Peter’s second epistle opens with an incredible statement that on the surface seems simple and straightforward, but upon careful examination reveals a depth of spiritual insight that we may not fully understand until we receive the light of eternity.
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as
- His divine power
- has given to us
- all things
- that pertain to life and godliness,
- through the knowledge of Him
- who called us by glory and virtue,
- by which have been given to us
- exceedingly great and precious promises,
- that through these
- you may be partakers of the divine nature,
- having escaped the corruption
- that is in the world through lust.”
2 Peter 1:2–4 NKJV
Let’s look at these verses phrase by phrase and try to gain at least a cursory understanding of the love the Lord has for us and the provisions that God has made for our salvation that Peter clearly understood and is attempting to share with the recipients of his second letter.
This letter was written “To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1). Surely that includes today’s children of Israel—Modern Israel.
In commenting on Peter’s second epistle, Inspiration makes the following statement:
“The apostle presents before the believers the ladder of Christian progress, every step of which represents advancement in the knowledge of God, and in the climbing of which there is to be no standstill. Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity are the rounds of the ladder. We are saved by climbing round after round, mounting step after step, to the height of Christ’s ideal for us. Thus He is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” The Acts of the Apostles, 530.
Clearly the most notable aspect of Peter’s letter is Peter’s ladder, the ascension of which develops in us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. However, let’s examine closely what Peter wrote as an introduction to that wonderful key to salvation. In the opening lines of his letter, Peter actually states the result of our faithful climb before stating how to achieve those results.
In verse 3, Peter states that what we accomplish is done through “His divine power.” It isn’t perfectly clear if the antecedent of “His” is “God” or “Jesus our Lord,” as stated in verse 2, but it really doesn’t matter. Both entities are divine and both long for the salvation of mankind. As Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and My Father are one.”
Then Peter states that this power has given us some very precious gifts. We did nothing to deserve these gifts—else they would not be gifts. But what precious gifts they are: all things; but note that there is actually a qualifier for the “all things” that He has given us: it is indeed “all things” but only those things that pertain to life and godliness—not just some of the things that we need, but all things.
It is worthwhile to note, by the way, that twice in these verses, Peter notes the fact that the things we need for salvation are gifts. In verse 3 he tells us how we have been given these gifts: through divine power (which, you should remember, is infallible); and in verse 4 he confirms that it is through divine glory and virtue that we have been so lovingly gifted.
Then Peter explains how we obtain these things. Understand that a gift is not a gift until it is accepted by the receiver. Thus we obtain these gifts “through the knowledge of Him”—and note that it isn’t just anybody who has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, but it is “Him who has called us by glory and virtue.” And who is this “Him” who called us? Again, it doesn’t matter whether the antecedent is God or Christ. Jesus made it clear in John 8:19 (“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also”) and 14:9 (“He who has seen Me has seen the Father”) that their characters are exactly identical, and to know one is to know the other. Obviously we acquire that knowledge through a continuing, consistent, and thorough study of His word—in all of its manifestations.
Then comes other gifts in verse 4: “exceedingly great and precious promises.” Surely our hearts thrill with gratitude when we recognize that the pathway to heaven is open to us through these promises. In case we have difficulty grasping the assurance of these promises, Paul confirmed their significance in Hebrews 6:17, 18 when he wrote, “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”
That hope exists because (1) God cannot lie; (2) He deems us as heirs of His promises; (3) those promises and His counsel are immutable and unchangeable; (4) and He confirmed those promises by an oath “in which it is impossible for God to lie.”
The harmony of the truths expressed by the different Bible writers can be overwhelming sometimes.
Then Peter gives us two incredible results of the working of those promises in our lives when we accept and act on them.
First we become partakers of the divine nature. Just as Christ combined His divinity with humanity through the mystery of the incarnation, we have the incredible privilege of combining our humanity with His divinity and thereby being partakers of the divine nature.
In explaining the assumption of humanity by divinity, Inspiration wrote: “The doctrine of the incarnation of Christ in human flesh is a mystery, ‘even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations’ (Colossians 1:26). It is the great and profound mystery of godliness. ‘The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us’ (John 1:14).” Selected Messages, Book 1, 246.
Then explaining the assumption of divinity by humanity, Inspiration wrote: “Genuine faith appropriates the righteousness of Christ, and the sinner is made an overcomer with Christ; for he is made a partaker of the divine nature, and thus divinity and humanity are combined.” Faith and Works, 94.
Second and equally incredible, we are thus enabled—or given the power—to escape the corruption that is in the world through unsanctified desire, a longing for that which is forbidden, or lust.
Peter continues here a theme expressed in his first epistle in which he warned the sojourners and pilgrims on the narrow way to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
After explaining the almost unbelievable results of a successful climb—the reality of being partakers of the divine nature—Peter then provides the progression necessary to achieve those results in verses 5 through 7—a passage that we are all familiar with:
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love” (2 Peter 1:5–7).
By claiming and acting on the promises given us through the Word, we have assurance confirmed by the oath of God Himself that salvation is within our reach. We can escape the corruption of the world and we can manifest the character of Christ perfectly.
John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.