The scripture continues…..
who called us by His own glory and excellence – First here, it is He who called us! He who called……us! Why did you come Christian? Because He called you, that’s why? Think you not so highly of your own intellect in choosing Christ. The reason you came is because He called you, He drew you, and He, as it says in Ex 19:4, bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Himself!
And this He did by His own glory and excellence! What is meant by this? It is that our salvation, God’s calling and choosing us was not something wrought by the work of men’s hands, but rather it was by His own purpose and grace! Salvation is the work of God! The creation, the cross, all that is in the world was created by God and for His purposes, and this was all done for the praise of His own glory and excellence!
His own glory and excellence!
Here…. is cause to take off our shoes! Here is cause to hold our hands over our mouths in holy fear! To bow our heads in reverence for His majestic name! His own glory and excellence…! How can we speak of such a thing with mere human words!…. Make no mistake about it friends, God is glorious and He is excellent!…. He is most worthy of praise!
Look with me then at verse 4;
2 Peter 1:4 – 4 For by 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 by lust. NAS
He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises – Here the apostle speaks of the wonderful promises of God contained in the scriptures! Promises here is another word for the scriptures! Here is an apt description of the promises of God, they are precious and magnificent!
The word “precious” here is the Greek “timios” and means valuable, costly, honored, esteemed and most precious! And the word for “magnificent” is the Greek “megistos” and means very great or exceedingly great or magnificent!
In what other manner could we describe the promises of God! They are the very food for our souls that give us the life of God within. They are to us like they were to Job who said;
Job 23:12 – 12 “I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. NAS
They are to be treasured and considered precious, valuable, costly and highly esteemed!….and indeed they are by all who have been born again!
Just how many promises has God made unto man! Is not the Word full to the brim with such promises! Indeed it is! And they are precious and magnificent!
Think of what more precious a promise could be made to a mortal, dying man than that of eternal life!!… Or what more great a promise to a poor, filthy sinner to be forgiven and washed clean from his sins!!…. Indeed these are magnificent!
Or what of the promises of peace and lasting joy!…. Or that of help and deliverance in time of need, or the provision of daily food…. Indeed we could speak all day and not recount the half of the promises that God has made to us! Hear you then what the scripture says my friend….
2 Corinthians 1:20 – 20 For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. NASB
But look here verse 4 to the result of such promises….
so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature – That through these promises of God’s Word you may become like Him! A partaker of His very nature! Now how powerful is that?….
God gives us His Word and it changes us into His image!…….
We read of His glory and excellence and we are changed!….. How can we not be! How can we be enlightened to the beauty of His holiness and not desire earnestly to be like Him?
So here the scripture says that it is by the Word of God that we become like Him! Now can there be a greater priority for our lives than the great and precious promises of God! May it never be!!!!……It is here that we learn of God, that we learn of His wonder and virtue and are CHANGED… It is here that His grace and peace are multiplied to us…. When we meditate on the Word we are…
Colossians 3:10 – 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him NASB
It continues verse 4….
having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. – Here I prefer the NIV rendering of this statement… “and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires”… The word “lust” here is the Greek “epithumia” and means to long for what is forbidden, to lust. It describes that part of every person, which we call the flesh or the sinful nature.
But here it is through the Word that we escape the corruption in the world by lust. That as we behold the face of Christ in the Holy Word, we become like Him. As it says in…
Romans 12:2 – 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. NASB
As we are renewed by the Word in our minds and our thinking, we take on God’s very nature by the Holy Spirit who is in us!
Ephesians 4:23-24 – 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. NASB
The Word is powerful to change us. Even to change the evil desires of our hearts into the pure and lovely desires of God! As we meditate on God’s Word, we are cleansed, we are washed, we are sanctified through and through. Let us be like that blessed man is Psalm 1;
Psalm 1:1-3 – 1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. NASB
So here to sum these up we have seen;
· That grace and peace are ours in abundance by our knowing God through his Word.
· That by His great power He has given everything that we need for life and godliness or to be like Him.
· And through His great and precious promises in the Word we can take on His very nature and escape the corruption of evil desires.
Dear Friends, if there is anything lacking in our lives it is a knowledge of God and His all sufficient Word!
And of all the things to be in lack of, this should not be it!
What is needful for us is to have a very high view of God and the sufficiency of his Word to address every issue in our lives! It is a complete resource, having everything that we need!
Let us therefore be found faithful in this most profound and important aspect of our life!
