The scene is school registration for a new year, and it's time to pick up the text books for classes. Picture a student who is enrolled in far too many classes. He goes down the line and book after book is piled into his arms until he can barely see where he is going. He appears to be carrying far too large of an academic load - in more ways than one.
Sometimes expectations for the Christian life can seem just as burdensome. The following expectations sound like a student's increasing book load at registration:
"applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love." (2 Peter 1:5-7)
Sounds overwhelming, doesn't it? It's enough to cause even the most devoted follower to cry out in exasperation, "Back up the divine book mobile; I can't possibly do all this!" And that would be a reasonable reaction if we were expected to do these things in our own power. But we're not.
Verse 5 begins with the phrase, "Now for this very reason also". The reason why we are to accumulate this "book pile" of spiritual qualities is because of a key truth already mentioned. Verse 3 says, "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." Did you catch that all-important word, "everything"? Through the power of Holy Spirit, God has bestowed on and in us all that is needed for godliness and Christian living. Not only has he supplied the "text books"; He has also supplied the means to master the content. He literally causes us to be "partakers of the divine nature" (verse 4) through His power.
It's easy to misunderstand God's expectations. Often in Scripture we see what He desires and mistakenly assume it is to be done in our own power and strength. In reality He outlines the objectives He wishes to accomplish in us by His power. Thus, this "book pile" of spiritual qualities in 2 Peter 1 is merely descriptive of what He will do as we submit and surrender to His Spirit. As we see these qualities in increasing evidence in our lives we are encouraged to know that He is doing what He desires in us.
May you experience the joy of growth through His divine power today.
Steve
Sometimes expectations for the Christian life can seem just as burdensome. The following expectations sound like a student's increasing book load at registration:
"applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love." (2 Peter 1:5-7)
Sounds overwhelming, doesn't it? It's enough to cause even the most devoted follower to cry out in exasperation, "Back up the divine book mobile; I can't possibly do all this!" And that would be a reasonable reaction if we were expected to do these things in our own power. But we're not.
Verse 5 begins with the phrase, "Now for this very reason also". The reason why we are to accumulate this "book pile" of spiritual qualities is because of a key truth already mentioned. Verse 3 says, "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." Did you catch that all-important word, "everything"? Through the power of Holy Spirit, God has bestowed on and in us all that is needed for godliness and Christian living. Not only has he supplied the "text books"; He has also supplied the means to master the content. He literally causes us to be "partakers of the divine nature" (verse 4) through His power.
It's easy to misunderstand God's expectations. Often in Scripture we see what He desires and mistakenly assume it is to be done in our own power and strength. In reality He outlines the objectives He wishes to accomplish in us by His power. Thus, this "book pile" of spiritual qualities in 2 Peter 1 is merely descriptive of what He will do as we submit and surrender to His Spirit. As we see these qualities in increasing evidence in our lives we are encouraged to know that He is doing what He desires in us.
May you experience the joy of growth through His divine power today.
Steve
posted by steve @ 9:24 AM
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