A Reminder

Good Morning,

2 Peter 1:1-12 (NIV)
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

Each morning I come here to the computer and look to see what Scriptures have come for me to read and then wait to hear what God wants me to send along to you...and to others who might read these words. Sometimes, as is God's plan, the very same verse or verses come to me from very different and divergent sources. It's those times that make it so very easy to know for sure what it is that God wants us to read, to understand, and to put to use in our lives. Today is just such a day.

Peter tells us that the divine power of Jesus Christ "has given us everything we need for life and godliness" and that this is done "through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness"...Jesus, Himself. The very next verse is one that many of us need to place closely in our hearts and etch permanently into our brains. "Through these (the glory and goodness of Jesus) he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you (we) may participate in the divine nature and ...(now here's the important part, I think)... escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." Do you see it? I know I certainly do!

How often do we ask how in the world we are to "escape the corruption" that we see in the world? It's something that's on my mind almost daily, it seems. I look about and see this "corruption" at every turn. Now, it's not necessary, I don't think, to point out every corrupt thing in the world in these remarks, but we certainly know what they are. Don't we? So, when we ask ourselves how to escape this corruption, we have an answer in today's Scripture verses. We escape it by our very close and personal knowledge of Jesus Christ and calling on His glory and goodness. He HAS given these to us to use in order that we might not get caught up in the corruption and evil that we see and experience all around us. Here's the rub, however. If we DON'T have the knowledge that comes from knowing Jesus Christ, then we cannot call on His glory and goodness, which then keeps us from escaping the corruption and evil that surrounds. You see what I mean here?

Peter doesn't leave us sort of just wondering on the "how" to use the glory and goodness of Jesus, though. He gives us some practical steps we can take to become not merely readers of this Scripture from God, but ways to put these thoughts into use in our lives...TODAY! "Add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, love. These are the marks and traits of a Christian. These are what set us aside. These are what will bring us into closer relationship with, and knowledge of, Jesus Christ. Lest we forget or disregard, however, let's see what Peter tells us next: "But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins." Nearsighted, blind, and forgetful of what God has done in our lives. Not pleasant thoughts.

The last thing that we read about what will occur in our lives when we follow this Godly instruction is that, if we do these things Peter has penned for us, then "you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Isn't that what we all want? Isn't that what accepting Jesus as Savior is all about? I know that I certainly want to have a "rich welcome" when I get into heaven! I certainly want to hear those words, "'Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Mat. 25:21), when I enter into His presence.

The last verse is something that tugged at my heart. I thought it was speaking to me in a personal manner. "I will remind you of these things, even though you know them...", and this helps me, maybe, to better understand why I sit here each day to listen to what God has for us, and then to do my best to put my thoughts into words for you to read. We all need to be reminded, don't we? We all sort of forget things sometimes. Not just us "old folks" now, but ALL of us. Truly, these words about reminding give me sustenance and, to be honest, they give me a reason.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David