In following our thoughts about where you are as the bride of Christ I wanted to take a journey through Peter’s second letter and see what wisdom he has for us here in America in the 21st century. In particular I want to look at what Peter was warning the Christians in the 1st century about — false teaching.
We will explore this subject in several parts with the first one this time focusing on the message that is at the heart of WalkWithGod Ministries; Keep on Keeping On. As His bride we need to make sure that we are not satisfied with just partaking “In” Christ. We cannot be satisfied with just our salvation for multiple reasons, which we will touch on in these messages. Rather we need to be “Of” Christ, we need to move into an abiding relationship with Him, and some of the things Peter laid out in his second letter will help us do just that.
Our place as the bride of Christ needs to be sitting at His feet, learning about Him and, as Paul said, conforming ourselves into His image (Rom 8:29). This is what abiding with Him in the Holiest Place is all about, growing more like Him every day and in the process allowing the Holy Spirit to help us become all that we were created to be. This life here and now is not only critical to our future, it is critical to the soon coming Kingdom of Christ. We have a role to play now and in the future and we need to be fully about making the commitment necessary to find out what that is and begin stepping into it.
With this in mind let’s begin looking at Peter’s letter with our eyes fixed on our responsibility as the bride and see what it means and what is required of us as we enter into that Holiest Place, as we enter into His Rest.
Jesus promised us that as His bride, if we are “faithful” and “overcome” (Rev 3:12) we will be a pillar in the Temple of God. We will stand tall in the coming kingdom and be rewarded for our spiritual work here on earth. Works that have nothing to do with our salvation (that was free), these are the works that have to do with our sanctification (they cost us something; our commitment and obedience). We are the one to whom Peter is writing here in America:
2Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
To those who have by faith appropriated the free gift of salvation from Christ. To those who, like Peter, have stepped from the Outer Court (the place of the Gentiles) into the Holy Place, (the place of salvation).
2Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
Notice that Peter said in verse 1 that our righteousness (justification) came by faith in Jesus Christ, but in verse 2 he added that the grace and peace that comes with our salvation will be “multiplied” (plethuno; abound) through the “knowledge” (epignosis; full discernment, full acknowledgement) of the Father and of the Son.
This “abounding” of grace and peace will not be found in the Holy Place, it is the result of time spent in the Holiest Place. This is the very place we have been invited to boldly enter, the very throne room of God (Eph 2:6). Peter brings this out in verse 3:
2Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
These are the things we have in heavenly places (Eph 1:3) according to his divine “power” (dunamis; miracle working power), and note that they pertain to “life” and “godliness.” They apply to where we are now and to what we are to become as our knowledge of Him increases. He has called us to glory (doxa; God’s dignity) and virtue (arete; man’s excellence) and He has given us some promises that will help us get there. And these “exceedingly great and precious promises” (exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think … Eph 3:20) are in the present tense — not in the future tense — and are for one purpose.
2Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Jesus has given us grace and peace in order that we “might” be “partakers” (koinonos; companions, partners, fellows) “Of” the divine nature (theios; godhead). We are told that in Jesus all the fullness of the Godhead dwells and we are complete in Him (Col 2:9-10). And note that this comes after we have “escaped the corruption” in the world; after we have been saved — have partaken “In” Christ. When we walk and live in the power of the Spirit we are walking in the opposite direction of our fleshly life (Gal 5:6); we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
These promises are available to us but in order to receive them we need to continue to abide in His divine power, His miracle working power. This is the power we need that allows us to follow, obey and partake “Of” Him. This is the power that we have the potential to live by. When we do we will continue to grow in grace and the knowledge of Him, drawing ever closer and becoming more like Him; like His character. At the same time we will live in victory and spiritual abundance right here in America in the 21st century. And if we will become partakers “Of” Christ we will not fall prey to all the false teachings that are exploding all around us. It is the “knowledge of Him” that provides us with our defense against the false teachers that are delivering messages that are not from the Word, are not the truth and are at the expense of the Cross.
To help us take up that victorious life “Of” Christ, Peter laid out seven specific steps for us to follow. These are specific steps to put us in a position to not only recognize false teaching but to resist it and turn away. Next time we will look at these steps and see how they fit into our sanctification, into our abiding life as partakers “Of” the divine nature of Christ.