All Things That Pertain to Life
2 Peter 1:2-4: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3. as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
- by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
As believers we are to grow spiritually everyday. We are to get to know Jesus our Lord and Savior better and better each day. We are to grow in the knowledge of God the Father, to grow in his love for us each day.
It is important for each of us to realize that God, through Jesus, has provided for us everything we will need in this life and the life to come. As the Apostle Peter states in the above Scripture He has given us “all things that pertain to life and Godliness.
What does this mean?
Galatians 3:13-14: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree''),
- that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Jesus became what we are, sinners separated from God, He paid the penalty for that sin by dying and going to hell in our place, so that we can have life.
John 10:9-10: "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly. Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law. The curse of the law is poverty, sickness and death, but there is a little more to that statement, look at the next verse.
Galatians 3:14: that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
We as believers are the seed of Abraham and Jesus died so that we can receive the blessings of Abraham in our lives.
We start out by receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith. It is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that takes us down the path of life.
John 14:16-17,26: 16: And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, 17. even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you…26: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
It is the Holy Spirit in you that helps you grow in the knowledge of God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. The Holy Spirit opens the Scriptures to you for your understanding, recalls verses to your mind when you need them and leads you in your everyday life. It is up to you, however, to fill and train your mind in the things of God, so that you recognize the leading of the Holy Spirit when it occurs.
The blessings of Abraham are ours; it is part of the inheritance God promised when he made the Covenant with Abraham.
Genesis 15:1-6: 17:1-2,After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.'' 2. But Abram said, "Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?'' 3. Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!'' 4. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.'' 5. Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.'' And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be.'' 6. And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness…1: When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
- "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”…17: And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Galatians that Jesus is the seed of Abraham and that we inherit this promise because we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
God wants us to have life and have it more abundantly. Jesus Christ redeemed us from sickness, poverty and death, in this life, not the one to come. We have received the promise now! It is not something we will receive when we die and go to Heaven, but something we inherit now. God gave us these exceeding great and precious promises so that we grow in the knowledge of him, through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s look at our opening Scripture again.
2 Peter 1:2-4: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3. as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
- by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Because of these great and precious promises we have become partakers of God’s divine nature. His life dwells in us and it is because of that life dwelling in us, that we have been set free from the curse of the law.
Romans 8:11: But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
This verse is twofold; it is talking about the resurrection of our mortal bodies when Jesus comes, but it also talking about the power of God dwelling in our mortal bodies now.
Jesus died that you would be set free! God wants you to be healed and your daily needs met, in addition to the salvation of your eternal soul.
Accept what Jesus did for you in all areas. Jesus taught us that our needs would be met daily.
Matthew 6:25-33: 25. "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26. "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27. "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
- "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29. "and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30. "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31. "Therefore do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32. "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
- "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
God desires for you is to be prosperous in body, mind and spirit. He knows what you need and He will provide it for you. God wants you to be healed, your daily needs met, your bills paid, food on your table, your family saved and serving God! Why? So that you can glorify him in all you do! God wants you to be prosperous so that you can be a blessing to others, not so you can be rich and spend on your own lustful desires. I don’t know about you, but I want to be able to do exactly what God tells me to do, when He tells me and I can’t do it, if I am sick and poor. I can’t give so others may know the Lord Jesus as Savior if I can’t pay my own bills. I can’t share the glorious Gospel, if I am too sick to get out of bed or spend all my money and time in hospitals and doctors’ offices! I can’t pray for others if I am spending all my time having others pray for me and my needs!
As the Apostle Peter states in the last verse of our text: “that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust,” (verse 4.) God made us partakers of the divine nature and through this we have escaped the corruption of this world! It is the corruption of this world that leads us to be greedy and selfish, to fall prey to alcoholism or drug addiction. To give in to adultery or
sex outside of marriage. We have the very life of God in us, we need to live like it!
It is time we crucify our flesh, lay aside the things of this world and seek a stronger life with God. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…” I urge you today, look at your life, are you a partaker of the divine nature by knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Do you give into the lusts of this world or are you yielding to the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life and living for God.
If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior, I urge you today to pray this prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Your word says, “…and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (Jn.6: 37),
So I know You won’t cast me out, but You take me in, And I thank you for it. You said in your Word, "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'' (Ro. 10:13).
I am calling on Your name, So I know You have saved me now, You also said, “…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.” (Ro.10: 9,10).
I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe He was raised from the dead for my justification. And I confess Him now as my Lord, Because Your Word says, “… with the heart one believes to righteousness…” and I do believe with my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21),
And I am saved! Thank You, Lord!
I can now truthfully say, I see myself as a born again child of God!
Glory to God!!!! Amen.