Myopic Believers

Posted on by korgrocker

“The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.”
2 Peter 1:8-9 NLT

We need to go back a few verses in 2 Peter 1 to verse 3, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence“.  And I wrote in response, “the availability of His Power is intricately related to our knowledge of God. As we delve into the depths of understanding Him, we unlock the reservoir of His power available to us. Peter then wrote in verse 9 some strong words, implying that if we don’t grow in our knowledge of Christ, we have become forgetful by not remembering that day when we were saved, that day when we made a decision to follow Jesus for the rest of our lives.

I once knew a man whose testimony was based on a decision he made for Jesus many years ago. But since then his times of private prayer and Bible reading have been sadly lacking. Yes, he would stand up in church and read a passage of Scripture or say a prayer, but for the rest of the time, as he openly confessed, his life carried on as it always had done. “I’ve always been a good person” was his belief. Peter said that such a person was “shortsighted or blind”, because becoming a believer is the start and not the end, of the process of sanctification. It has been said that in terms of our faith, we either go forward, developing “in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” or we go backwards “forgetting that [we] have been cleansed from [our] old sins”. Standing still is not an option. 

Myopia is an ocular condition more commonly called short-sightedness. A person with this condition finds that they can focus on objects near to them, but things further away become a blur. But there is a condition called spiritual myopia, where a myopic Christian fails to see God’s truths clearly enough to use them in their own lives. The Apostle James wrote about this, and we read, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves” (James 1:22). He expands this theme in the following two verses, “For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like” (James 1:23-24). We find his conclusion in James 1:25, “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it“. We find that the remedy for natural myopia is a pair of glasses or spectacles. We can find a remedy for spiritual myopia by reading God’s Word, the Bible, and applying it to our lives, so that we will grow in the “knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Spiritual myopia, according to Peter, can develop to the ultimate condition of blindness. In this case, the sufferers, even if they read the Bible, or sit under the ministry of many preachers, will fail to connect with God’s truths. They prefer to remain in the domain of their old sins and nothing will change them otherwise, because they cannot see that they are failing in obedience to God’s Word.

James 1:22-25 makes uncomfortable reading because we pilgrims are guilty of doing what he warned against from time to time. We find a cul-de-sac, or backwater somewhere where we find comfort and freedom from the constant slog of journeying to our promised land. We put our spiritual lives on hold for a time, but even when we behave like lost sheep, God is always there for us. Always willing and able to welcome us back into His arms. Jesus said He will always seek us out. Matthew 18:12-13, “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!” What a Saviour! If we find ourselves failing to see Him clearly today, God’s prescription for our condition is waiting for us to open it up and start reading. 

Father God. You have the Words of eternal life, written for all time in Your Book, the Bible. Please help us to see clearly what You have for us, as we read it day by day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Qualities

Posted on by korgrocker

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”
2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT

Peter lists a number of qualities to supplement our faith. He started with “moral excellence” and then added “knowledge”, “self-control”, “patient endurance”, “godliness”, “brotherly affection”, and “love for everyone”. But again we notice that these qualities, hallmarks of good Christians everywhere, are to be “supplements”, to be sought after and added to our faith in Christ. How will that happen? Well, the “university of life” is a good environment for working out all that God has for us. As we rub shoulders with humanity around us we find many opportunities to behave in God-ways, and not our selfish ways. 

There is a process that we follow, and it starts with God’s grace and our faith in Christ. The qualities that Peter listed are not automatically present in a new believer. They may be to some extent, but we acquire them principally by searching the Word of God diligently and applying what we read and learn to our lives. Then the qualities God demands start to emerge. We note also that faith on its own is not the ideal position for a believer. We read in James 2:17, “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless“. We get the picture that the qualities Peter listed are to manifest themselves in “good deeds” for the benefit of our fellow believers, friends and neighbours. In fact, the Apostle James was quite blunt in what he wrote. James 2:19-20, 24, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? … So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone“. 

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-10, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago”. There is a balance between our faith in Christ, and the qualities we learn from Him being outworked in our lives by “good deeds”. We are not saved by what we do but we are saved for the good works that Jesus planned for us.

Salvation is a process and not a once in a lifetime event. God loves us of course, right where we are at, warts and all, but as has been said many times, He loves us too much to leave us there. At the point of a heart-felt and genuine decision for Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit and He then continues the process of sanctification throughout our natural lives. We read in Ephesians 5:22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” We notice that these include the qualities that Peter wrote about. We now put aside our worldly sinful lives and live God’s way through the power of His Spirit. 

So are we taking our “supplements” or are they absent, bottled up in our selfish ways? Are we being “generous” in our “provision of moral excellence”? Is our faith balanced with “good deeds”, as James wrote? On our journey through life we have much to do, but we will find great rewards in the process.

Dear Father God. Thank You for loving us, even when we are unlovely. Please help us, as we journey through life, to become more like Jesus, day by day. Amen.

Moral Excellence

Posted on by korgrocker

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”
2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT

So we have “great and precious promises” and “divine power”. And through all God’s resources, we live a Godly life as we come to know Him more and more. It gets better – we have the opportunity to “share His divine nature” and “escape the world’s corruption” as we embrace all that God has for us. 

Peter makes an assumption that his audience has faith and he has just been writing about “God’s promises”, faith-building pearls of God’s provision that we can find scattered throughout the Bible. The faith of his readers would have been strong because choosing to live God’s way was not an easy option in that culture. But to develop a siege mentality was the wrong response to the persecution they suffered. Peter encouraged them to find our more about God and His promises, and then do something with it. “Moral excellence”, or, as we find in other translations, “virtue” or “goodness”, must be an outworking, with “every effort”, of their faith. In their society, evil and sinful practices predominated, much as today. There was no morality standard that conformed to what God had in mind when He created human beings. Typically, we read the extent of the problem in Genesis 6:5, “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil“. We know that God eliminated that generation with the Flood, but the problem didn’t go away. There was a conversation between Abraham and the Lord about Sodom and we read in Genesis 18:20-21, “So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know””. And we know what happened next.

In our societies today we see the consequences of immorality working out, for example, on the battlefields, in abortion clinics and law courts. We see a society tearing itself apart in pursuit of hedonistic and wicked practices, some so vile that they don’t bear repeating. But we believers know what “moral excellence” means, because God has told us all about behaviour and morality through His Word, the Bible. And Jesus taught, as we read in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father“. The “moral excellence” Peter was writing about was, I believe, something that shows the world around us what true morality is all about. The Bible shows us the way to live God’s way, and there are very few situations we are likely to meet in society today that haven’t been covered by an appropriate verse or passage of Scripture.

Living a moral life isn’t just following a list of do’s and don’ts. It is a lifestyle that will positively impact those around us. That takes effort, hence Peter’s exhortation to “supplement” our faith. So today, as we look around us at our neighbours and friends, we pray for opportunities to work out “moral excellence” in a way that helps them see God.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word and the wisdom it contains, all to bring us closer to You. Amen.

Faith Supplements

Posted on by korgrocker

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”
2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT

Just to recap, we have read in the two previous verses of how God’s power provides “everything we need for living a Godly life” through our knowledge of Him. This thought in itself must be sufficient to drive us pilgrims to a detailed study of the Bible with faithful prayer, enabling us to try to grab hold of God and all that He is. We need to know Him and know Him more. And in that knowledge we need to extract the resources that result in personal changes leading to the Godly life, that is so elusive at times. Peter also mentioned God’s “marvellous glory and excellence”, attributes of God that have driven His gifts of promises, “great and precious promises” into our sphere of knowledge. Meditation on these promises elevates us above the “world’s corruption caused by human desires”. 

So, Peter continues in his communication, looking forward into a practical application of God’s power and promises. On the foundation of a knowledge of God, Peter encourages his readers to do something. His advice might sound a bit radical to a Christian today, to encourage a personal life-change, or even to cast aside preconceived notions of who God is, so that this new knowledge of Him can turn us into the person God wants us to be. Has anyone ever noticed the number of times a Scripture has been read, only for it to disclose the next time something about God that we didn’t know or had forgotten, something that explodes into our minds and spirits anew, bringing a revelation of Him that threatens to blow apart our pre-conceived assumptions?

But Peter continues with the exhortation “make every effort to …”. This isn’t an optional, if-you-feel-like-it type of suggestion, but an instruction that we cannot avoid or rationalise our way out of. If we pilgrims accept that the Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit, then this is something we must do. And to do it, we must apply the life-changing process of increasing our knowledge of God.

Peter assumes that our faith is sound and well established, and he calls us to “supplement” it. He lists a number of factors that are of value to our faith. Some people call it developing our faith muscles, and the process involves applying life’s lessons to our journey in the Kingdom. Of course, this will not be an overnight process, but as we work our way through his list of suggestions, the Holy Spirit will help us.

We pilgrims are perhaps standing on the edge of a spiritual cliff looking into the distance and seeing where we are needing to go. But finding the courage and motivation to take a jump over the edge into what is perhaps uncharted territory for us may be too daunting an ask. Thankfully, God is there holding our hands, urging us on. And we remember that He will never leave us. 

Dear Father God. As we venture into unknown territory, please lead and guide us every step of the way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Divine Promises

Posted on by korgrocker

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV

In the previous verse in 2 Peter 1, Peter wrote about how God’s power can help us live a Godly life. He now moves on to considering God’s promises. We read what Peter wrote about God’s divine power, accessed through our knowledge of Him, and leading to His divine promises. 2 Peter 1:4 includes an awe-inspiring revelation – that we are “partakers of the divine nature.” This is a staggering concept that calls us to recognize our profound connection with God. It suggests that as believers, we are not merely recipients of God’s blessings; we are invited to share in who He is. This divine participation transforms the identity and purpose of us pilgrims, calling us to live in a way that is reflective of our life to come In Heaven. And we note that this is not a future event – it is available to us in the here and now.

But there is a significant benefit coming from God’s power and promises – to “escape the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.” In a world marked by decay and moral decline, God’s promises offer a way of escape. This escape is not an evasion but a transformative journey. It implies a departure from the corrosive influences of the world and an entry into the transformative power of God’s promises.

So what are these “precious and very great promises”? If we read the end of the previous verse, we see that they are connected with God’s “glory and excellence”. God has made promises to His people in His Word because He is glorious and because He is excellent. Peter was writing to those early Christians in Asia Minor, but his words apply just as much today, to us pilgrims. We can’t just gloss over these promises, though. We have to understand that they are of considerable value, coming as they do from God’s divine nature. And to find out what they are we have to read the Bible. God’s promises are all contained within this precious Book, and we will have to read it. And as we do, we will find out more and more about our wonderful heavenly Father. We will find too that the Bible is full of surprises, that will transform the way we think and behave. 

Let’s just pluck from the Bible some promises; each of these will give us a glimpse of what life with God is like now and what it will be like in the future. 
Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever“.
Isaiah 1:18, ““Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool“.
Ezekiel 36:26, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart“. ‭‭
Matthew 11:28-30, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light“.

These are just four God-promises and there are many more. But they are not just warm, fuzzy words on a page in a dusty tome. Applying these in our lives will lead to the abundant life that Jesus spoke about. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). But we have to take these Scriptures on board and chew them over in our minds and spirits. And apply them to every aspect of our lives. There is no other way.

Dear Heavenly Father. Your ways are the only ways to find the abundant life You have promised to us. We thank You for each and every Word that is contained in Your Book. Amen.

Divine Power

Posted on by korgrocker

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence.”
2 Peter 1:3 NLT

In the bustling chaos of our daily lives, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and drained. We often find ourselves juggling responsibilities, navigating challenges, and seeking fulfilment in a world that constantly demands more. Peter tantalisingly gives us the thought that regardless of how are lives are proceeding, it is possible to live a Godly life, because all the power we need is in God. It’s a power not constrained by our human limitations but one that encompasses everything we need for life and godliness. This divine empowerment isn’t arbitrary – God doesn’t sit on His throne with a sweety bag, throwing out handfuls of granny sookers at random – the availability of His Power is intricately related to our knowledge of God. As we delve into the depths of understanding Him, we unlock the reservoir of His power available to us.

The divine power available to us pilgrims isn’t limited to a specific area. It applies to every facet of our existence. From navigating relationships to overcoming personal struggles, the power we can access in God is available to us and covers the entirety of life’s spectrum. But what is this power? Paul wrote about it in Ephesians 1:19-20, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms“. 

So how can we access this limitless source of divine power? It is obviously a power that is far greater than anything we could imagine. And we know that from Ephesians 3:20, that His power is within us, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think“. Enticingly, we can do much with this power – the limitation seems to be our willingness to dream, to ask God, to believe that He is who He says He is, and wants to work much through our lives. This Divine resource comes from a deep, intimate knowledge of God that opens the floodgates of His power. This knowledge involves seeking Him through prayer, studying His Word, and cultivating a relationship that goes beyond surface-level understanding. 

For a moment let us journey back to Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth“. Then look at verses 3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 24, and 26. They all start with “Then God said…”. How much power did that take? Our amazing God spoke and something happened that was far beyond anything we can get our minds around. That’s divine power. In Romans 8:11 we read, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you“. That’s divine power. In Matthew 14 is the account of the feeding of the 5,000. We read, “Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!” (Matthew 14:19-21). That’s divine power. And we can look at other Bible events and see the manifestations of God’s power, events often far beyond the ability of the authors to articulate what really happened. 

We pilgrims can do great works ourselves because Jesus said so. We read what He said in John 14:12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father“. So is it too much to believe that God’s power is sufficient for “everything we need for living a godly life”? But we worry and fret. We’re anxious about the next pay check. We take our eyes off our God with all His resources of divine power. But no more. On our knees today we ask for His forgiveness and hold out our hands in supplication, in the knowledge that he wants to provide for His children. Through faith, all we need is available to us.

Dear Father. Thank You for Your provision, Your resources, Your limitless power. Please help us to tap into what we need day by day, and we ask that You keep us close to You. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Grace and Peace Multiplied

Posted on by korgrocker

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,”
2 Peter 1:2 NKJV

Peter writes some encouragement for his readers, a blessing numbering just a few words but limitless in scope. And the blessing didn’t stop after it rested on the inhabitants of the five provinces – it has reverberated down through the ages right to the present day. Peter opened a door for his readers, a door labelled “Grace and Peace”, and by it he provided a glimpse into the world inside, a vista of God’s blessings disappearing without limit into the distance. 

Grace is a word that encapsulates the unmerited favour and divine kindness that God has poured out upon mankind. The benevolence that God displays started with the creation of the world and is still with us today. There is no end to His favour, and Peter presents an opportunity for his readers, of receiving more than a single portion. God’s grace, Peter says, is “multiplied” to them from a bottomless reservoir that will never be exhausted. He spoke out that blessing over them through his pen, and I’m sure his early readers would have felt the Holy Spirit pour over them.

Peter could have left his blessing just with grace, but he added to it the concept of peace. Grace paves the way for peace, creating a harmonious synergy between God and us pilgrims. Through His grace we can experience a peace so profound that it is life changing in our world, conflicted as it is by sin. But the peace that Peter wrote about is not just the absence of conflict but a profound tranquillity that surpasses understanding. Paul also wrote about this peace in Philippians 4:7, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus“. In an age marked by chaos, the assurance of multiplied peace becomes a beacon of hope to a sad world in despair.

We pilgrims are the enlightened ones. We know God’s grace and peace. We have experienced Peter’s prayer in our lives and have warmed ourselves in the glow from God’s multiplied blessings. But we must act as reflectors, focusing the heavenly rays to those around us, alleviating their distress and despair. We pray that we have the words to say, the deeds to act, to bridge the gap and penetrate the hard outward crust covering the hunger inside our Godless friends and neighbours. Paul wrote in his second Corinthian letter, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:4). That’s multiplied grace leading to the comfort of an inner peace. The grace we receive can be multiplied to others.

But we pilgrims must never forget that God’s boundless blessings of multiplied grace and peace is for us too. We need more grace, more peace, more of God, to help us gain “the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. There is no limit to God’s grace and peace except ourselves.

Dear Heavenly Father. We thank You for Your many blessings and all the resources we need for our journey through life. All supplied through Jesus. We worship You today. Amen.

Precious Faith

Posted on by korgrocker

“This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour.”
2 Peter 1:1 NLT

‭‭We move on to the second epistle written by the Apostle Peter. The historians believe he must have penned this letter, possibly from a Roman prison, just before his execution in 64 or 65 AD, and its audience were probably the five churches in Asian Minor, now part of modern Turkey. In his first letter, Peter wrote to “God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners…” in this part of the world, so the readers of his second may have been Christians who had fled from Jerusalem earlier at a time of persecution. Peter probably used the services of an amanuensis, and his first letter mentions Silas, his “faithful brother” to whom he may have dictated the letter before Silas made the perilous journey to the five provinces.

Peter started his first letter with the claim that he was “an apostle of Jesus Christ”. The second letter added the word “slave” to his apostolic claim. Peter never wavered in his faith, in spite of everything the devil threw at him. He was beaten and imprisoned, suffered abuse, and overall could have been forgiven for giving up the hard road he had chosen. But how could he? He had spent time with Jesus, and that experience never left him through his remaining 30 or so years on this earth. The words of Jesus never stopped ringing in his ears – “Simon son of John, do you love Me …” (John 21:17) – and they drove him onwards and upwards, regardless of the opposition. But describing himself as a slave was indicative of how much Peter loved Jesus, to the extent that he enslaved his life to His service. Imagine the reunion in Heaven, when Peter finally met Jesus again, responding to that love in person.

Peter’s faith in Jesus was “precious”, and he goes on to describe it as being founded on the “justice and fairness”, the righteousness, of Jesus, “our God and Saviour”. The Apostle James wrote, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:3). He went on to describe the problem for people struggling with their faith, “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). That is why the faith Peter experienced was “precious”. Peter was never a storm-tossed wave, or like a leaf in a breeze. His faith never wavered.

So, fellow pilgrims, how is our faith today? Are we resolute in our faith “in God alone” or do we instead come and go, trusting our governments or other authorities, instead of putting our faith in our loving Heavenly Father? Do we worry about world events, forgetting that God never leaves His throne? Do we struggle with personal circumstances, forgetting that ” … God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5). God is always there for us, and we can trust Him implicitly through anything we experience in this world. On our knees we ask for His forgiveness, and His peace will flood over us. You see, Peter knew that His faith was established in Jesus and His righteousness and love. A strong foundation, stronger than anything this world can present to us. The Kingdom of God will still exist long after the kingdom of this world has disappeared, because our God is so great and so majestic. He builds to last. But we frail and wayward human beings think we have got all the answers and consequently build our lives on a foundation of straw, with a misplaced faith in our own abilities. A quote from J L Packer in his book “Knowing God”, “Our personal life is a finite thing: it is limited in every direction, in space, in time, in knowledge, in power. But God is not so limited. He is eternal, infinite, and almighty. He has us in his hands; but we never have him in ours. Like us he is personal, but unlike us he is great“. How do we view God? The God we worship is far greater than anything in this world. After all, He created the very ground on which we stand. Let that thought infuse our work-a-day existence today. And every day.

Our faith is indeed precious. So precious, that without it we will never see God. Those that find this precious faith are truly blessed and in a great company with believers all over the world and throughout history. And this faith comes as a gift from God. His grace provides the transport we need to support our faith in our life-journey, whatever it may comprise.

Father God. We are indeed insignificantly small compared to You. Please forgive us for our arrogance and lack of faith. We worship You today. Amen.

Peace

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”
1 Peter 5:12-14 NLT

Peace seems to be an elusive word in and on 21st Century Planet Earth. The world around us is tearing itself apart with wars. Even closer to home, a lack of tolerance and understanding brings people onto the streets to have a “peaceful” demonstration, but it is inevitably full of hatred and vitriol rather than “peace”. This weekend there are planned marches in major British cities in defence of the Palestinian cause. Social media-stoked misinformation, and anti-Semitic rhetoric abound and destroy any hopes of peace in our UK communities, at least for the time being. Good people, and God’s people, stay at home, hoping the storms of non-peace will pass them by. But all this mayhem is an external manifestation of peace, or a lack of it, and not the sort of peace Peter was finishing his first letter with. Peter was writing about an inner peace, peace with God and our fellow believers. Achieving such a peace will spill over into peace in our communities and nations.

Paul wrote famously the verses in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”. It is a true fact of life in modern times, that the peace Paul and Peter were writing about is in short supply. The lives we live can become corrupted by worry and anxiety, spawning feelings of anger and distress. Lashing out at perceived, often distorted or mistaken, “injustices” can partly mitigate the inner feelings of conflict. But instead of marching on the streets, prayer is a better solution. 

Jesus came to this world bringing peace. Remember the angels’ song to the shepherds near Bethlehem? “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14). Isaiah prophesied the coming “Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9:6, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. And Jesus Himself mentioned how God’s blessing will fall on the peace-makers, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). 

Paul wrote that our inner peace is so important that it must become a driving force within us. We read in Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful”. How is our inner peace today? Do we pilgrims feel turmoil and stress, combining to displace the rule and reign of Christ within us? If that is the case, we need to pause on our life-journey and take some time sitting in God’s presence and allowing His peace to flood over us. We give thanks for our progress on the journey. And we pray about whatever is conflicting our very souls. We look up and see God in His throne room, smiling upon us, encouraging us, blessing us, and as we embrace His Son, the Prince of Peace, we will find restoration and peace once more. The journey will still be there tomorrow, or the next day. But now is the time for God and our peace.

Dear Heavenly Father. You have created us within us a need for peace. You know what is best for us, and we pray for Your grace to help us align ourselves to how You would have us be. So we thank You once again, and worship at Your footstool. Amen.

God’s Grace

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”
1 Peter 5:12-14 NLT

After a letter full of encouragement and instructions, Peter summarised the contents with the words, “My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you”. The five churches in Asia Minor must have been struggling to survive. The persecution they were experiencing was almost too much for them to bear, and they must have often thought about giving up. So Pastor Peter sent a letter and his “faithful brother” Silas to help them. And with the two messengers, written and living, the early Christians would have been really encouraged. 

Throughout his letter, Peter reminded his readers of the grace of God. In his introduction, he prayed, “may God give you more and more grace…”. In 1:13, he wrote, ” … Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world“. He reminded them in 2:9 that they were “a chosen people” and “God’s very own possession”. And throughout the letter he alluded to Christ’s suffering, but never minimising their own. 

The word “grace” is not uncommon in our society. We are aware of “grace and favour” homes, where tenants are allowed to live for a peppercorn rent, if any at all. We talk about a boorish person lacking “social graces”. But the word “grace” really comes alive when we associate it with God. God’s grace, His unmerited favour, has always been there. Through Moses, He gave the Law, but even that was a gracious act providing a method using animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. God hasn’t changed, even though we now talk about being in a season of grace. The animal sacrifices were replaced by a much greater mitigation for sin – Jesus. He became the sacrifice God demanded as a penalty for our sins. We read in Hebrews 2:17, “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people“. But the Law is still there. Jesus said, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose” (Matthew 5:17). The Apostle John wrote, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

Through God’s grace we can now find life through His Spirit. Romans 7:6, “But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit“. When Jesus came to this earth, He found that God’s intentions through the Law, in showing us our sins, had been turned by the religious leaders into a legalistic stick which they used to beat the people. God’s grace became hidden in a swamp of rules and regulations. But like a breath of fresh air, God’s grace flooded over us through Jesus’ revelation. His kindness to sinful man must drive us to our knees in repentance and gratitude. And there, in a place of worship, we feel what His grace really means. There is nothing we can do to earn it, because grace is a free gift from God. With outstretched hands we accept it. For all eternity.

Father God. Your grace is sufficient for us, today and forevermore. Thank You. Amen.