For example, I don't always believe the Bible. Which essentially means I am calling God a liar. Or in another example, I often feel like I need to beg for something from God. Even if the thing I am asking for is good, my begging just shows what little I think of God. He isn't stingy. I don't need to beg. Anyway, tonight i listened to a sermon on 2 Peter 1:1-4 and finished the sermon with confession! Here's what I learned:
Verse 1 - "Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:"
For starters, Peter is humble. He puts his status of servant before his status of apostle. Also, he is stating that anybody who becomes a follower of Jesus is on the same level as Peter or any other Bible 'superstar'. We have the same faith because of Jesus and his righteousness. Now the question is do I really believe this? Am I truly on the same level as a man who walked on water? Who walked with Jesus for 3 years? Who witnessed the transfiguration? Who was there on Pentecost. The answer is that I'm not sure I believe it. It's hard to believe. But I want to and I think one day I will. I think I'm getting there.
Verse 2 - "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."
I love that a lot of books in the New Testament start with "grace and peace". Obviously God desires for us to have grace and peace! I love what comes next....through the KNOWLEDGE of God.....and this knowledge doesn't just mean know of. It means KNOW God. By knowing God, we gain peace and grace. So if I'm not experiencing peace and grace, it's my fault, not God's. It is his desire I have it which means he is not holding it back from me. I hold it back by not knowing God more.
Verse 3 - "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness"
What a verse!!! We have EVERYTHING we need for a godly life. That means we have everything to fight temptations. That means we shouldn't be addicted to anything. That means we shouldn't be falling into sin. Again how does this come....through KNOWLEDGE of God!! How do we know God? Well the same way you get to know anybody, through spending time with them.
Verse 4 - "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
We can avoid falling into sin by believing in God' promises. By believing in God's promises we participate in divine nature. (I think this is what the verse is saying!! I'm still a bit confused on what it is saying!!) I don't feel satisfied with this but I don't know what else to say as I'm still confused on the verse - sorry!
BONUS VERSES!
So these verses also came up in the sermon:
2 Corinthians 9:8 - "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
AND this...
1 Corinthians 3:21-22 - "All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God."
WHOA!! Everything is ours!!!! All of God's promises are ours. He tells us - raise the dead. That's a command but in a way a promise. A promise that we can raise the dead. Do you see what I mean? These verses are life changing!!
Anyway after the sermon I spent time in confession. Confession that I don't always believe God. Confession that I put other people and things before him. Confession that I don't love him like he deserves. Confession that I don't know him like I should.
Hmm who knew 1 and 2 Peter would be so convicting. Thank you Holy Spirit for revealing these things to me. This is tough!
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