Grace and peace be multiplied
to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 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. II Peter 1:2-3
Dear Congregation,
These words of the apostle are precious
and encouraging. You can never go wrong praying for, relying upon, meditating
on, humbling your self with, studying, seeking, or remembering the divine power
of God. In fact we are told that all things that pertain unto life and
godliness are given to us by divine power. Superheroes, fictional characters
with magic powers like Harry Potter, Gandalf, and the Jedi, are all very
popular in our culture. The non Christian craves a godlike power of some sort
because the non Christian is empty and alone. She goes through the day with all
of life’s problems being her sole responsibility to fix and deal with. She
imagines a better world where a spell or the movement of her hands can fix
things and make things better. The fantasy is of coarse only that. However,
you, Christian have been gifted by the divine power of God almighty. Consider
your gifts.
All things that pertain to life and godliness. You have
eternal life because of the divine power of God; you will never die, will never
know judgment or hell, and can never be harmed by failure. God gave you that.
In addition, you have been equipped to live a life outside of yourself and your
needs, to keep your affections on Christ and His kingdom. Every scrap of Christ
like virtue and character that you display and grow into is also gifted to you
by His hand so that you can have a life of Biblical success and peace. How
marvelous that we do not have to be powerful because our Lord’s power is all
sufficient.
Perhaps this just seems too optimistic, too unrealistic?
You believe, but you are not harnessing this divine power enough to delight in
the above paragraph. Take note that the passage uses the word knowledge twice.
The divine power is harnessed by our knowledge of God. That is, both our mental
understanding and our relational bond. We will not appreciate the divine power
unless we know the One who gives it. Knowing God is all important! Reformed
Presbyterians value preaching, instruction, theology, and proper attention to
detail because God’s Word tells us to do so. Without a study of Him there can
be no relational passion. How can you truly delight in someone you only
casually know? We need to be reading, studying, and meditating on the Word as
the Psalmist commends in 1:1-2. Without that knowledge, the divine power that
gives us everything else will appear weak and anemic. Take time to learn, read,
talk, study, apply, and then His power will give you the love and passion to
rejoice, share, serve, love, and delight in one another as you delight in Him.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our
Lord. The power behind all the Universe is intimately acquainted with you and your
struggles. Learn of Him, walk with Him, and you will know His rest, peace, and
power.
In Christ,
Pastor Basile
