2 Peter 1
Bible Passage: 2 Peter 1
Do you know God like the back of your hand?
Peter strived to know God and Jesus as a servant, disciple and apostle. He wrote this letter around A.D. 67-68, shortly before his death. The theme of this book urges believers to know God and Jesus (2 Peter 1:2). How well do we know our Saviour?
1. To know God is to know His promise (2 Peter 1:3-4)
Some of the great promises of God are the promised Holy Spirit, the promise of salvation which pertains to eternal life and an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.
2. To know God is to know His nature (2 Peter 1:5-7)
God is holy and just. He can be like a consuming fire or as gentle as a passing breeze. We cannot know just know the loving-kindness of God without understanding His wrath and His righteousness.
3. To know God is to know what we lack (2 Peter 1:8-9)
The more we know God, the more like Him we will become. When we know God, we will also know what qualities we lack; having faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.
4. To know God is to increase in spiritual experience (2 Peter 1:10-15)
When we continue to practice these qualities, we will never fall. Moreover we will be richly provided for when we enter into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
5. To know God is to know His prophecy (2 Peter 1:16-21)
Christ is no myth but the power and the coming of Lord Jesus Christ was the fulfilling of God’s prophecy. Like a lamp shining in a dark place, we should pay attention to the prophetic word as it is fulfilled in this world. For example, the catastrophes such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and the recent typhoon hitting the Philippines adversely affecting 11.8 million people is the fulfillment of signs of the end days (Matthew 24:7).
It is important that we know God and we know the truth, because ultimately knowing God reflects how much we know ourselves and our faith.