Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 156th. Edition.
Dear People Belonging to God,
In today’s passage (2 Peter 1:3-4 we catch a glimpse of Peter’s focus in this letter. The church of that time seems to have been struggling with worldliness and compromise. When people start indulging in sin, they tend to have all manner of excuses. Those will be addressed by and by, but Peter wants to start with the basics.
Gracious Grant (v. 3). God has given us all the resources needed to live godly lives. This is through the knowledge of the Saviour Jesus Christ. Knowing Christ is not just head knowledge. True knowledge of the Saviour is a faith commitment that results in the forgiveness of sins, the new birth, and a transformed life. People who have not taken this step have not been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Philippians 1:13-14) and are trying to live the Christian life in their own power. This isn’t just difficult, it is impossible. Without the enabling of the Holy Spirit, we will fail. But because we have surrendered our lives to Christ and been given the Holy Spirit to live in us, we are called to a life of separation from sinful practices, to glorify God and live in virtue.
Precious Promises (v. 4). Someone who did the count says that there are more than 5,000 promises in the Bible. Most printed Bibles average 1,500 pages. If you read a page of the Bible daily, you will encounter an average of 3 promises! What Peter seems to be saying here is that when we claim these promises (obviously, that means we pray), we will partake of the divine nature. Put literally, we will “eat” god-likeness. That means we will be made more like God in our living. The more that happens, the less we will indulge in the corrupt (rotten) ways of the, which are driven by lust (sinful desires). Having resources and not taking advantage of them is foolish. Read the Bible.
Claim the promises you find there. You will discover godliness and drift away from the world.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.