2 Peter 1:1-8
(1) Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: (2) Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, (3) as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, (4) by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (5) But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, (6) to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, (7) to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. (8) For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peter is writing to those who have come to believe in Jesus with the same faith that he and the others with him have. This faith is “like precious” or of the same value or honor as the faith of the apostles. This faith is valuable not in itself, but because God and Jesus have given it value by their righteousness. Through His righteousness, Jesus has made salvation by grace, through faith possible. In Hebrews 10:35 we are exhorted “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” This faith is a precious, valuable item.
Peter speaks in this passage about knowledge of the Lord. In verse 2 he says, “Grace & peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.” Grace & peace is Paul’s consistent greeting to the churches in his letters and he adds mercy to grace and peace when greeting his co-workers Timothy and Titus. Pastors and teachers are in need of some extra mercy because James tells us that they will also receive a stricter judgment. In verse 3 Peter tells them that it is through this knowledge of God and Jesus that we receive everything we need for life and godliness. In verses 5 and 6 Peter tells us to get knowledge. Knowledge is among the things Peter tells us we are to add, or the word also means supply, to, or in, the other things. This list of items Peter exhorts us to supply each of these qualities to the other, or in the other. As a young believer I perceived this as a type of hierarchy, as if one thing was added on top of another and in a certain order. As I read it now, I think of an image of a nesting doll, with each attribute here resting within each other. I also think of a recipe in which the ingredients are ‘folded’ into each other. These are attributes or character qualities that the Lord will supply to us and that He wants us to walk in.
This list is in many ways similar to the fruit of the Spirit Paul lists in Galatians 5:22 with some difference in wording. These things are supplied by the Lord by His power and righteousness. But we can see that these things are exhibited by walking in the Holy Spirit rather than in the flesh, and that these qualities are to become an increasing part of the character of the believer as they grow in their relationship to Jesus. In 2 Peter 3:18, Peter exhorts us “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” Then, in verse 8, Peter writes about being fruitful in this knowledge that we have of the Lord Jesus. The end result of our growth is to be a fruit bearing branch.
But the main thing I would like for us to think about today in this passage, is the fact that God the Father, in Jesus, has given us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness. ALL things doesn’t leave out anything. Everything pertaining to life and godliness is included. It’s a package deal. The apostle Paul agrees in Romans 8:32 where he writes, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
It seems in our day that increasing numbers of believers are seeking for things pertaining to life and godliness outside of the provision that God has given. Peter emphasizes that God has given us great and precious promises by which we are made partakers of the divine nature. We find these great and precious promises in His written word to us. And we have the firstfruits of the Spirit of His Son, sent into our hearts, by which we cry out Abba, Father. [Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15].
It is by these great and precious promises, and by the power of the Holy Spirit – “His divine power” – that we have ALL things that pertain to life – the abundant life that Jesus came to give – and godliness. This word translated godliness is only used here and in the pastoral epistles. It’s meaning to “well worship”, or “worthy worship”, or “worthship”. What better definition of godliness could there be than worship rightly directed? This reminds me of Jesus’ words to the woman at the well in John 4:23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”
Well, as I said, we find these great and precious promises in God’s word. It is in His word that we by faith receive the ALL things that pertain to life and godliness.
But many are departing from this resource and seeking spiritual life and nourishment in other places. Not usually entirely, but partially. They don’t completely abandon the word of God, but they look to and live by other ideas that they find more palatable than scripture. Peter, in his first letter, tells us in 1 Peter 2:1-3 “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, (2) as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, (3) if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
The idea of pure milk is an unadulterated milk. This is not a contrast with the meat of the Word, which we find in other places. This milk is something that both newborn and mature believers should desire with a great desire. It is the milk of the word not diluted and not mixed with anything else. Nothing to water it down and nothing to spruce it up. Just the pure milk. No additives and no deletions. No Ovaltine! Some desire to change the flavor of the Word. It can have a bitter taste at times, but it must be taken straight! Not pasteurized, and then making an attempt to add back vitamins from another source. God’s word doesn’t need to be pasteurized since it contains no impurities and no contaminants. Other sources may, so all things must be judged by “it is written.” I wonder how my life would change if I judged all things by what is written, as Jesus did. I recall Jesus’ statement, quoting Moses quoting Himself, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” [Matthew 4:4]
I heard the late Dave Hunt quote a verse many times so that I actually recall it. I don’t know the original source.
“Who would leave the fountainhead
To drink the muddy stream
Where man has mixed what God has said
With every dreamer’s dream?”
Yet many in our day would. Our day is like Jeremiah’s day when he lamented the state of God’s people, saying in Jeremiah 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.
This emphasis upon the word of God, and teaching the whole counsel of God has always been a distinctive of the Calvary Chapels. Not exclusively certainly, there are others who also emphasize this, thank the Lord. But this emphasis puts us in good stead in these last days when perilous times are increasing. The times are coming, and now are, when men will not endure sound doctrine. Our world, and much of the church, has already gone looney with gender issues, race issues, sin issues, and climate issues, among others.
In John 15:7-8, Jesus said:
(7) If you abide [or live] in Me, and My words abide [or live] in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (8) By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
This asking and receiving is in regard to fruit bearing. God desires that we bear much fruit. As Peter says, “you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In conclusion, let us…
Live in the Word and let the Word live in us.
Live out the Word, following His commands, walking in His Spirit.
Throw out the Word, i.e. sow the Word in the world. The Word of God has great power [Hebrews 4:12], both internally with ourselves and externally in the world, as wielded by the Holy Spirit of God.