“GRACE and PEACE be MULTIPLIED to you in the KNOWLEDGE of God and of Jesus our Lord…” (2 Peter 1:2)
- GRACE: We often hear Grace referred to as the, “Unmerited favor of God.” Or we may have heard Grace mentioned as, God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense. I really like Paul’s definition of Grace, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who WORKS IN YOU both TO WILL (the desire) and TO DO (the power) for His good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:12-13) So, when God gives us Grace, He gives us the DESIRE and the POWER to do His will!!!
- PEACE: We live in a society of anxiety, worry, and fear, but God wants us to be “anxious for nothing.” God is Sovereign – He is in CONTROL OF EVERYTHING. When we learn to FULLY TRUST HIM, “Trust in the LORD with ALL your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in ALL YOU DO, and He will show you which PATH TO TAKE.” (Prov. 3:5-6), then we can have peace. “You will keep him in PERFECT PEACE, Whose mind is STAYED (sâmak: support, uphold, sustain) on You, Because he TRUSTS IN YOU.” (Isa. 26:3)
- MULTIPLIED: “…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (our daily needs) shall be ADDED TO YOU.” (Matt. 6:33) GRACE and PEACE are far more important to us so, they will be multiplied to us!!!
- KNOWLEDGE: Our goal is an “intimate closeness” with God! Peace with God, and the desire and power (Grace) to do His will-THIS IS WHAT WILL HELP US. How do we do it? “…through the KNOWLEDGE of God…” knowing about God??? Knowledge: (ep-ig’-no-sis) two words: epi – marked, ginosko – A connection or union AS BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE. “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And KNEW her not...” (Matt. 1:24, 25) The result (fruit) of this kind of relationship or THE MARK of their intimacy would be a child. No one knows if there is intimacy, but if pregnancy results…everyone knows! Look at what John says: “And hereby we do KNOW (ep-ig’-no-sis) that we KNOW Him, if we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. He that says, I know Him, and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (I John 2:3, 4) THE MARK (or fruit) OF OUR INTIMACY WITH GOD is that we KEEP His commandments, the more we know Him, the more WE WANT TO KNOW HIM.
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham