there is” to it? One cannot read 2 Peter 1 with an honest, humble and surrendered heart and sincerely believe waiting it out is all there is...

Notice in verse 5 that Peter uses an action verb of command to his readers regarding these works of grace. In other words, these are qualities that require OUR PRO-ACTIVE EFFORT AND PARTICIPATION. The first work of grace comprises the foundation of our pyramid - FAITH! This, Peter says, has ALREADY BEEN GIVEN to us. This is the foundation upon which we begin to build the edifice. When we responded by OUR faith in Jesus Christ, by virtue of His sacrifice on the cross, God gave us the gift of JESUS’ FAITH - “faith for faith”. (Romans 1:17; Ephesians 2:8) A spiritual character cannot be built upon human “faith” alone. Jesus’ faith is our foundation - IT IS OUR scaffold on which we stand in order build and to reach higher and higher! Without this faith, there can be no permanent structure built. Jesus’ faith is the solid rock (Matthew 7:24-27). What might appear to be “character” built on our “faith” alone will collapse eventually.

Continuing in verse 5, the next character layer to be built upon faith is VIRTUE. This word in the Greek has several meanings, and is used in various ways. Perhaps using a proverbial expression will catch what is meant.- its not just what we are to build, but also HOW we build it; and its not just what is said, but how it is said, etc. There is philosophy today that the end justifies the means, ad infinitum (1 Corinthians 3:10). We must build with diligence, dedication, that will be energized by the Holy Spirit, but we must appropriate and initiate. Our work is enabled by grace. God builds with us and in us. He gets the glory. We strive, and yield, and repent, and struggle to overcome (1 Corinthians 9:24-27), as he uses it all in that mysterious working that makes the next level of our spiritual pyramid ready to be constructed - KNOWLEDGE. God spoke by His prophet that His people were being destroyed for LACK OF knowledge (Hosea 4:6), He did not say they lacked INFORMATION. In our world we are drowning in an information glut. Often in information there is very little real knowledge. And in knowledge, there is often very little TRUTH. If there is a scripture in the Bible that could be applied in principle to today, this seems to be one.

It is interesting that “virtue” is listed and laid down before “knowledge”. It could seem to human logic that knowledge could be built before virtue. Upon reflection we can see that unless there is the spiritual virtue built into us before we attempt to acquire proper knowledge, gross error can result! Observe the so-called knowledge available on television, as a case in point. Without “virtue”, there will be no “fear of God’ which is the beginning of wisdom, the righteous use of all knowledge. The greatest repository of true knowledge is the Bible - the Word of God. It is the basis of all true knowledge. But again - without the spiritual quality of virtue, there can be no right comprehension of the Bible which is the knowledge of God to humanity. This was the root of the problem that the apostle Paul saw in dealing with the Jews of his day (Romans 10:1-3). All truth, all knowledge (right knowledge, spiritual knowledge) is summed up and reposes in Jesus Christ, and in His word, the Bible. But without “Faith” - the faith of Jesus, and without “Virtue”, we will be unable to win the battle against all the assaults of the god of this world to destroy this knowledge that Peter refers to, and then it cannot be built into our character, and become an attribute of God’s “divine nature”! (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)...

With true knowledge now enabled, the remaining works of grace on our "building" can continue...

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”- Ephesians 4:17-24

[Continued...]

"God's Words For US" from Cecelia Lester

Renew a Right Spirit