2 Peter 1:1-4

2 Peter 1:1-4

Deeper in Christ

I. All we need for a full life is found in knowing Christ; so we must grow deeper in knowledge of Christ to multiply grace and peace in our lives (Vv. 1-2)

a. Peter’s introduction, “Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle” points to the reality that he’s a Galilean fisherman who was made new by Christ, and who gives his whole life in service to the One who gave him life. Jesus gave him life and authority to speak for Him, and it’s with that authority in Christ that Peter sends his letter to call us to trust in his Master. Those to whom Peter wrote, were of equal standing with him in Christ, because they had received the gift of salvation through Christ. It’s only through the sacrifice of Jesus, who Peter clearly states is God, that we’re able to receive His righteousness as a gift through our faith in His Person and work. (v. 1; Ps. 31:1; 106:21; Isa. 42:6; 43:3; 51:5-8; Matt. 1:21; Luke 2:11; John 1:1; 10:30; 20:28, 30-31; Rom. 1:16-17; 3:21-26; 2 Cor. 5:17, 21; Gal. 3:6-14; Tit. 2:13-14; Heb. 1:8)

b. After Peter’s introduction, his greeting calls us to enjoy God’s blessings of grace and peace in life. These blessings are only experienced when someone knows God, and we can only know God initially and more fully through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Grace is God’s unmerited favor through which we’re restored Him through Christ and by which we’re renewed and equipped for life by Him. Peace is the result of our reconciliation with God through His grace shown us in Christ. Through faith in Christ we’re moved positionally from being enemies of God in our sinful rebellion, to being children of God adopted into His family. The grace necessary for living a full life, and peace in our lives is only found by knowing Jesus fully and intimately. Peter opens here by reminding us all that the correct path through the blizzard of information and speculation that fills our eyes, ears, and brains every day, and promises us all we need for our best and fullest life, is to remember the basics of the grace and peace we were given in Christ through salvation, and continue to follow Him sacrificially, growing in both understanding and experience of who He is. A continually deeper understanding of who God is, who Jesus is, and who we are in Him as our foundation for our fullest life. (v. 2; Isa. 40:8; Matt. 5:18; 7:24-27; 11:27; 24:35; John 14:6, 9; 17:3; Rom. 5:1-11; Eph. 2:1-9; 1 Pet. 1:23-25)

II. All we need for a full life is found in knowing Christ; so we must grow deeper in knowledge of Christ so that we’re grown more into His image now, while we look forward to His eternal promises (Vv. 3-4)

a. The knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, and the multiplied grace and peace of God in our lives which is our firm foundation of truth, is also the source of all we need to grow continually in Christlikeness. Campaigns of misinformation, designed to lead us astray, have been present since the garden. Adam and Eve believed the lie and ate the fruit, but by God’s divine power through the glory and excellence of Christ, God has restored to us the true spiritual and eternal life in Him that was lost in our sinful rebellion in the garden. Through Christ He not restores us to Him, but also grants us all we need to continually develop Christlike characteristics in our everyday lives. God has given us every resource, through the true, full, and intimate knowledge of Christ, that we need to deal with misinformation, difficulties, suffering, and uncertainty in this life. We obtain and cultivate the wisdom necessary for all of life and growth in godliness, by actively pursuing and growing more into the image of Christ. (v. 3; Gen. 3:1-6; John 1:14, 18; 3:16; 1 Cor. 1:4-5; 2 Cor. 3:18; 9:8; 12:9; Eph. 1:3, 19-20; Phil. 3:7-14; Col. 2:6-7; 3:10; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1 John 5:11-12)

b. The “glory and excellence” of Christ were most fully on display on the cross. It was there that His “glory and excellence” satisfied God’s law and turned away God’s just wrath against our sin. As we journey through this life, God supplies us all we need to grow in Christlikeness and live full lives, but Jesus’ “glory and excellence” has also secured for us eternal promises in Him, which bear fruit in this life. The precious and magnificent promises of God in Christ, speak to our salvation, justification, and adoption in Him, but also His promises we enjoy now, such as victory over sin, access to His wisdom, strength, and peace, and the fruit of the Spirit. The glory and excellence of Christ guarantees that even though we won’t obtain godly perfection in this life, that as we continually seek to grow in true knowledge of God in Christ, He’ll be faithful to continually restore us no matter how many times we stumble and fall, and ultimately complete us in eternity in Christ. (v. 4; John 1:12; Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 13:12; 15:54-58; 2 Cor. 1:20; 5:2-4; 1 John 3:2-3; Rev. 21:3-7)