The source of our transformative power

The source of our transformative power

s - 2 Peter 1

Growth in Christian Virtue

1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 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. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

O - in this chapter, Peter writes to the church and  he explains how we are to grow as a result of having this new knowledge of Christ, under a new covenant. He reveals to us our growth no is no longer due to our good works  or lame attempt to live by the law but due to the good work of Christ in us, a divine power that now enables us to achieve this growth in Christian virtue that he goes on to describe in verses 5 through 10.  All of this is possible because of his divine nature, Christ has helped us escape the grip of the world and begin to live how God intends us to live, free from the corruption of sin in this world.

A - The application for me is to recognize the source of our ability to transform from a person in the world, to a person in the kingdom of God. This passage has long for me been a life verse in which the Lord has been showing me the progressive habits of how we are sanctified and become more like Christ every day. Today is the day I recognized that is not through my own good works or stubborn effort to be more like Christ that I will arrive at the destination that I so Intently want, but rather the journey of walking with Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit being transformed as I practice more and more these habits.

P-dear heavenly father thank you for this devotional, may it be sealed to my heart. I pray you would remind me it is Christ in me, not my will that will be the transformative power behind my sanctification. I pray all of this in Jesus Christ name amen.