Do you ever hear a sermon or someone share a "word" and you think, "Get out of my head! How do they know what's going on with me right now?"
They probably have no clue, but there is someone who does and He uses all kinds of instruments to reach us....even a little mini sermon in theology class.
This is what I'm sitting in right now, and have been for over a week now: 2 Peter 1:3-11, which says,
3His 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, 4by 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. 5For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This is a passage that is both encouraging and challenging to believers. I think when the apostle Peter writes he likes to remind the church that believers are set apart from God and have a calling (1 Peter 2:9-10).For me this does 2 things: 1) I feel so honored to be one of those whom God has called and set apart and 2) I am so intimidated by that calling and feel pretty sure I will let God down. Regardless of how I feel he has saved me. My salvation has already happened and is still happening. When we believe we are sanctified and also continue in a process of sanctification (1 Thessalonians 5:23). We are not perfect yet....
Let me focus on verses 5-7 for a while. Each of these, let's call them character qualities of our faith, builds on one another until we reach the ultimate which is love. Real love. Agape love. The way God loves. Now, we can apply these to our general transformation from non-believer to believer but let's not make it that easy. Let's also say that we apply this to specific attitudes or actions we have, and this is how the work of sanctification continues in a believer's life and is not just instantaneous.
We all have something right? Whether it's an attitude you have that relates to a specific situation or maybe a character flaw, you can think of some way you need to apply this to your life. I just bet you can....
Clearly I wouldn't be sharing if I didn't. I felt so convicted when I heard this word. And so embarrassed and so ashamed. I have a bad attitude born out of something specific. I am sure I will always have something in my life that I need to apply this passage to but right now there is one that I am sitting in way too deep. And I cannot seem to let it go. I get to knowledge and then I have no trust in my ability to be self-controlled. If I am honest, I am not even sure I want to be self-controlled about it just yet. Self-control means controlling yourself just one time. One time! Then we move on to steadfastness. If I have that steadfastness then yeah, I'd say that's moving on up to godliness. Out of godliness comes brotherly affection and then love. I know I should want this and I think ultimately that is my desire but why is this so hard? I could blame this on being 9 months pregnant and while I am sure that fact most certainly does magnify my attitude it is of course an excuse and therefore does not make the attitude justifiable. So I am left convicted....ugh.
If I read verses 3 and 4 how could I not desire to work on my attitude. God called me and has done great things for me even though I am undeserving. The very least I can do is to try to be more like him. Actually, it's what I want to do because I am His. And look at verse 8, these qualities are what make our lives fruitful for the gospel! If I am stuck in this attitude which let's be honest, it is sin and oh so ugly, then how can I bear fruit for him? Don't you want to see Jesus every where you look? Wouldn't that make you a much better Christian? Wouldn't that make you free? Nearsighted and blind, basically trapped where I was without Christ (v.9). That's where I leave myself.
I get it. I can live my life sanctified, OR, I can live my life sanctified and allow Him to continue sanctifying me.
I want to see Jesus friends. I don't want to be stuck not seeing all that he is and all that he is doing. If I sit in this attitude that's what I'm missing. I've always loved that Moses told God he wanted to see his glory (Ex.33:12-23). Maybe what Peter is saying here, or what I am understanding, is that his glory is all around. It's blinders I create that keep me from seeing it.
