2 Peter 1:1-15
The Bible is not only God’s Word, it is God’s Word to us. In 2 Peter 1, it is clear that while the letter was written long ago, it still speaks to believers today.
This letter is relevant and personal because it was addressed to all people who “have obtained like precious faith with us.” Faith is a gift from God to believers, and Peter was saying the faith his readers received was equally precious with the faith of the apostles. In other words, we have not seen Christ Jesus as Peter and the other disciples saw Him, but they have no advantage over us in our faith in the Lord.
What we have been given is “through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” The way of salvation has been provided out of the mind and heart of God to the world. With this in mind, Peter wrote, “our Savior Jesus Christ” because a savior is a deliverer, a person who brings salvation to the people. “Savior” has other applications, of course. A military leader, for example, might be called a savior because of his great success on the battlefield.
Christ Jesus is most definitely our Savior because He accomplished what He came into the world to do – deliver us from our sins – and our lives are no longer the same.
Through the divine power of God, we have been given everything we need for this life and eternal life. In His grace, God has given us the ability to “know” His Son. We know Jesus as we follow and obey Him, and He calls us to “glory and virtue.” As believers, we are called to virtuous lives for the glory of the Lord.
Because of Christ Jesus, we are given “great and precious promises” that we “might be partakers of the divine nature.” The mind of man is incapable of rising to the infinite heights of the mind of God, but the way is opened to believers to begin to think as God thinks. This leads us to desire the things He desires and to have morals pleasing to God. The apostle Paul addressed this in part when He wrote, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
It is part of the plan of salvation to give us the ability to escape this corrupt world. The Bible tells us that Christ “gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4). The world is so dangerous that Christ Jesus died on the cross for us.
Peter desired that Christians would grow spiritually, but how can we know we are growing in a corrupt world that is ever-present and exceedingly influential? First, Peter tells us in verse 8 we will be fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will be productive members of the body of Christ.
Second, he reminds us in verse 9 that we should have a vision that goes beyond ourselves and our immediate surroundings. There are multitudes of people who need to hear about the love of Jesus.
Third, we will constantly find security in Christ, and we will “give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” In other words, evidence of spiritual growth will be seen in a consistent life for Christ.
