God Supplies The Power to Live For Christ
March 28, 2020
Commentary
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.”
2 Peter 1:1– 4 (NET)
1 From Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, have been granted a faith just as precious as ours. 2 May grace and peace be lavished on you as you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord!
3 I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. 4 Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.