"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."
2 Peter 1:4-9
This is interesting, and seems to have a specific order and some really good advice. In the beginning of these verses Peter talks about God giving us some great and precious promises, allowing us to partake of the divine nature, and apparently the prerequisite to those promises are that we need to escape the corruption of lust. Perhaps we could say that lust is desire for desire's sake... and whether it is sexual or otherwise, it just keeps wanting and is never satisfied. Kind of like eating when we aren't hungry, just for the enjoyment or escape of it... but turned very much worse because different kinds of lust can ruin much more than our waistlines. After escaping lust, Peter encourages us to add to our faith virtue. So apparently faith is required in the first escaping-lust step. And virtue is a close second: a natural step from escaping lust is valuing purity and goodness. And from there, we add additional knowledge, some self-control, some patience... it's like a recipe, except it tastes good even before you are finished. :)
As we learn each of these things, we grow... and learn more about the ones before as well. We definitely don't get self control all at once. It is something we have to keep learning, just as we incrementally gain knowledge or become more pure. We practice patience, and we start understanding godliness. It takes us a long time to get our minds around brotherly kindness, but when we start to, then we are ready to begin learning about charity.
I like the analogy here to being barren or unfruitful. Whether or not this is a challenge for everyone, it definitely is painful for some. The lack of children feels like a huge hole in their lives, and I know that some people feel like they are missing something that makes life meaningful. Similarly, if we lack a knowledge of Jesus Christ in our lives, that can leave us with an emptiness that makes our lives feel less complete. But as we add all of these good things to our lives, and keep practicing and learning each of them, that void fills up, and we are no longer bereft.
Today, let's not be blind. Let's not forget that Christ has suffered for us and given us the opportunity to be clean. Let's choose sight and wholeness, and let's learn these things. First, flee from lust, and then start adding in and practicing all of these good things. :) It's a recipe for wholeness, and happiness.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."
2 Peter 1:4-9
This is interesting, and seems to have a specific order and some really good advice. In the beginning of these verses Peter talks about God giving us some great and precious promises, allowing us to partake of the divine nature, and apparently the prerequisite to those promises are that we need to escape the corruption of lust. Perhaps we could say that lust is desire for desire's sake... and whether it is sexual or otherwise, it just keeps wanting and is never satisfied. Kind of like eating when we aren't hungry, just for the enjoyment or escape of it... but turned very much worse because different kinds of lust can ruin much more than our waistlines. After escaping lust, Peter encourages us to add to our faith virtue. So apparently faith is required in the first escaping-lust step. And virtue is a close second: a natural step from escaping lust is valuing purity and goodness. And from there, we add additional knowledge, some self-control, some patience... it's like a recipe, except it tastes good even before you are finished. :)
As we learn each of these things, we grow... and learn more about the ones before as well. We definitely don't get self control all at once. It is something we have to keep learning, just as we incrementally gain knowledge or become more pure. We practice patience, and we start understanding godliness. It takes us a long time to get our minds around brotherly kindness, but when we start to, then we are ready to begin learning about charity.
I like the analogy here to being barren or unfruitful. Whether or not this is a challenge for everyone, it definitely is painful for some. The lack of children feels like a huge hole in their lives, and I know that some people feel like they are missing something that makes life meaningful. Similarly, if we lack a knowledge of Jesus Christ in our lives, that can leave us with an emptiness that makes our lives feel less complete. But as we add all of these good things to our lives, and keep practicing and learning each of them, that void fills up, and we are no longer bereft.
Today, let's not be blind. Let's not forget that Christ has suffered for us and given us the opportunity to be clean. Let's choose sight and wholeness, and let's learn these things. First, flee from lust, and then start adding in and practicing all of these good things. :) It's a recipe for wholeness, and happiness.
Hi ,
ReplyDelete( 2 Peter 1: 4 ) says :'Whereby are given unto us exceeding great &
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust.'
This verse is propounded nicely in this article.
This is one way of explanation, for our meditation, about the
divine nature of Jesus,which should be ours.
1. Jesus was humble.
(Matthew 11: 29 ) states:Jesus Himself said, "Take my yoke upon you, & learn from me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will
find rest for your souls'.
We should have humility.
( 1 Peter 3 : 4) says :' Let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek & quiet
spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.'
2. Jesus was loving.
(John 13 : 34-35 ) states :Jesus said, 'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you.'
3. Jesus was sinless.
( 1 Peter 2 : 21-23) says:'For to this you have been called, becau se Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that
you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When
he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
We should be sinless.
(1 Thess. 5 : 23 ) says:'May your whole spirit, soul & body be kept
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.'
4. Jesus was pardoner.
(Luke 23 : 34) says :'Jesus said
,“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
We should forgive others.
(Ephesians 4: 32 ) says:' Be forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.'
(Colossians 3:13) states: "Bear with each other & forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. '
5. Jesus was generous.
(1 John 3:16 ) says :' By this we know , that He laid down His life for us, & we ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren.'
6. Jesus was compassionate & kind.
(Matthew 9 : 36 ) says:' When He saw the crowds, He had compa ssion for them, because they were harassed & helpless, like
sheep without a shepherd.'
We should be kind.
(Ephesians 4 : 32 ) says:' Be kind & tenderhearted, to one another.'
7. Jesus was obedient.
(Hebrews 5 : 8) states : "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience.'
(Acts 5 : 29) says : 'Then Peter & the other apostles said,' We ought to obey God rather than men.'
8. Jesus was overcomer.
(John 16 : 33) states :' Jesus said, "In the world you will have trouble. But take heart ! I have overcome the world".
If we overcome,
(Revelation 3:21) states :Jesus said, "To the one who is victori ous, I will give the right to sit with
me on my throne".
With these divine qualities we have to glorify our Father which is in heaven.
(John 8 :12 ) states :Jesus spoke to them, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will
not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
And,
(Matthew 5:16) reads, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, & glorify your Father which is in heaven".
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