In The Word
Read: 2 Peter 1:1-11
1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, 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 for 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. 4 Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten hispurification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Peter was a bond-servant of Jesus Christ. This means that he was not serving Christ because he had to, but because he wanted to. A bond-servant was someone who was given the opportunity to leave their master but chose of their own free will to stay. God doesn’t force us to stay in His household; we have to want to be there. My wife stays with me because she loves me, not because I make her. That’s true freedom connected to true love. Are you serving God because you feel you have to or because you desire to? Love allows a choice, and true love makes the right choice.
When we make the right choice to give our lives freely to Christ, a divine power is given to us to walk in the amazing promises of God. God’s love empowers us to handle or walk in anything pertaining to life. As we receive that power and learn how to wield it, our character is changed to look like Christ. As we continue to practice walking in this divine nature, more and more promises are made available to us. As we grow in this maturity, we make fewer and fewer mistakes.
If we have received the same faith as Peter, then our lives should be taking on the divine nature of Christ. We should be experiencing God’s magnificent promises. Are you seeing divine change taking place in your life? If so, keep increasing with all diligence. If not, make the right choice and freely give yourself to Christ.