Posting a day early as we are headed north to Rochester, Minnesota today for Barbara's annual check-up. Pray all is well. Overall, she is continuing to get stronger every day. Thanks. Now on to today's Bihle Insight.
Paul speaks of the sufficiency of God's salvation: "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8). "Sufficiency" refers to self-sufficiency (John MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testement Commentary; 2 Peter & Jude, [Moody Publishers, 2005], 25). In other words, you have all that is necessary. By His grace, God provides all the spiritual resources that are sufficient to meet life's demands.
Paul speaks of the sufficiency of God's salvation: "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8). "Sufficiency" refers to self-sufficiency (John MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testement Commentary; 2 Peter & Jude, [Moody Publishers, 2005], 25). In other words, you have all that is necessary. By His grace, God provides all the spiritual resources that are sufficient to meet life's demands.
Paul also wrote: "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority" (Col. 2:8-10). God saved you, and through the indwelling Holy Spirit, He has provided all the grace and spiritual resources you will ever need.
Our spiritual sufficiency, the fact that we have every spiritual resource necessary to live the abundant Christian life, comes from "His divine power" (2 Peter 1:3a). Our salvation is made sufficient by God's power. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, operates in us: "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 1:19-20, NLT).
From the moment you trusted Christ as Lord and Savior, God has granted you His power. The NKJV says specifically, "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3a). "Has granted" (v. 3a), or "has given to us" (NKJV), "is a perfect, passive participle meaning that in the past, with continuing results in the present, God permanently bestowed His power on believers" (Ibid, 26).
God has provided all the spiritual resources we need in the Holy Spirit who indwells us and empowers us for living. We have all the divine power we need for sanctification—we have no lack at all! In view of that, the Lord holds all believers responsible to obey all the commands of Scripture. We can't claim that our sins or failures are because of God's limited provision. His provision is not limited.
Nothing comes into our lives that is beyond the resources God has given us to help us overcome. The divine power given to each of us by the Lord, leads Peter to declare that we have received "all things that pertain to life and godliness" (v. 3b). In the Greek, the term "all things" is in "the emphatic position, stressing the extent of the self-sufficiency of believers" (Ibid, 27).
The Spirit of God that indwells us, empowers our spiritual life and sustains that life in all its fullness. We need not seek or ask for anything more. We already have every spiritual resource we need to persevere in holy living. "Life and godliness" (v. 3b) has to do with sanctification. With salvation in Christ came everything we need to sustain that life. That spells eternal security. We are secure in our salvation, because we know that God will empower us to persevere to the end.
"Godliness" (v. 3b) refers to both true reverence in worship and active obedience in your daily life. You need not ever question God's sufficiency, because His grace that saved you is equally able to sustain you in life and empower you to righteous conduct.
With God's power and provision available to us, how can we experience those things to the fullest? Peter answers, "Through the knowledge of Him" (v. 3c), or more accurately, "Through the true knowledge of Him" (NASB).
"Knowledge" (epignōsis) refers to a knowledge that is deep and genuine. The word is sometimes used interchangeably with the more basic term gnōsis, which means simply knowledge. But Peter is referring to more than just a superficial knowledge of Christ. Mere head knowledge doesn't cut it. It takes a deep, genuine, personal heart knowledge of Christ for salvation. (Ibid, 28)
Saving knowledge of Jesus Christ comes from "Him who called us" (v. 3c). There are two aspects to God's call: the general call and the effectual call. The general call comes through the proclamation of the gospel, through which the sinner is urged to accept salvation. The gospel is to be preached to everyone and the general call is offered to all.
John MacArthur points out: "The effectual call is efficacious; that is, it always results in salvation. This is a creative calling which accompanies the external proclamation of the gospel; it is invested with the power to deliver one to the divinely intended destination." (Ibid)
John Murray said, "It is very striking that in the New Testament the terms for calling, when used specifically with reference to salvation, are almost uniformly applied, not to the universal call of the gospel, but to the call that ushers men into a state of salvation and is therefore effectual." (John Murray, Redemption—Accomplished and Applied [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955], 88)
God's saving call is made effective through the revealed majesty of Jesus Christ. Sinners are drawn by the "glory and virtue" of Jesus Christ (v. 3c), or by the "glory and excellence" of Jesus Christ (NASB). When through the preaching of the gospel, the sinner realizes who Jesus is (the glorious Son of God, the Savior), recognizes their need of repentance, and comes to Him in faith, he will be saved. Salvation made sufficient by God's proclamation.
The excellencies of Christ attract people to a saving relationship with Him. By His glory and excellence, He accomplished everything needed for our salvation. And through His glory and virtue, He gave us "exceedingly great and precious promises" (v. 4a). All the salvation promises in Christ are "exceedingly great" and "precious" (v. 4a).
All God's salvation promises are given "that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (v. 4b). "May be" (v. 4b) is a word in the Greek that refers not to a future possibility, but to a present reality (McArthur, 30).
"Partakers" is often translated "fellowship," and means "sharer" or "partner." Believers are partners in Christ. "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). Believers escape the corruption of the world and become partakers of the divine nature of Christ, as He comes to dwell in us by His Spirit.
To wrap it up in a nutshell, Peter is saying that genuine, heart knowledge of God through Christ gives us all we need to live godly lives. Give yourself to Jesus in all you do and say, and let Him live through you. Amen.
Our spiritual sufficiency, the fact that we have every spiritual resource necessary to live the abundant Christian life, comes from "His divine power" (2 Peter 1:3a). Our salvation is made sufficient by God's power. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, operates in us: "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 1:19-20, NLT).
From the moment you trusted Christ as Lord and Savior, God has granted you His power. The NKJV says specifically, "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3a). "Has granted" (v. 3a), or "has given to us" (NKJV), "is a perfect, passive participle meaning that in the past, with continuing results in the present, God permanently bestowed His power on believers" (Ibid, 26).
God has provided all the spiritual resources we need in the Holy Spirit who indwells us and empowers us for living. We have all the divine power we need for sanctification—we have no lack at all! In view of that, the Lord holds all believers responsible to obey all the commands of Scripture. We can't claim that our sins or failures are because of God's limited provision. His provision is not limited.
Nothing comes into our lives that is beyond the resources God has given us to help us overcome. The divine power given to each of us by the Lord, leads Peter to declare that we have received "all things that pertain to life and godliness" (v. 3b). In the Greek, the term "all things" is in "the emphatic position, stressing the extent of the self-sufficiency of believers" (Ibid, 27).
The Spirit of God that indwells us, empowers our spiritual life and sustains that life in all its fullness. We need not seek or ask for anything more. We already have every spiritual resource we need to persevere in holy living. "Life and godliness" (v. 3b) has to do with sanctification. With salvation in Christ came everything we need to sustain that life. That spells eternal security. We are secure in our salvation, because we know that God will empower us to persevere to the end.
"Godliness" (v. 3b) refers to both true reverence in worship and active obedience in your daily life. You need not ever question God's sufficiency, because His grace that saved you is equally able to sustain you in life and empower you to righteous conduct.
With God's power and provision available to us, how can we experience those things to the fullest? Peter answers, "Through the knowledge of Him" (v. 3c), or more accurately, "Through the true knowledge of Him" (NASB).
"Knowledge" (epignōsis) refers to a knowledge that is deep and genuine. The word is sometimes used interchangeably with the more basic term gnōsis, which means simply knowledge. But Peter is referring to more than just a superficial knowledge of Christ. Mere head knowledge doesn't cut it. It takes a deep, genuine, personal heart knowledge of Christ for salvation. (Ibid, 28)
Saving knowledge of Jesus Christ comes from "Him who called us" (v. 3c). There are two aspects to God's call: the general call and the effectual call. The general call comes through the proclamation of the gospel, through which the sinner is urged to accept salvation. The gospel is to be preached to everyone and the general call is offered to all.
John MacArthur points out: "The effectual call is efficacious; that is, it always results in salvation. This is a creative calling which accompanies the external proclamation of the gospel; it is invested with the power to deliver one to the divinely intended destination." (Ibid)
John Murray said, "It is very striking that in the New Testament the terms for calling, when used specifically with reference to salvation, are almost uniformly applied, not to the universal call of the gospel, but to the call that ushers men into a state of salvation and is therefore effectual." (John Murray, Redemption—Accomplished and Applied [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955], 88)
God's saving call is made effective through the revealed majesty of Jesus Christ. Sinners are drawn by the "glory and virtue" of Jesus Christ (v. 3c), or by the "glory and excellence" of Jesus Christ (NASB). When through the preaching of the gospel, the sinner realizes who Jesus is (the glorious Son of God, the Savior), recognizes their need of repentance, and comes to Him in faith, he will be saved. Salvation made sufficient by God's proclamation.
The excellencies of Christ attract people to a saving relationship with Him. By His glory and excellence, He accomplished everything needed for our salvation. And through His glory and virtue, He gave us "exceedingly great and precious promises" (v. 4a). All the salvation promises in Christ are "exceedingly great" and "precious" (v. 4a).
All God's salvation promises are given "that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (v. 4b). "May be" (v. 4b) is a word in the Greek that refers not to a future possibility, but to a present reality (McArthur, 30).
"Partakers" is often translated "fellowship," and means "sharer" or "partner." Believers are partners in Christ. "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). Believers escape the corruption of the world and become partakers of the divine nature of Christ, as He comes to dwell in us by His Spirit.
To wrap it up in a nutshell, Peter is saying that genuine, heart knowledge of God through Christ gives us all we need to live godly lives. Give yourself to Jesus in all you do and say, and let Him live through you. Amen.
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