2 Peter 1:3-4
Jesus has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness; therefore, we must take hold of him and his promises alone.
- Through Jesus Christ we have been given all things for life and godliness.
“It’s not flashy, and it doesn’t have a big bang. In fact, you really don’t even see it. It’s just a dependable, ongoing source of power that gets you where you’re going.” — Jim Shaddix
“So Peter basically says that the believer’s re-creation into the image of Christ comes about by way of active participation in the pursuit of knowing him more and more.” — Jim Shaddix
“We never ‘get beyond the gospel’ in our Christian life to something more ‘advanced.’ The gospel is not the first ‘step’ in a ‘stairway’ of truths. Rather, it is more like the ‘hub’ in a ‘wheel’ of truth. The gospel is not just the A-B-C’s of Christianity, but it is the A to Z of Christianity. The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we make all progress in the kingdom.
We are not justified by the gospel and then sanctified by obedience but the gospel is the way we grow and are renewed. It is the solution to each problem, the key to each closed door, the power through every barrier.
“It is very common in the church to think as follows: ‘The gospel is for non-Christians. One needs it to be saved. But once saved you grow through hard work and obedience.’ But this is a mistake. The main problem in the Christian life is that we have not thought out the deep implications of the gospel, we have not ‘used’ the gospel in and on all parts of our life. …Paul says that the gospel does its renewing work in us as we understand it in all its truth. …All of us, to some degree live around the truth of the gospel but do not ‘get’ it. So, the key to continual and deeper spiritual renewal and revival is the continual re-discovery of the gospel. —Tim Keller
- Through Jesus Christ we have been given precious and very great promises.