God Supplies The Power to Live For Christ

Bill Hybels tells about an interesting experience after a baptism service in their church. He writes: “I bumped into a woman in the stairwell who was crying. I thought this was a little odd, since the service was so joyful. I asked her if she was all right. She said, ‘ … More

Power

This book was written two or three years after the Roman Emperor Nero began his persecution of Christians. It focuses on the church’s internal problems, especially on the false teachers.. Peter directed this letter specifically to Christians scattered in the region of present-day Turkey (v. 1). Those addressed seem to be the same Christians who in the first epistle, were enduring great suffering for their faith. Peter rebukes the false teachers who have undermined the faith of the saints by professing a special enlightenment available only to a favored few. These individuals who claimed to have a true knowledge of God and of Christ at the same time exhibited immoral behavior.

We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness (v. 3). Peter makes an appeal to the believers for holy living (vv. 2-4). He traces success in the Christian life to a knowledge and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. God has provided the believer with the necessary power to live the Christian life, but that does not mean that he can just sit back and relax. The power to grow doesn’t come from within us but from God.

The Christian life is like power steering on a car. The engine provides the power for the steering, but the driver must actually turn the wheel. The Lord supplies the power to run our lives but we must turn the wheel. There can never be room for spiritual self-satisfaction. The Christian who ceases to grow in his Christian life is in a dangerous position.

Application

I need to place small cards around that say, “Pray for Power.”

II Peter 1:1-4 (English Standard Version)


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View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »