The Power and Promise of God 2 Pe. 1:1-11 Introduction: Cf. A few examples of daring *maybe, foolish] things I had done before, e.g., as a 12 yrs. old kicking some tough guys off the soccer field, as a 13 yrs. old confronting gangsters 1 st day of school surrounded by 10, telling them off; helping a friend to ward off triad members who wanted protection money. I recently read a great line from Gary Moon s book in which he recalls what his friend, Mark, once related to him: Attempt something so great for God that it is doomed to fail unless he is truly in it. The previous examples of being daring are more about foolishness than real courage or attempt something so great for God! However, I can also recall a couple of real attempts in great things for God, e.g., preaching at Regent before world renown scholars and theologians; translating German journal articles without knowing any German; church planting. The difference between these and the earlier foolish acts is the God-factor and a genuine sense of calling. No matter what career we have, what life stage we are in, what socio-economic status we have, or where we are in our faith journey, as people created in the image of God, we have a high calling! Here is how Peter expresses it: 2 Pe. 1:3 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. 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 are called to manifest God s ever-present splendour in our participation of His work of re-creation. To lead a godly life is to lead a life that would be pleasing to God the Father-Creator who is characterized by glory and goodness. In other words, we are created to be live exhibits of the character and acts of God, as image bearers showing forth the glory the magnificence, the weightiness, the power and authority as well as the moral excellence - of the One who created us in all areas of our life. From The Westminster Shorter Catechism:
Q. What is the chief end of man? A. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever. To live as God-representatives and agents of re-creation is our highest most privileged calling indeed. Cf. Share about Zachary s high school band. How much more are we privileged to represent - to glorify and to enjoy - the Creator! Let s say this together aloud: It s not about me; it s all about God! if your ultimate and highest purpose is to have life made easy and sociable, then never have anything to do with Christianity. Flee from it, for it will do the opposite Soren Kierkegaard, Works of Love, p. 127. when Peter wrote the 2 nd letter to his readers who were led astray by cynics, skeptics, and mockers of God who taught false teachings that ended up with all kinds of questionable behaviours and their integrity compromised. This is what we are experiencing as well in our contemporary setting; and Peter s reminder of the high calling of God s people then is equally, if not more, relevant now. This call of God applies to all who have embraced Him through faith in Jesus, defines our identity, and shapes how we carry out our vocation, no matter what life-stage we are in at the moment. We begin this morning a new preaching series, GLORY: Illuminating Life with God s Virtues. After this introductory message, The Power and Promise of God, and next week s message by Pastor Kevin who is going to teach about the significance and meaning of Participating in the Divine Nature, we shall explore how we can apply this participation to our all-of-life spirituality, to our faith-ineveryday-living in the coming seven months. This statement from Kierkegaard was written in a time when most believers in his country were in name only, i.e., simply professing a lifeless, cold and passionless orthodoxy and were secularized and squeezed into the cultural way of living. This is not so different from the time I am sure that most of you had different conversions about the controversial and extreme approach to parenting proposed by a Yale Prof., Amy Chua, who has written Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother; and I heard that her life is now threatened. *Cf. I am doomed I have a tiger mother at
home! Libby was born in the year of the Tiger and I the Pig!!] Of course, we may not want to admit that we are Tiger/Chinese Mothers, or we may even detest such extreme parenting measures, I do have many encounters with hockey dads, montessori moms, & concert parents that just have different measurements or criteria of success in terms of personal pride, power, position, possession, and prosperity! After peeling away all the issues of approaches in parenting generating by the controversy, both positive and negative criticism, I imagine parents across the spectrum can readily together admit that all parents want their children to succeed, to maximize individual potentials, and to bring out the best in each child. This parental desire applies equally to our heavenly Father-Creator-God: 2 Pe. 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ God s purpose and will is to maximize the potentials of His children in all of life. We are called by God s glory and goodness to lead a purpose driven life ; it s was never God s intention for us to fall short of His glory, though we did just that (Rom. 3:23) He wants us to confirm our calling and never stumble so to receive a victor s welcome when we see Him face to face (2 Pe. 1:10-11). Like some of the believers at the time of Peter s writing who were misled by false teachings, whose faith was compromised because of ridicule of the cynics, skeptics and scoffers, many of us at present have also succumbed to spirituality-lite, practicing a consumerist faith a la carte which has the appearance of godliness but devoid of power/glory [weightiness/substance]. In the words of Paul, we are like infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming (Eph. 4:14); we prefer the way of least resistance and we blend in like salt but lost our saltiness thus failing to display any faith commitment, moral conviction, or religious passion, often taking the politically correct approach instead of making a difference. Why are you trying to fit in when you are made to stand out?
What A Girl Wants But again Peter reminds us here that we are not abandoned by a remote deity 2 Pe. 1:3 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. 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. The verse begins with the emphatic everything to us ; the God of glory and goodness is aware of our lack, our weakness, and our deficiency, hence gifting us with everything we need to live our purpose driven life. Our human condition and limitation is well described by the following: We lisp divinity by means of our humanity. Spiritual Formation Bible, p. 101. And Peter calls to our attention the truth: We are equipped with God s divine power to live by His great promises made available in Jesus. Because of time limitation, let us just look at a couple examples of God s divine [extraordinary, supernatural, godlike, god-initiated/originated] power Rom. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes 2 Tim. 1:8 join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And regarding Jesus great and precious promises Matt. 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Lk. 5:31 Jesus answered them, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Here is a selected summary: Divine Power The Jesus-Message Rom. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:8-10; cf. Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 4:12 The God-Breathed Word Ps. 19:7-10; 2 Pe. 1:19-20; 2 Tim. 3:16; cf. Heb. 4:12 The Empowering Spirit Jn. 14-16; Acts 1:8; 2-4; Eph. 5:18ff.; Tit. 3:4-7 The Army/People of God Mk. 6:1ff.; Lk. 10:1ff.; Eph. 3:14-21; 6:10ff.; cf. Matt. 5:13-16; Jn. 17 Great & Precious Promises Enabling & Healing Matt. 11:4-6, 28-30; Lk. 4:16-21; 5:31; cf. Phil. 4:13, 19 Life-with-God Matt. 6:33;16:24-26; Jn. 1:1-18; 6:68-69; 10:10 Gifts & Fruits Jn. 15:1-17; cf. 1 Cor. 12-14; Gal. 5:22-23. Peacemakers Matt. 5-7; cf. Rom. 12-15; Eph. 2:11ff.; 2 Cor. 5:11-21 2 Pe. 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 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 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 3:18 grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen This letter is bracketed by Peter s mentioning of knowledge, as we can see. Similar to OT understanding and emphasis, the kind of knowledge Peter talks about here isn t just informational or intellectual facts or ideas; it s knowledge based on an intimate & growing relationship a continuous knowing of one another for who they are, likes and dislikes, thinking, feeling, & acting - resulting in a relationship of mutual commitment, living out/practicing truths in both personal and social spheres of influence. How can we receive this divine power and live by the great promises of God? Acquiring or gain knowledge [appears 13x in 2 Pe.] is the means to receive power and promises This knowledge has ethical lifestyle implications, a summon issued to illuminate life with God s virtues: Embodying grace and peace which is effected by knowing God and becoming like Jesus.
It s about grace and peace in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Conclusion: The Lord s Supper remembering Jesus - God wants to shape our lives along the same lines as the life of his Son. Grace refers to unmerited, undeserved favour; it reminds us our weakness, limitation, and utmost dependence on God; it humiliates us and keeps us humble as well as grateful to God for His abounding mercies. Peace refers to shalom, a wholesome and blessed life - our reconciliation and reconnection with God and others, a continuous mending and restoration from a life preoccupied with and shattered by self-centered, selfserving proclivity/leaning and behaviours. Gary Moon sums it up well for us: disciples begin to act like Christ because they are becoming like him as opposed to acting like him through the power of human will how does a person become an apprentice of Jesus? By doing the next right thing with him, until eventually you observe him doing the next right thing through you. Gary Moon